National Guard and Reserve Student Loan Fairness Act
- Bill Number
- H.R. 4893
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 1
- Policy Area
- Education
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2025-08-05: Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.
- Last Updated
- 2025-09-18T17:11:28Z
AI-Generated Summary
Summary of H.R. 4893: National Guard and Reserve Student Loan Fairness Act
Purpose
This bill amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to provide members of the reserve components of the U.S. Armed Forces (such as the National Guard and Reserves) with credit toward Public Service Loan Forgiveness for their military service periods, even when they are not employed full-time in a qualifying public service job.
Key Provisions
- Special Rule for Reserve Members: For borrowers who are reserve component members, the Secretary of Education must count certain months as qualifying payments toward loan forgiveness based on points earned toward military retired pay.
- A "full year of covered service" (80 or more points) allows all 12 months to count if corresponding loan payments were made that meet or would have met public service requirements.
- A "partial year of covered service" (50 to 79 points) allows up to 6 months to count under the same conditions.
- Data Matching Requirement: The Department of Defense and Department of Education must conduct annual data matching within one year of enactment to identify eligible individuals, certify their service years, and count qualifying payments without requiring additional action from the borrower.
- Definitions: Clarifies terms such as "full year of covered service," "partial year of covered service," and "Armed Force" based on existing military law.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
This legislation adds a new paragraph to Section 455(m) of the Higher Education Act, expanding the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. It introduces a military service-based calculation for qualifying payments, differing from the current requirement that payments must occur during full-time public service employment.
Potential Impacts
- On Government Agencies: Requires coordination between the Departments of Defense and Education for data sharing and annual matching processes.
- On Citizens: Benefits reserve component members with federal student loans by accelerating progress toward forgiveness without additional paperwork.
- On International Relations: No direct effects identified.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Members of the National Guard and Reserves who hold eligible federal direct loans.
- The Department of Education (responsible for loan forgiveness administration).
- The Department of Defense (involved in service data certification).
- Student loan borrowers who are current or former reserve service members.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
The bill operates within existing federal authority over education loans and military benefits, with no apparent constitutional conflicts. It addresses equity in loan forgiveness by recognizing reserve service as equivalent to public service contributions.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Cosponsors (4)
Rep. Kelly, Trent [R-MS-1], Rep. Ross, Deborah K. [D-NC-2], Rep. Sorensen, Eric [D-IL-17], Rep. McBride, Sarah [D-DE-At Large]
Recent Actions
- 2025-08-05: Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.
- 2025-08-05: Introduced in House
- 2025-08-05: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- National Guard and Reserve Student Loan Fairness Act — issued 2025-08-05 — PDF (5 pages)