Postsecondary Student Success Act of 2026

Key Points

• This bill creates a competitive grant program through the Department of Education to help colleges boost graduation and retention rates for students who face the greatest barriers to finishing their degrees. Grants would go to public colleges, nonprofit-college partnerships, and tribal institutions.
• The program defines "high-need students" broadly to include people from low-income families, first-generation college students, caregivers, students with disabilities, those who previously dropped out, justice-impacted students, and military-connected students.
• Schools that receive grants can spend the money on tutoring, career coaching, mentoring, emergency financial assistance, and efforts to improve transfer pathways between two-year and four-year colleges. They can also use funds to recruit and retain faculty.
• The program requires schools to use evidence-based practices organized into three tiers, from promising approaches to those proven effective through rigorous evaluation. At least 20% of grant funding must go to programs using the highest tier of evidence.
• Two percent of total funding is reserved for Tribal Colleges and Universities, and the grant program is authorized for fiscal years 2027 through 2032. The bill does not specify a total funding amount.