H.R. 3179: Empowering Students Through Enhanced Financial Counseling Act

114th Congress · introduced 2015-07-23 · Education · Latest: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2015-07-23 · official record
Who proposed it: Rep. Guthrie, Brett [R-KY-2] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Empowering Students Through Enhanced Financial Counseling Act

Plain summary

Empowering Students Through Enhanced Financial Counseling Act (Sec. 2) This bill amends title IV (Student Assistance) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to modify loan counseling requirements for an institution of higher education (IHE) that participates in federal student aid programs. Currently, an IHE must provide entrance counseling to a student who is a first-time federal student loan borrower. This bill replaces required entrance counseling with required annual counseling. Also, it expands the required recipients of such annual counseling to include, in addition to student borrowers, Federal Pell Grant recipients and parent PLUS Loan borrowers. Each annual counseling recipient must receive comprehensive information on the terms, conditions, and responsibilities with respect to a grant or loan and general information on a typical student budget, the right to request an annual credit report, average income and employment data, and financial management resources. Additionally, the bill revises, expands, or establishes specific annual counseling information requirements for student borrowers, Pell Grant recipients, or parent PLUS Loan borrowers. (Sec. 3) The legislation revises and expands exit counseling information requirements to include an outstanding loan balance summary, the anticipated monthly payments under standard and income-based repayment plans, an explanation of the grace period preceding repayment, the option to pay accrued interest before it capitalizes, the right to request an annual credit report, and loan servicer contact information. (Sec. 4) It directs ED to maintain a consumer-tested online counseling tool that provides annual and exit counseling. (Sec. 5) The Institute of Education Sciences must study the impact and effectiveness of exit counseling, annual counseling, and the online counseling tool. (Sec. 6) No additional funds are authorized to carry out the requirements of this bill.

Congressional Research Service summary (Passed House amended), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Empowering Students Through Enhanced Financial Counseling Act

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Passed House amended)

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The strongest published arguments

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Guthrie, Brett [R-KY-2] · 38 cosponsors

Cost estimate: CBO cost estimate: H.R. 3179, Empowering Students Through Enhanced Financial Counseling Act (2016-07-05)

Cosponsors on this site

Rick W. Allen (R-GA), Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR), Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (D-VA), Tim Walberg (R-MI), Earl L. "Buddy" Carter (R-GA), Elise M. Stefanik (R-NY), Mark Pocan (D-WI), Mark Takano (D-CA), Katherine M. Clark (D-MA), Mark DeSaulnier (D-CA), Richard Hudson (R-NC), William R. Keating (D-MA), Donald S. Beyer, Jr. (D-VA), Glenn Thompson (R-PA), Joe Courtney (D-CT), Alma S. Adams (D-NC), Frederica S. Wilson (D-FL)

Sponsor's campaign money: Rep. Guthrie, Brett [R-KY-2] reported raising $6.0 million (2025–2026). Details. Shown for context only; it does not mean any donor supported this bill.

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (2)

Authorization: A law that creates or continues a government program and says what it may do, often with a suggested spending ceiling. An authorization alone does not provide money; a separate appropriation does.
Bill: A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Passed House amended)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-114hr3179.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/114/hr>

Record fed-us-cong114-hr3179 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong114 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong114