DES MOINES, Iowa (IOWA CAPITAL DISPATCH) – Lawmakers from Iowa and Ohio have introduced legislation to the U.S. House of Representatives aimed at increasing housing access and affordability for college students.

Reps. Zach Nunn, R-Iowa, and Greg Landsman, D-Ohio, brought forward the “Campus Housing Affordability Act” Tuesday, Nunn announced in a press release. If passed, the legislation would amend current law to allow certain students enrolled in higher education to apply federal housing assistance to their university dwellings.

“College should be about learning and earning a degree, not worrying about where you’re going to sleep at night,” Nunn said in the release. “Housing insecurity undermines academic success, increases the risk of dropping out, and puts a higher education out of reach for too many students. This bipartisan bill gives every student a fair shot at success—regardless of their background or ZIP code.”

According to the release, the bill would let students with Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers use them for campus housing and bar vouchers offered through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development from being counted as income. This will stop students from “being disqualified from additional forms of financial aid,” the release stated.

These changes would also “expand access” to the communities and support systems found on college campuses, which have been shown to strengthen retention and graduation rates. The release stated that close to 48% of U.S. college students face housing insecurity, and 81% of those impacted by housing insecurity report “they would perform better academically if they had access to safe, reliable housing.”

“We can make college way more affordable, and this bill does that for countless Americans,” Landsman said in the release. “In fact, this will be transformative for students who have been historically left out and marginalized. Campus housing is an enormous expense for students, and our bill eliminates that expense for students who are eligible for housing vouchers.”