Bill · S. 5451· Senate(119-S-5451)
A bill to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to require that recipients of Pell Grants be citizens or nationals of the United States.
- Introduced
- 9/22/2026
- Last activity
- 9/22/2026 — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
- Sponsored by
- Jim Banks
- Cosponsors
- None
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
This bill is about changing who can get Pell Grants for their education. Introduced in the Senate, the legislation amends the Higher Education Act of 1965. Specifically, it requires that anyone receiving a Pell Grant must be a citizen or national of the United States. It adds a new definition for an eligible student to Section 401(a) of the act. The bill also makes a conforming amendment to Section 484(a) to align with this new requirement.
Yes
No question was scored yes.
The opposite· 3 of 6
Would immigrants be better off under this?-7
The bill explicitly bars non-citizen immigrants from receiving Pell Grants for higher education.
Would students be better off under this?-4
Students who are not U.S. citizens or nationals are disqualified from receiving federal Pell Grants.
Does this make college cost less?-4
The bill restricts Pell Grant eligibility exclusively to U.S. citizens or nationals, reducing financial aid access for non-citizen students.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
- Citizens and nationals of the United States who meet the specified requirements will have their student status explicitly defined to ensure they are the recipients of Pell Grants under Section 1(a), adding Section 401(a)(3)(B) to the Higher Education Act of 1965.
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- Based on the provided text, there are no specific negative impacts or burdens mentioned for individuals who are not citizens or nationals of the United States, other than the creation of the citizenship and nationality requirement itself under Section 1(a), adding Section 401(a)(3)(B).
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 Immigrants-7Good For Students-4Good For Low Income Households-3Good For Young Adults-2
- Education And Technology
- Improves College Affordability-4Improves Student Loan Relief-3
- 9/22/2026
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
- Introduced in Senate