Congress·In Committee·H.R. 7689

College Student Living and Emergency Expense Grants

Earl N. Williams, Sr., First Chance Act

Legislative Progress

House

Senate

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Law

This bill would create two types of grants for college students: 'basic' grants for planned costs and 'emergency' grants for unexpected financial crises that might otherwise force a student to drop out.
The money is meant for students already in the Student Support Services program, which typically helps people who are the first in their family to go to college, have low incomes, or have disabilities.
Students could use the money for things like extra childcare, transportation, or personal items that are not covered by their regular financial aid packages.
Emergency grants would be capped at $500 for the 2027-2028 school year, with that limit increasing slightly each year after that to keep up with the rising cost of living.
Colleges would be allowed to use up to 2% of their federal student support funding to pay for these grants, ensuring the money goes directly to students who need help staying in school.

2 milestones2 actions

Feb 25, 2026House

Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.

Feb 25, 2026

Introduced in House

Document Type

Congressional Bill

Official Title

Earl N. Williams, Sr., First Chance Act

Bill NumberHR 7689

Congress119th Congress

ChamberHouse of Representatives

Latest ActionReferred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.

Congress.gov

Official legislative information

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