H.R. 266 — Educational Opportunity and Success Act of 2025

This section increases minimum grant amounts under the Federal TRIO programs (i.e., federal outreach and student services programs to assist low-income, first-generation college, and disabled students) to $220,000 (from $200,000) and $190,000 (from $170,000). The section also revises grant awarding procedures by (1) replacing references to "prior experience" with "prior success" in achieving high-quality service delivery as a selection criterion; and (2) requiring the Secretary of Education to issue pre-competition guidance on application processes (at least 90 days prior), treat page limits and formatting as voluntary (with no rejections or penalties for noncompliance), provide applicants notice and at least 14 days to correct typographical or rounding errors in proposed budgets before any rejection, and conduct reviews—including secondary peer reviews—for applicant-identified technical, administrative, or scoring errors.

This section increases maximum stipend amounts for participants in Upward Bound projects—a TRIO program providing academic instruction, tutoring, counseling, and other support services to high school students from low-income families and potential first-generation college students—as follows: (1) to $90 per month during the school year (from $60); (2) to $450 for the summer program (from $300); and (3) to $60 per week (from $40). It also authorizes stipends up to $100 per month during the year for adults participating in projects specifically designed for veterans.

This section revises the Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program—under which the Department of Education awards grants to institutions of higher education to support postbaccalaureate study by students from disadvantaged backgrounds—by (1) broadening eligible activities in subsection (b)(2) to include internships or faculty-led research experiences (from summer internships only), (2) broadening eligible activities in subsection (d)(4) to include research internships or faculty-led research experiences (from summer research internships only), and (3) increasing the stipend amount to $4,000 (from $2,800) in subsection (f)(1).