# 119-hr-8618: College Affordability and Accessibility Act

119-hr-8618, College Affordability and Accessibility Act, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Menefee, Christian D. [D-TX-18] (D-TX); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-21).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-8618
- As of: 2026-10-21
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-hr-8618
- Congress: 119
- Title: College Affordability and Accessibility Act
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2026-04-30
- Sponsor: Rep. Menefee, Christian D. [D-TX-18] (D-TX)
- Cosponsors: 1
- Policy area: Education
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-10-21

## Summary

**CPI-adjusted Pell Grant maximums.** This bill would change how the Federal Pell Grant maximum is calculated by tying awards to a $14,800 baseline and using the Consumer Price Index to adjust future maximums while subtracting the amount set in the most recent appropriation act. - Students and families: New maximum Pell amounts would be set by formula. For award years 2026-2027 and 2027-2028 the total maximum per student would equal $14,800 minus the amount listed as the maximum Pell in the last enacted appropriation act for that award year. - Future recipients: For award year 2028-2029 and each subsequent award year the total maximum per student would start at $14,800 increased by the annual CPI change estimated by the Secretary and then reduced by the appropriation-specified maximum for that award year. - Colleges and financial aid offices: Offices would use the Secretary's CPI-based annual adjustment percentage to calculate maximum awards and plan aid budgets. - Appropriations and policy makers: The formula makes the Congress's last enacted Pell maximum for each award year a direct offset to the bill's target, so appropriations will affect the final payable maximum.

## Cosponsors (1)

- Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large] (D-DC), 2026-10-19T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- Higher Pell maximums tied to CPI: benefit, high. This bill would set a $14,800 benchmark for the total maximum Pell Grant per student starting in award year 2026-2027. For 2026-2027 and 2027-2028 the total maximum would equal $14,800 minus the amount specified as the maximum Pell Grant in the last enacted appropriation for that award year. Starti…
- More Pell semesters for students: benefit, high. If enacted, you would be able to receive Pell Grants for up to 16 semesters (or the equivalent) for your first bachelor's degree. If you already used between 1 and 15 semesters for your first bachelor's, you would be able to get Pell for a first postbaccalaureate program so long as your total Pell…

## Related bills

- 119-hr-9877: Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2026
- 119-hr-8870: BUILD America 250 Act
- 119-hr-7977: Energy Bills Relief Act
- 119-hr-7973: Momnibus Act
- 119-hr-3151: SHIPS for America Act of 2025
- 119-hr-10421: Transforming Education for the Future Act

## Sources
- [119-hr-8618 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/8618)

## Related
- [119-hr-9877: Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-9877)
- [119-hr-8870: BUILD America 250 Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-8870)
- [119-hr-7977: Energy Bills Relief Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-7977)
- [119-hr-7973: Momnibus Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-7973)
- [119-hr-3151: SHIPS for America Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-3151)
- [119-hr-10421: Transforming Education for the Future Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-10421)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-8618 (as of 2026-10-21).