Full Title To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to eliminate interest on student loans, establish the Education Affordability Trust Fund, increase annual and aggregate loan limits, and for other purposes.
Establish an Education Affordability Trust Fund through legislation amending the Higher Education Act of 1965.
Occurrences
Evidence
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Joe Courtney. Connecticut (CT) - 2nd, Democrat. Oath of Office: Jan. 03, 2025. Committee and Subcommittee Assignments include Committee on Education and Workforce and Higher Education and Workforce Development.
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Roll Call 864 | Bill Number: H. R. 2669. Vote Question: On Agreeing to the Conference Report. College Cost Reduction Act of 2007. Status: Passed. Courtney Democratic Connecticut CT Yea.
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This Act may be cited as the College Cost Reduction and Access Act. References in the Act are to amendments to the Higher Education Act of 1965. It appropriated additional Pell Grant funds and created the College Access Challenge Grant Program. Searches within the law for 'Education Affordability Trust Fund' and 'trust fund' returned no match.
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Higher Education Act of 1965 [As Amended Through P.L. 119-21, Enacted July 4, 2025]. The table of contents includes Cost of Higher Education provisions such as State commitment to affordable college education. Searches within the compilation for 'Education Affordability Trust Fund', 'Affordability Trust', and 'trust fund' returned no match.
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GovInfo lists H.R. 8045 as introduced by Mr. Courtney on March 24, 2026 and referred to the House Education and Workforce and Budget Committees. The full title is to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to eliminate student-loan interest and establish the Education Affordability Trust Fund. The listed last action date remains March 24, 2026.
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The introduced bill text states that Part G of title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 would be amended by adding section 494B, Education Affordability Trust Fund, and that a trust fund would be established within the Department. The document is an introduced House bill, not enacted law.
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Last Action Date Listed March 24, 2026 ... Bill Version Introduced in House (IH)
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There is established within the Department a trust fund to be known as the ‘Education Affordability Trust Fund’
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Last Action Date Listed March 24, 2026 ... Bill Version Introduced in Senate (IS)
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calling for Congress to take up their bill
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As Amended Through P.L. 119–21, Enacted July 4, 2025
Assessments
The verified commitment identifies a proposed bill title to amend the Higher Education Act and establish the Education Affordability Trust Fund, but the only verified evidence passage supplied shows the Higher Education Act compilation was amended through P.L. 119-21, enacted July 4, 2025. The verified passage does not prove enactment of this specific trust fund, absence of the fund, or Courtney's material role. With no documented deadline expired and no verified enactment or attributable partial outcome, the status remains unresolved.
Courtney materially pursued the promised mechanism by introducing H.R. 8045 in 2026 to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 and establish an Education Affordability Trust Fund. However, the official record shows the bill was only introduced and referred to committees, with no enactment or actual establishment of the fund. Earlier related college-affordability legislation he supported did not create the specific trust fund. This merits effort credit but not fulfillment.
The specific promised outcome was to establish an Education Affordability Trust Fund through amendments to the Higher Education Act of 1965. The current Higher Education Act compilation contains no such trust fund, and the enacted 2007 College Cost Reduction and Access Act that Courtney supported amended the Higher Education Act but did not create the promised fund. Courtney did take concrete same-term action on related college affordability legislation by voting for H.R. 2669, so this merits an effort badge, but the promised trust-fund outcome was not delivered.