Putting American Students First Act

This bill would set clear immigration and residency rules for who can receive services from Federal TRIO programs. It says a person must be a U.S. citizen; a lawful permanent resident; someone in the U.S. for more than a temporary stay who can show the Department of Homeland Security they plan to become a permanent resident; a citizen of the Freely Associated States lawfully living in the U.S.; someone with CNMI resident status; or a lawful resident of one of the Freely Associated States. It also says these rules cannot be waived under certain federal funding laws or pilot projects. The bill makes some technical updates to cross-references in the Higher Education Act to match these changes.

Key points:

• Who is affected: People seeking services from Federal TRIO programs and the programs that serve them.
• What changes: Adds specific citizenship/residency requirements and blocks waivers of these rules; updates related references in law .
• When: If enacted, these rules would guide who can get TRIO services going forward.