Bill · H.R. 10043· House(119-HR-10043)
Heritage Legacy Act
- Introduced
- 8/3/2026
- Last activity
- 8/3/2026 — Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.
- Sponsored by
- Frederica Wilson
- Cosponsors
- None
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The Heritage Legacy Act aims to provide grants to Historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs). These grants are intended to fund scholarships for qualified students who are descendants of individuals enslaved in the United States. The Secretary of Education will award these grants based on the annual tuition charged to qualified students. Students must provide documentation to verify that at least one-quarter of their genes are attributable to an individual who was enslaved in the U.S. These scholarships are meant to be provided as direct payments similar to Federal Pell Grants.
Yes· 3 of 6
Would Black Americans be better off under this?+9
The bill specifically targets descendants of enslaved people, providing significant educational and financial benefits to this demographic.
Does this narrow racial gaps in how people are treated?+8
The bill promotes racial equity by providing direct scholarship funding to descendants of enslaved persons attending HBCUs.
Would students be better off under this?+7
The bill provides significant financial aid to eligible students attending HBCUs.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Scholarships for Qualified Students: Under Section 2(b)(1), HBCUs will provide direct scholarships to qualified students for their academic years, which may cover the sum of the tuition for their program of study.
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Financial Aid Index Protection: According to Section 3(a), when computing the student aid index, any scholarship awarded under this Act will be excluded, which may impact how aid is calculated for qualified students.
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Support for HBCUs: Under Section 2(d)(2)(C), the Secretary shall provide grants to HBCUs to cover the administrative costs of carrying out the scholarship activities.
Potential Negative Impacts for People
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Strict Verification Requirements: Under Section 2(c)(2), a student must provide documentation demonstrating that at least one-quarter of their genes are attributable to an individual who was enslaved in the United States.
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Specific Documentation Burdens: Section 2(c)(3) requires individuals to provide documentation verifying that their ancestors were listed in a United States census before October 3, 1965, under specific classifications such as "African American," "Black," "Colored," or "Slave," among others.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Good For African Americans+9Good For Students+7Good For Low Income Households+6Good For Young Adults+5
- Social Issues And Justice
- Improves Racial Equity+8
- Education And Technology
- Improves College Affordability+7
- 8/3/2026
- Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.
- Introduced in House