Earl N. Williams, Sr., First Chance Act

Key Points

• 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.

Impact Analysis

Govbase has not yet run an impact analysis on this legislation.