# Early Pell Promise Act

The Early Pell Promise Act makes it possible for high school students to apply for federal Pell Grants before they graduate and enroll in college. Normally, students can only get Pell Grants—which are federal money for college that doesn't need to be repaid—after they've been accepted to college and officially enrolled. This bill changes that by allowing students to start the application process while still in high school, so they know how much grant money they might receive before making their college decision.

The main benefit is giving students and their families better information earlier in the process. When a student knows in advance how much federal grant money they'll qualify for, they can make smarter choices about which colleges to apply to and attend. This is especially helpful for low-income students who might be worried about affording college. Instead of waiting until after graduation to find out what financial aid they'll get, they can factor that into their college planning while they're still in school. The bill essentially removes a timing barrier that currently forces students to wait until after high school to learn about their eligibility for this important financial aid.

This change could help more students from lower-income families seriously consider and attend college, since they'll have concrete information about federal grant support earlier in their decision-making process. It's a relatively straightforward policy change that aims to make college planning less stressful and more accessible by providing crucial financial information at the moment when students are actually choosing which schools to apply to.

Early Pell Promise Act

Stabenow, Debbie

Early Pell Promise Act This bill authorizes the Department of Education (ED) to carry out an Early Federal Pell Grant Commitment Program under which ED must make a commitment to award Pell Grants to certain students. To be eligible to receive a commitment, the student must be in grades 8-12 and a member of a household receiving assistance under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Pursuant to a commitment, the student shall receive a Pell Grant during the first two academic years of attendance at an institution of higher education (IHE) as an undergraduate if the student <ul> <li>files the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form for the award year in which the student will be in attendance at the IHE, and</li> <li>enrolls at the IHE not later than one year after receiving a secondary school diploma or not later than three years after release from the Armed Forces.</li></ul>