Skip to main content
HR 1306 108th Congress House

College Opportunity for a Better America Act of 2003

Official title: To provide student loan forgiveness to Americans employed in service to the public, and for other purposes.

Introduced: March 18, 2003 See on congress.gov
Education Agriculture and FoodBilingualismChild care workersChild nutrition
More subjectsShow fewer subjects
Child welfareDepressed areasDisabledEconomics and Public FinanceEducation of the disadvantagedElementary and secondary educationElementary educationFamiliesFederal aid to educationFinance and Financial SectorGovernment lendingHealthHigher educationInfantsInterest
Sign in to write a letter Sign in to watch
This bill died when the 108th Congress ended
It never became law before the 108th Congress (2003–2004) adjourned, and bills don't carry over to the next Congress. It would have to be reintroduced. You can still save it for reference, but it won't receive updates.
 Everywhere this bill has been 4 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Apr 7, 2003
Referred to the Subcommittee on 21st Century Competitiveness.
Mar 18, 2003
Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.
Mar 18, 2003
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E487)
Mar 18, 2003
Introduced in House
 Ask about this bill AI · grounded in the bill text

Have a question about what this bill does? Ask in plain English; the answer is drawn from the bill's actual text and official record, and it'll tell you when something isn't in the text rather than guess.

AI answers can be imperfect; always confirm against the full bill text.

 Latest action April 7, 2003

Referred to the Subcommittee on 21st Century Competitiveness.

 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service
College Opportunity for a Better America Act of 2003 - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to provide student loan forgiveness for borrowers who are employed full-time in qualified public service positions.

Requires the Secretary of Education, depending on the duration of such public service employment, to assume certain portions of such borrowers' obligations to repay specified types of Federal student loans.

Makes eligible for such program: (1) highly qualified teachers in low-income communities and of mathematics, science, and bilingual and special education; (2) early childhood educators; (3) nurses; (4) child welfare workers; (5) nutrition professionals; (6) infant and toddler specialists; and (6) other highly-qualified workers who serve low-income or needy communities and who are in public service professions that suffer from a critical lack of qualified personnel.

Revises provisions for income-related repayment. Changes those for guaranteed student loan from income-sensitive to income-contingent, thus making them consistent with those for direct student loan provisions. Releases qualified public service employees from income-contingent repayment obligations after a maximum of 15 years. (Other borrowers must repay over a maximum 25-year period.)

 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 2
 Cosponsors 15
All 15 Democratic 13 Independent 1
D
Schiff, Adam B.
California · May 5, 2004
 D
Norton, Eleanor Holmes
District of Columbia · Mar 29, 2004
 D
Kaptur, Marcy
Ohio · Apr 3, 2003
 D
Davis, Danny K.
Illinois · Mar 25, 2003
 D
Case, Ed
Hawaii · Mar 18, 2003
 D
Doggett, Lloyd
Texas · Mar 18, 2003
 D
Lofgren, Zoe
California · Mar 18, 2003
 D
Markey, Edward J.
Massachusetts · Mar 18, 2003
 D
McCollum, Betty
Minnesota · Mar 18, 2003
 D
McGovern, James P.
Massachusetts · Mar 18, 2003
 D
Nadler, Jerrold
New York · Mar 18, 2003
 D
Neal, Richard E.
Massachusetts · Mar 18, 2003
RODRIGUEZ, CIRO
· Mar 18, 2003
 I
Sanders, Bernard
Vermont · Mar 18, 2003
 D
Schakowsky, Janice D.
Illinois · Mar 18, 2003
Cite this page click to expand
APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). H.R. 1306: College Opportunity for a Better America Act of 2003. 108th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/108-HR-1306/
MLA
"H.R. 1306: College Opportunity for a Better America Act of 2003." 108th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/108-HR-1306/.
Bluebook (legal)
H.R. 1306, 108th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/108-HR-1306/.
Markdown link
[H.R. 1306: College Opportunity for a Better America Act of 2003](https://openamerica.io/bill/108-HR-1306/)
Report a problem