Heritage Legacy Act

This Act may be cited as the “Heritage Legacy Act”.

(a) Grant authority.— For fiscal year 2027 and each succeeding fiscal year, the Secretary of Education shall award grants to each Historically Black College or University (in this Act referred to as an “HBCU”) in an amount that equals the sum of the annual tuition charged to all qualified students enrolled at such HBCU for the academic year that begins July 1 of such fiscal year.

(b) Uses of funds.—

(1) Uses of funds.— An HBCU receiving a grant under this Act shall provide a direct scholarship to each qualified student—

(A) for each academic year that such student is enrolled at the HBCU, which may not exceed 12 semesters or the equivalent; and

(B) in an amount which does not exceed an amount equal to the sum of the tuition for the program of study for such year in which such qualified student is enrolled.

(2) Direct scholarships.— In providing direct scholarships under paragraph (1)(A), the HBCU shall make payments to qualified students in the same manner, using the same payment periods, as such HBCU makes payments for Federal Pell Grants under section 401 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1070a).

(c) Descendent of an individual who was enslaved in the United States.—

(1) In general.— Prior to awarding a grant under this Act to an HBCU, the Secretary shall determine the number of qualified students at such HBCU.

(2) Verification.— To verify that an individual is a qualified student, such individual shall provide to the Secretary, or, if determined appropriate by the Secretary, to the HBCU that the individual is attending, the documentation described in paragraph (3) demonstrating that at least one-quarter of the genes of such individual are attributable to an individual who was enslaved in the United States.

(3) Documentation.— For purposes of the verification required under this subsection, an individual shall provide to the Secretary—

(A) documentation that verifies that the ancestors of such individual were listed, in any United States census before October 3, 1965, as—

(i) African American;

(ii) Afro-American;

(iii) Black;

(iv) Black (Negroid);

(v) Black (Negro or Negro descent);

(vi) Colored;

(vii) Free Colored;

(viii) Freedman;

(ix) Mullato;

(x) Negro;

(xi) Negro of African Descent;

(xii) Negro of the African Race;

(xiii) Octoroon;

(xiv) Quadroon;

(xv) Slave; or

(xvi) any other classification used by the United States Census Bureau or a State for an individual of the African diaspora; or

(B) any other form of proof as the Secretary may authorize for an individual to verify that such individual is a descendent of an individual who was enslaved in the United States.

(4) Preference.— An HBCU receiving a grant under this Act may indicate to the Secretary whether such HBCU prefers to perform the verification required under this subsection.

(d) Funding.—

(1) In general.— There are authorized to be appropriated, and there are appropriated (in addition to any other amounts appropriated to carry out this Act and out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated), for the Secretary of Education to carry out this Act.

(2) Reservation.— Of the funds appropriated under paragraph (1) for a fiscal year, the Secretary shall reserve 5 percent of such funds to—

(A) carry out the requirements under subsection (c) for each HBCU receiving a grant under this Act, other than an HBCU described in subparagraph (B);

(B) in the case of an HBCU that is performing the verification under subsection (c) for the students attending such HBCU, provide an amount from such funds to the HBCU to perform such verification; and

(C) provide grants to each HBCU for administrative costs of carrying out the activities described in subsection (b).

(e) Definitions.— For the purposes of this Act:

(1) Historically black college or university.— The term “Historically Black college or university” has the meaning given the term “part B institution” in section 322 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1061).

(2) Institution of higher education.— The term “institution of higher education” has the meaning given the term section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001).

(3) Qualified student.— The term “qualified student” means any undergraduate student that—

(A) is enrolled, on a full-time basis, at a Historically Black college or university; and

(B) has been determined under subsection (c) to be a descendent of an individual who was enslaved in the United States.

Part F of title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 is amended by inserting after section 479C (20 U.S.C. 1087uu–1) the following:

“479CC. Students who are descendents of enslaved individuals.—

(a) Student aid index computation.— In determining the student aid index for a qualified student, computations performed pursuant to part F of this Act shall exclude any scholarship awarded to a qualified student under the Heritage Legacy Act.

(b) Qualified student defined.— The term “qualified student” has the meaning given such term in section 2 of the Heritage Legacy Act.”.