The Senate Appropriations Committee on June 9 approved by a vote of 29-1 providing $161.9 billion in base discretionary funding for the departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and related agencies in fiscal year 2017, $270 million less than this year. The funding bill would restore year-round Pell grants. Expanded eligibility and flexibility in the program will allow students who have exhausted their Pell grant award for an academic year, and wish to enroll in additional coursework, to receive a grant for an additional term during the academic year. The maximum benefit these students may receive during a year is capped at 150 percent of the otherwise maximum Pell grant.
A summary of the overall bill can be accessed at http://www.appropriations.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/060916-FY17-LaborHHS-Approps-Full-Committee-Markup-Summary-Web.pdf.