GRAD Act

Bill Number

H.R. 5850

Origin Chamber

House

Congress

119th Congress, Session 1

Policy Area

Education

Status

Introduced

Latest Action

2025-10-28: Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.

Last Updated

2026-05-30T08:05:43Z

AI-Generated Summary

Purpose

The Guaranteeing Retention and Aid During Shutdowns Act (GRAD Act), H.R. 5850, aims to protect college students' enrollment in higher education institutions during federal government shutdowns. It ensures that disruptions in federal student financial aid—caused by lapses in government funding—do not lead to students being dropped or having their status changed by their schools.

Key Provisions

• Amendment to the Higher Education Act of 1965: Adds a new requirement under Section 487(a), creating paragraph (30), which states that institutions participating in Title IV programs (federal student aid programs like grants and loans) must not terminate or alter a student's enrollment due to aid disruptions from a government shutdown.
• Condition for Participation: This rule applies only to schools that want to continue receiving federal funding for student aid programs.
• Short Title: The bill is officially called the "Guaranteeing Retention and Aid During Shutdowns Act" or "GRAD Act."

Significant Changes to Existing Law

• New Enrollment Protection: Prior to this bill, the Higher Education Act did not explicitly prohibit schools from dropping students whose federal aid is delayed by shutdowns. This amendment introduces a mandatory safeguard, making it a binding condition for schools to maintain student status during such events.
• Targeted Scope: The change focuses solely on lapses in appropriations (government funding gaps) and applies only to federal aid under Title IV, without altering other aspects of enrollment policies.

Potential Impacts

• On Citizens (Students): Students relying on federal aid could continue their education without interruption, reducing financial and academic stress during shutdowns. This might prevent dropouts, lost credits, or added debt from re-enrollment fees.
• On Government Agencies: The U.S. Department of Education would need to enforce this rule for participating institutions, potentially increasing oversight during shutdowns but promoting smoother aid distribution once funding resumes.
• On Higher Education Institutions: Schools must comply to keep federal aid eligibility, which could require policy updates and temporary financial accommodations for affected students, but it avoids broader disruptions to enrollment revenue.
• International Relations: No direct impact, as the bill focuses on domestic U.S. higher education and federal funding.

Main Stakeholders Affected

• Students: Primarily those dependent on federal student aid (e.g., Pell Grants or loans), especially low-income or first-generation college attendees who might be hit hardest by enrollment changes.
• Institutions of Higher Education: Public and private colleges/universities participating in Title IV programs, which must adjust internal policies to avoid penalties like loss of federal funding.
• Federal Government: The Department of Education and Congress, as enforcers and funders, respectively, with indirect effects on budget negotiations during shutdowns.
• Educators and Administrators: Faculty and staff at institutions who manage enrollment and aid processes.

Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications

• Legal Implications: Strengthens student rights under federal education law by adding an enforceable protection against indirect penalties from government dysfunction. Institutions could face audits or funding cuts for non-compliance, but the bill avoids creating new lawsuits by tying it to existing Title IV participation rules.
• Constitutional Implications: Aligns with Congress's spending power under Article I, Section 8, by conditioning federal funds on specific institutional behaviors. It does not raise separation-of-powers issues, as it addresses executive branch funding lapses without overriding them.
• Political Implications: Highlights vulnerabilities in government operations during shutdowns (e.g., debt ceiling or budget disputes), potentially pressuring lawmakers to avoid them. Introduced by a bipartisan group of House Democrats, it underscores education access as a non-partisan priority, though its passage could depend on broader fiscal policy debates.

This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.

Sponsor

Rep. Figures, Shomari [D-AL-2]

Cosponsors (19)

Rep. Fields, Cleo [D-LA-6], Rep. Jackson, Jonathan L. [D-IL-1], Rep. McIver, LaMonica [D-NJ-10], Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large], Rep. Velázquez, Nydia M. [D-NY-7], Rep. Carson, André [D-IN-7], Rep. Foushee, Valerie P. [D-NC-4], Rep. Craig, Angie [D-MN-2], Rep. Lee, Summer L. [D-PA-12], Rep. Evans, Dwight [D-PA-3], Del. Plaskett, Stacey E. [D-VI-At Large], Rep. Tlaib, Rashida [D-MI-12], Rep. Johnson, Henry C. "Hank" [D-GA-4], Rep. Kennedy, Timothy M. [D-NY-26], Rep. Goldman, Daniel S. [D-NY-10], Rep. Sewell, Terri A. [D-AL-7], Rep. Huffman, Jared [D-CA-2], Rep. Landsman, Greg [D-OH-1], Rep. Scholten, Hillary J. [D-MI-3]

Recent Actions

• 2025-10-28: Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.
• 2025-10-28: Introduced in House
• 2025-10-28: Introduced in House

Bill Versions

• Guaranteeing Retention and Aid During Shutdowns Act — issued 2025-10-28 — PDF (2 pages)