YourVoice.Now Summary
Your MoneyTransparency & AccountabilityCollege students facing a money emergency could get fast cash grants from their school — up to the yearly Pell maximum.
Your Money
Colleges that win federal grants would give enrolled students emergency cash for costs that threaten their schooling. Approved grants must be paid within 10 business days, and one student's total can't top the maximum Pell Grant for that year.
The grants would not count as income when figuring your federal student aid. They also would not count when deciding if you qualify for other public benefits.
Students would not owe federal income tax on these emergency grants.
No student could be turned away because of citizenship or immigration status. Any student enrolled at a college in the program could get a grant.
Transparency & Accountability
Funding is approved only for fiscal years 2027 through 2032. To keep the program going after that, Congress would have to pass another law.
More about this bill
If you are in college and hit a money emergency, your school could give you a fast cash grant. The Education Department would fund colleges to run these emergency grant programs. A student could get up to the top Pell Grant amount in a school year. Any enrolled student could qualify, whatever their citizenship or immigration status. Each college alone would decide who gets a grant. Colleges would have to let students apply online. Students would get at least one chance to appeal a denial. Approved grants would have to be paid within 10 business days. The grants would not count as taxable income. They also would not lower your other student aid or public benefits. Schools would have to tell students about help like SNAP, Medicaid, and housing aid. The department could give first pick to community colleges and rural schools. It could also favor schools where at least a third of students get Pell Grants. Colleges would report each year on who applied, who was turned down, and how fast they paid. The department could not hand this program off to another federal agency. Funding is approved for 2027 through 2032, but Congress would still set yearly amounts.
Congressional Summary
Emergency Grant Aid for College Students Act This bill establishes a grant program for emergency student financial aid. It also prohibits the Department of Education (ED) from transferring functions related to this program to other federal agencies. Specifically, the bill directs ED to establish a grant program for institutions of higher education to provide emergency financial aid grants to students. The bill also prohibits ED from entering into or carrying out interagency agreements related to this program. This prohibition applies to the transfer of functions such as administering or operating programs, making grants, carrying out technical assistance, enforcing rights and requirements (e.g., data collection requirements), conducting administrative and oversight functions, and monitoring grantees.
Details
- Congress
- 119th
- Chamber
- House
- Status
- summarized
- Action
- Introduced in House
- Action Date
- 2026-09-16
- Date Added
- 2026-10-02
- Source
- Congress.gov →
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