Congress·Reported·S. 4097

State-Based Education Loan Awareness Act

Student Loans: State-Based Loan Awareness

Mar 16·View on Congress.gov·Read full text

This bill is one vehicle in a longer effort. See the full story across every version.View effort →

Next up: The Senate

The Senate must act next: a Senate floor vote.

Legislative Progress

Senate

House

President

Law

Likely to pass

The bill has strong support from both Republicans and Democrats and has already passed the committee stage in the Senate.

How we got here

This bill’s path across every version that has carried it.

Reintroduced
Reintroduced from H.R. 8243 (118th), which died when its Congress ended.
H.R. 8243 (118th) →

Key Points

This bill changes federal rules to make it easier for colleges to tell students about loan programs run by state agencies or local nonprofits. Right now, these state programs are often grouped with private banks, which limits how schools can promote them to students.
To be included, these state-based loans must offer interest rates and fees that are equal to or better than federal PLUS loans. These loans are created by state law and are not funded or guaranteed by the federal government at the time the loan is taken out.
Colleges must still tell students to use up all their federal loan options before taking a state-based loan. Schools are required to explain the benefits of federal loans, such as loan forgiveness and repayment plans that change based on how much money a person makes.
Government investigators will track how these changes impact student debt over time. A new report will look at whether students are borrowing more or less from private sources and if they are successfully paying back their loans without falling behind.

Impact Analysis

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

Milestones

5 milestones6 actions

Aug 4, 2026Senate

Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 539.

The bill is now on the schedule for the full chamber to consider. It's in line for debate and a vote.

Aug 4, 2026Senate

Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. Reported by Senator Cassidy with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. Without written report.

The committee approved this bill and is sending it to the full chamber for a vote. This is a significant step — most bills never get this far.

Jul 30, 2026Senate

Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.

The committee approved this bill and is sending it to the full chamber for a vote. This is a significant step — most bills never get this far.

Mar 19, 2026Senate

Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. Hearings held.

Mar 16, 2026Senate

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

Sent to a congressional committee for expert review. The committee decides whether this bill moves forward.

No votes, news coverage, or related bills recorded for this bill yet.

Source Information

Document Type

Congressional Bill

Official Title

State-Based Education Loan Awareness Act

Bill NumberS 4097

Congress119th Congress

ChamberSenate

Latest ActionPlaced on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 539.

Data Sources

Congress.gov

Official legislative information

Read Full Bill Text

Sponsor

Cosponsors

(6)

D: 2R: 4

Analysis generated by AI. Always verify with official sources.