PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.
Congressional Research Service
Version 00 · Introduced in House · Aug 13, 2026
Earn to Learn Act
This bill directs the Department of Education (ED) to establish a postsecondary education match savings account demonstration grant program, through which ED must award competitive grants to states and nonprofit organizations to provide certain low-income students with postsecondary education match savings accounts (e.g., 529 plans).
Further, ED must (1) develop and make available to grant recipients certain tools, including a training platform, a program guide, an online data portal, and certain trainings (e.g., on workforce readiness); (2) ensure that participation in the grant program does not affect student eligibility for Federal Pell Grants; and (3) provide technical assistance.
Showing the opening paragraphs of the official summary.
Grant recipients must use funds to (1) select eligible students to participate in the grant program, (2) provide selected students with financial literacy education, (3) establish a postsecondary education match savings account for each participating student and allow such students and their families to deposit funds in their account to save for attendance at an institution of higher education or an area career and technical education school, and (4) reserve matching funds for participating students. Additionally, grant recipients must ensure that participating students are entitled to withdraw funds from their accounts under certain circumstances.
People & committees
Rep. Lee, Susie [D-NV-3] · D–NV
Legislative record
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Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Primary sources
Text links open the official source. We also preserved the text version used in the PlainBill explanation below.
Source last updated: Sep 30, 2026. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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PlainBill explanation
Based on the full Introduced in House · 2026-08-13 text. This explanation has not received human editorial review. This overview describes the proposal’s major provisions; it does not establish what its real-world effects would be.
The proposed Earn to Learn Act would create competitive grants for states and nonprofit organizations to help low-income students save for college or career training. After a student or family deposits $100 for an academic year, the program would add $8 for each subsequent dollar deposited. Participants would receive financial education and coaching, and their savings and matching funds would not count when determining eligibility for federal student aid.
This Act may be cited as the Earn to Learn Act.
The term eligible entity means a State or a nonprofit organization.
(C) is a student from a low-income family, as determined by the eligible entity;
The term eligible educational institution means— (A) an institution of higher education, as defined in section 102 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1002); or (B) an area career and technical education school, as defined in section 3(3) of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 (20 U.S.C. 2302(3)).
the Secretary shall award grants, on a competitive basis, to eligible entities
Upon a participating student or student's family depositing $100 into a postsecondary education match savings account for the appropriate academic year, the eligible entity shall provide a match of $8 into the student's postsecondary education match savings account for each subsequent dollar deposited by the student or student's family.
provide selected students with financial literacy education using the Success Coaching Model;
funds deposited in a postsecondary education match savings account by a participating student, as well as any matching funds under this section, shall not be considered when a determination is made about that student's eligibility for Federal student aid under title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965
The bill's findings describe rising education costs and inadequate financial aid. Its stated purposes include supplementing traditional aid with matched savings, teaching financial skills, and reducing student debt. These are the bill's rationale and goals, not established results of the proposed program.
Congress finds the following: (1) Skyrocketing costs of higher education are outpacing available financial aid.
(2) provide a much-needed supplement to traditional financial aid options through matched savings; (3) give students the tools to succeed by giving students the opportunity to invest in their education and to improve their financial capability through financial empowerment training and success coaching;
(4) help students— (A) develop healthy financial habits and life skills; (B) prepare to embark on a lifetime of healthy financial practices after graduation; and (C) minimize or eliminate student loan debt.
The Secretary of Education would have to establish the competitive demonstration grant program within nine months after enactment. States and nonprofit organizations could receive grants.
The term Secretary means the Secretary of Education.
The term eligible entity means a State or a nonprofit organization.
Not later than 9 months after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall establish a postsecondary education match savings account demonstration grant program described in this section, through which the Secretary shall award grants, on a competitive basis, to eligible entities to enable those eligible entities to carry out the activities described in subsection (e).
An eligible student would need to be selected, admitted to a qualifying institution, from a low-income family as determined by the program operator, and successful in completing prerequisite personal-finance training. The student would also have to agree to contribute savings and meet any additional eligibility rules set by the operator.
The term eligible student means an individual who— (A) is selected to participate in a postsecondary education match savings account program; (B) has been admitted to an eligible educational institution; (C) is a student from a low-income family, as determined by the eligible entity; (D) successfully completes a required prerequisite personal finance training program; (E) agrees to contribute savings to the postsecondary education match savings account administered by the eligible entity under this section; and (F) meets any other eligibility criteria as defined by the eligible entity.
Students planning to attend a qualifying institution could participate with preliminary eligibility. They would need to meet the operator's low-income standard, agree to save, and satisfy its additional eligibility rules. Qualifying institutions would include higher-education institutions and area career and technical education schools covered by the cited federal definitions.
The term student with preliminary eligibility means an individual who— (A) is from a low-income family, as determined by an eligible entity; (B) plans to attend an eligible educational institution; and (C) meets the requirements described in subparagraphs (E) and (F) of paragraph (4).
(E) agrees to contribute savings to the postsecondary education match savings account administered by the eligible entity under this section; and (F) meets any other eligibility criteria as defined by the eligible entity.
The term eligible educational institution means— (A) an institution of higher education, as defined in section 102 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1002); or (B) an area career and technical education school, as defined in section 3(3) of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 (20 U.S.C. 2302(3)).
The Secretary would develop an online progress-reporting system, financial training platform, program guide, and coaching model for grantees. The guide would include policies, agreement and withdrawal templates, recommended timelines, and reporting procedures.
The Secretary shall develop the Reporting Dashboard, Financial Capability Training Platform, Program Guide, and Success Coaching Model and make those tools available to grantees.
The term Program Guide means a guide that includes program policies and procedures, a savings plan agreement template, a withdrawal form template, recommended timelines, other key forms, and the structure for implementing and reporting program results
The term Reporting Dashboard means a robust online data portal for postsecondary education match savings account programs
Financial training would use initial and ongoing assessments to tailor learning to each participant. Required topics would include student loans, aid, budgeting, debt, housing, retirement, emergency savings, banking, credit, predatory lending, privacy, and security. Coaching would also include education-readiness mentoring and job preparation.
(B) includes an initial assessment to identify individual learning goals and objectives; (C) creates a personal and dynamic learning experience for each individual participant, including ongoing assessments and interim milestones related to learning objectives and longer-term goals; and (D) includes modules on student loans, financial aid, budgeting and credit, consumer debt, housing costs, retirement, the importance of emergency savings, banking (including checking and savings accounts), credit use and interest rates, predatory lending practices, privacy, and security, which shall be conducted by or at the direction of the eligible entity.
(B) postsecondary education readiness training that provides mentoring to help students be better prepared for the challenges of postsecondary education; and (C) workforce readiness training to learn interviewing, resume skills, and career exploration.
Participation would not affect eligibility for a Federal Pell Grant. The Secretary would also have to ensure that participating students' account deposits and matching funds are disregarded when determining eligibility for federal student aid under title IV of the Higher Education Act, including Pell Grants.
The Secretary shall ensure that, notwithstanding any other provision of law— (A) participation in the grant program shall not affect a student's eligibility for a Federal Pell Grant under section 401 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1070a); and (B) funds deposited in a postsecondary education match savings account by a participating student, as well as any matching funds under this section, shall not be considered when a determination is made about that student's eligibility for Federal student aid under title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1070 et seq.), including for a Federal Pell Grant.
Applicants would need a dollar-for-dollar commitment of nonfederal matching funds, which another entity could supply. They would also need to show readiness to operate the program, provide an evaluation and monitoring plan, and promise to use the federal reporting, training, and coaching tools.
(1) a demonstration of— (A) a commitment of non-Federal matching funds at a ratio of 1:1 (which non-Federal funds may be provided by an entity other than the eligible entity); (B) the ability to launch and implement the program; and (C) a plan for compliance with evaluation and program monitoring; and (2) an assurance that the applicant will utilize the Reporting Dashboard, Financial Capability Training Platform, and Success Coaching Model developed by the Secretary under subsection (a)(2).
Grant selection would favor applicants that serve students statewide through networks of participating institutions and commit to supporting selected students through graduation. As far as practicable, awards would have to represent rural and urban communities and diverse populations.
the Secretary shall give priority to eligible entities that— (A) target eligible students and students with preliminary eligibility at a statewide level with networks of participating eligible educational institutions; and (B) commit to supporting selected students through the student's graduation from an eligible educational institution.
The Secretary shall ensure, to the maximum extent practicable, that the eligible entities awarded grants under this section include eligible entities that represent a range of communities (both rural and urban) and diverse populations.
Each grant would be capped at the smaller of $10 million or the total matching contributions committed by nonfederal public or private sources.
A grant awarded under this section shall be in an amount not to exceed the lesser of— (1) the aggregate amount of funds committed as matching contributions from non-Federal public or private sector sources; or (2) $10,000,000.
Grantees would select students in their own state, provide financial education, open savings accounts after students complete account agreements, and reserve matching funds. Students and families could save for attendance at a qualifying institution in a custodial account—an account held by a custodian—or a 529 account, a qualified tuition program under the tax code.
(A) select eligible students, or students with preliminary eligibility, in the State in which the eligible entity is located to participate in the grant program; (B) provide selected students with financial literacy education using the Success Coaching Model; (C) after ensuring that a selected eligible student or selected student with preliminary eligibility has completed an agreement regarding the terms and conditions of the postsecondary education match savings account, establish a postsecondary education match savings account for each participating eligible student or student with preliminary eligibility and allow students and their families to deposit funds in that account to save for attendance at an eligible educational institution; and (D) reserve matching funds for participating students in accordance with paragraph (2).
The term postsecondary education match savings account means an account that is— (A) a custodial account; or (B) a 529 account.
The term 529 account means a qualified tuition program as defined in section 529(b) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986.
For the relevant academic year, a student or family would first have to deposit $100. The required $8 match would apply to each dollar deposited after that initial $100.
Upon a participating student or student's family depositing $100 into a postsecondary education match savings account for the appropriate academic year, the eligible entity shall provide a match of $8 into the student's postsecondary education match savings account for each subsequent dollar deposited by the student or student's family.
A student who withdraws from the institution during its drop-add period would receive no matching funds for that academic period and would remain responsible for any amounts owed for it.
If a participating student withdraws from an eligible educational institution during the drop-add period at that eligible educational institution, the student shall be responsible for any amounts owed for that academic period and will not receive matching funds for that academic period.
Each operator would set out in the account agreement whether matching funds remain available if a student delays attendance or faces circumstances such as illness. Those policies would be subject to the bill's rules on returning deposits and ending participation.
Subject to paragraph (3), each eligible entity shall describe in the agreement under paragraph (1)(C) the eligible entity's policy regarding the availability of matching funds in the event a student decides to delay attendance at an eligible educational institution or in the case of extenuating circumstances, such as illness of a student.
(3) Return of deposited funds
The participation of an eligible student or student with preliminary eligibility in the postsecondary education match savings account demonstration grant program shall terminate on the expiration date described in clause (ii).
Students who fail to meet or maintain their applicable eligibility requirements would be entitled to withdraw money contributed by themselves or their families, according to the account agreement's terms. This withdrawal entitlement concerns their own contributions.
Each eligible entity shall ensure that a participating eligible student, or a student with preliminary eligibility, who does not meet or maintain the requirements of paragraph (4) or (10) of section 4, respectively, shall be entitled to withdraw funds that the student or the student's family contributed to the postsecondary education match savings account in accordance with the terms and conditions that are contained in the agreement for that postsecondary education match savings account, as described in paragraph (1)(C).
Participation would end eight years after an eligible student's first enrollment. For a student with preliminary eligibility, or an eligible student who does not enroll, it would end four years after first agreeing to participate. Operators would then stop reserving matching funds and make remaining student and family deposits available for withdrawal under the account terms.
The participation of an eligible student or student with preliminary eligibility in the postsecondary education match savings account demonstration grant program shall terminate on the expiration date described in clause (ii). The eligible entity shall cease reserving matching funds on behalf of that student as described in paragraph (1)(D). Any remaining funds that the student or the student's family deposited in a postsecondary education match savings account shall be made available for withdrawal in accordance with subparagraph (A).
The expiration date described in this clause is— (I) the date that is 8 years after the date on which a participating eligible student first enrolled in an eligible educational institution; or (II) in the case of a student with preliminary eligibility, or a participating eligible student who does not enroll in an eligible educational institution, the date that is 4 years after the date on which the student first agrees to participate in the postsecondary education match savings account demonstration grant program.
A grantee could use up to 5 percent of its grant for management costs, including administration, reporting, recruitment, enrollment, and monitoring.
An eligible entity receiving a grant under this section may use not more than 5 percent of grant funds for management costs, which may include nonadministrative and administrative functions, including program management, reporting requirements, recruitment and enrollment of individuals, and monitoring.
Grantees would have to enter data-sharing agreements with participating educational institutions for information needed to operate the program. Both that sharing and the online reporting system would have to comply with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, the cited federal student-record privacy law.
An eligible entity receiving a grant under this section shall enter into a data sharing agreement with eligible educational institutions in order to exchange data necessary to carry out the activities described in this section. Such data sharing shall be carried out in a manner that complies with the requirements of section 444 of the General Education Provisions Act (commonly known as the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974) (20 U.S.C. 1232g).
(C) is in compliance with the requirements of section 444 of the General Education Provisions Act (commonly known as the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974) (20 U.S.C. 1232g).
Grantees would submit annual reports using combined data that protect personally identifying information. Reports would cover participating savers, enrollment and completion, first-year retention, federal student borrowing, reserved matching funds, family deposits, and how services affected participation across communities.
Each eligible entity receiving a grant under this section shall prepare and submit to the Secretary an annual progress report containing the following information, in the aggregate and in a manner that protects personally identifiable information in accordance with Federal privacy laws:
(1) The number and characteristics of participating students making a deposit into a postsecondary education match savings account supported under this section. (2) Data on program goals and achievements including enrollment rates, first-year retention rates, program completion, average Federal student loan debt, and share of participating eligible students borrowing Federal student loans. (3) The amount that the eligible entity has reserved in accordance with subsection (e)(1)(D). (4) The aggregate amounts deposited in postsecondary education match savings accounts by participating students and their families.
(5) What service configurations of the eligible entity (such as configurations relating to peer support, structured planning exercises, mentoring, and case management) increased the rate and consistency of participation in the demonstration project and how such configurations varied among different populations or communities. (6) Such other information as the Secretary may require to evaluate the demonstration project.
Within one year after establishing the demonstration project, the Secretary would report to Congress on savings, continued enrollment, completion, differences among demographic groups and communities, and program design. The report would also address lessons learned and whether to establish a permanent grant program.
Not later than 1 year after the establishment of the demonstration project under this section, the Secretary shall prepare and submit to Congress a report containing the following information:
(1) The effects of incentives and organizational or institutional support on postsecondary retention in the demonstration project. (2) The savings rates of individuals in the demonstration project, in the aggregate and disaggregated by demographic characteristics including gender, age, family size, race or ethnic background, and income. (3) The effects of postsecondary education match savings accounts on savings rates and postsecondary education retention and completion, and how such effects vary among different populations or communities.
(4) The lessons to be learned from the demonstration projects conducted under this section and whether a permanent postsecondary education savings grant program should be established. (5) The characteristics of postsecondary education match savings accounts (such as threshold amounts and match rates) required to stimulate participation in the demonstration project, and how such characteristics vary among different populations or communities.
The Secretary could reserve up to 10 percent of money appropriated under the bill to provide technical assistance to grantees.
The Secretary may reserve not more than 10 percent of the amounts appropriated under section 6 to provide technical assistance to eligible entities receiving grants under this section.
The bill would authorize $100 million annually for fiscal years 2027 through 2031. This is authorization for Congress to provide funding through appropriations, rather than an appropriation of the money itself.
There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act $100,000,000 for fiscal year 2027 and each of the succeeding 4 years.
The supplied source snapshot, updated September 30, 2026, records introduction in the House and referral to the House Committee on Education and Workforce on August 13, 2026.
Source snapshot updated 2026-09-30T19:12:27Z. 2026-08-13: Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce. 2026-08-13: Introduced in House
A closer look
Reviewed version: Introduced in House · 2026-08-13. These findings describe provisions and who may benefit; they are not judgments of waste, corruption, or motive.
This review covers the supplied bill text. “None identified” does not rule out provisions in later versions or accompanying reports and disclosures.
Provisions outside the bill’s main subject, or policy changes attached to appropriations.
None identified in the reviewed text
No unrelated provision or policy rider was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. This conclusion applies only to that version and does not establish absence in other versions or accompanying materials.
Spending directed to particular recipients or places outside ordinary competitive or formula-based allocation.
None identified in the reviewed text
No congressionally directed spending for particular recipients or places was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. This conclusion is limited to that version; it does not establish formal earmark status or absence in other versions or accompanying materials.
Narrow exceptions, exemptions, or preferential treatment that warrant a closer look.
None identified in the reviewed text
No materially narrow carve-out, special exemption, or preferential benefit beyond ordinary program eligibility and administration was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. This conclusion applies only to that version, not other versions or accompanying materials.
Full text preserved for this analysis. Legislative record snapshot: Sep 30, 2026. How PlainBill uses AI