Pathways to an Affordable Education Act

Pathways to an Affordable Education Act

This bill amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to modify provisions related to the Federal Pell Grant program. Among other things, it:

• increases the maximum Pell Grant award for academic year 2017-2018 and adjusts it in subsequent award years to account for inflation,
• converts the Pell Grant program into a mandatory spending program,
• increases from 12 to 15 semesters a student's lifetime Pell Grant eligibility period, and
• restores year-round grants.

Additionally, the bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to include, as a qualified scholarship excludible from gross income, any amount received as a Pell Grant.