Bill · S. 4114· Senate(119-S-4114)
Student Protection and Success Act
- Introduced
- 3/17/2026
- Last activity
- 3/17/2026 — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
- Sponsored by
- Jeanne Shaheen
- Cosponsors
- - 0 - 1
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The Student Protection and Success Act aims to hold colleges accountable for student loan repayment. Starting in fiscal year 2028, schools with cohort repayment rates of 15 percent or less will lose eligibility for various federal programs, including Pell Grants and student loans. The bill also requires these institutions to make risk-sharing payments based on unpaid loan balances. Money from these payments will fund the College Opportunity Bonus Program, providing grants to successful schools that help low- and moderate-income students. Additionally, the Secretary of Education must report on best practices to improve repayment rates.
Yes· 3 of 17
Would households on low incomes be better off under this?+6
Directly supports low-income students via the College Opportunity Bonus Program.
Would students be better off under this?+6
Encourages institutions to improve student support and loan repayment success.
Would people in their twenties and thirties be better off under this?+5
Protects young adults from predatory colleges by holding institutions accountable for student success.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Support for Low-Income Students: The College Opportunity Bonus Program provides grants to institutions that improve access and success for low- and moderate-income students, which can be used for additional need-based financial aid, better student support services, and accelerated learning (Section 3).
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Increased Institutional Accountability: By making schools ineligible for federal programs if their cohort repayment rate is 15 percent or less, the bill pressures institutions to ensure students are prepared for successful loan repayment (Section 2).
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Funding for Success: Grants are awarded to institutions with a cohort repayment rate greater than 25 percent that have a strong record of making college affordable (Section 3).
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Guidance for Improvement: The Secretary of Education will provide a report on best practices and recommendations for schools to improve repayment rates, specifically for those serving many low-income students (Section 5).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
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Loss of Financial Aid Access: Students attending institutions with low cohort repayment rates (15 percent or less) may lose access to Pell Grants, student loan insurance, and Federal Perkins loans (Section 2).
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Financial Burden on Schools: Institutions must make risk-sharing payments to the Secretary based on the amount of loans borrowers have not repaid, which could impact school budgets (Section 4).
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Risk of Program Ineligibility: Schools may be barred from participating in federal programs for three fiscal years if they fail to meet the repayment rate threshold (Section 2).
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 Low Income Households+6Good For Students+6Good For Young Adults+5Good For African Americans+3Good For Hispanic Americans+3Good For Middle Class Households+3Good For Native Americans+3Good For Asian Americans+2Good For White Americans+2
- Economy And Finance
- Improves Consumer Protection+5Improves Fiscal Responsibility+3Reduces National Debt+2
- Governance And Ideology
- Improves Government Transparency+4Increases Federal Power+3
- Social Issues And Justice
- Improves Poverty Reduction+3Improves Racial Equity+2
- Education And Technology
- Improves College Affordability+4
- 3/17/2026
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- Introduced in Senate
One bill Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
Todd YoungRepublican · Indiana