March 9, 2026
Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to provide for in-state tuition rates for certain residents of Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa, and the United States Virgin Islands, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
Section 1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the Territorial Student Access to Higher Education Act
.
Sec. 2. In-State tuition for certain residents of Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa, and the United States Virgin Islands
(a) In-State tuition rates
Part C of title I of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1015 et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 135 the following:
135A. In-State tuition rates for certain residents of Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa, and the United States Virgin Islands
(a) In general
A public institution of higher education that receives assistance under this Act shall not charge a covered individual tuition or fees for attendance at such institution at a rate that is greater than the rate charged for residents of the State in which such institution is located.
(b) Covered individual
In this section, the term covered individual means an individual who—
(1)
is a resident of Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa, or the United States Virgin Islands; and
(2)
is a national of the United States (as such term is defined in section 101(a) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101(a))).
(b) Program participation agreement
Section 487(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1094(a)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
(30)
The institution will comply with the requirements of section 135A, as applicable.