September 22, 2026
Mr. Banks introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to require that recipients of Pell Grants be citizens or nationals of the United States.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
Section 1. Amendment to the Higher Education Act of 1965
(a) Pell Grants
Section 401(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1070a(a)) is amended—
(1)
in the subsection heading, by inserting ; Eligible student
after Definitions
; and
(2)
by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
(3) Eligible student
Notwithstanding section 484, or any other provision of law, for the purposes of this section, the term eligible student means a student who—
(A)
meets the requirements of paragraphs (1) through (4) of section 484(a); and
(B)
is a citizen or national of the United States.
(b) Conforming amendment
Section 484(a) (20 U.S.C. 1091(a)) is amended by striking In order to receive
and inserting Subject to section 401(a)(3), in order to receive
.