In his first years in the U.S. House of Representatives, Fattah introduced and passed into law Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP), a college awareness and preparedness program. Since its inception, more than $4 billion in federal funds have been distributed to assist 12million students in 50 states, Puerto Rico, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories. Fattah sponsored H.R. 4207, American Dream Accounts Act which would authorize the Department of Education to award three-year competitive grants to support partnerships that provide financial support and preparation for low-income students as they plan for their college education. The bill is co-sponsored in the U. S. Senate by Senator Chris Coons of Delaware, Senator Marco Rubio of Florida and Senator Jeff Bingaman of New Mexico. Specifically the legislation creates personal online accounts for students that monitor higher education readiness and includes a college savings account. The accounts follow students from school to school and through college. Parents can grant vested stakeholders (including counselors, teachers, coaches, mentors, and others) access to the account to update student information, monitor progress, and provide college preparatory support.