Grad Student Affordable Housing Act of 2026

This Act may be cited as the “Grad Student Affordable Housing Act of 2026”.

(a) In general.— Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (hereafter referred to as the “Secretary”) shall establish a program to provide tenant-based assistance vouchers to covered graduate students, in accordance with this section.

(b) Application.— To be eligible for assistance under this section, a covered graduate student shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may require.

(c) Coverage of housing costs.— If selected for assistance under this section, the Secretary shall provide the covered graduate student with a tenant-based assistance voucher that covers 80 percent of the cost of the fair market value of the rental cost for the housing unit chosen by the student.

(d) Covered graduate student defined.—

(1) In general.— The term “covered graduate student” means an individual that—

(A) is enrolled in a graduate or professional program at an institution of higher education (as such term is defined in section 101(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001(a)));

(B) if considered a dependent—

(i) with respect to having 1 parent, the parent has an annual adjusted available income that is not more than $40,000, as determined under the assessment described in section 475(b) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1087oo(b)); or

(ii) with respect to having 2 parents, the parents have a annual adjusted available income that is not more than $80,000, as determined under the assessment described in section 475(b) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1087oo(b)); and

(C) if considered independent—

(i) with respect to a single individual, has an annual available income that is not more than $40,000, as determined under the assessment described in section 475(g) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1087oo(g)); or

(ii) with respect to a married individual, has an shared annual available income that is not more than $80,000 as determined under the assessment described in section 475(g) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1087oo(g)).

(2) Cost of living.— The Secretary may adjust income amounts described in subparagraphs (B) and (C) to account for adjustments to the cost of living, as determined by the Secretary.