; and (5) in paragraph (4)(A), by striking $185,000 and inserting $225,000 . IV Student assistance 4001. Effective date for title IV Except as otherwise provided in this title or the amendments made by this title, this title and the amendments made by this title shall take effect on July 1, 2019. A 4011. Improvements to the Pell Grant program Section 401 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 ( 20 U.S.C. 1070a ) is amended— (1) by striking subsections (a) and (b) and inserting the following: (a) Program authority and method of distribution (1) For each fiscal year, the Secretary shall pay to each eligible institution such sums as may be necessary to pay to each eligible student (defined in accordance with section 484) for each academic year during which that student is in attendance at an institution of higher education, as an undergraduate, a Federal Pell Grant in the amount for which that student is eligible, as determined pursuant to subsection (b). Not less than 85 percent of such sums shall be advanced to eligible institutions prior to the start of each payment period and shall be based upon an amount requested by the institution as needed to pay eligible students until such time as the Secretary determines and publishes in the Federal Register with an opportunity for comment, an alternative payment system that provides payments to institutions in an accurate and timely manner, except that this sentence shall not be construed to limit the authority of the Secretary to place an institution on a reimbursement system of payment. (2) Nothing in this section shall be interpreted to prohibit the Secretary from paying directly to students, in advance of the beginning of the academic term, an amount for which they are eligible, in cases where the eligible institution elects not to participate in the disbursement system required by paragraph (1). (3) Grants made under this subpart shall be known as Federal Pell Grants . (b) Purpose and amount of grants (1) Amount The amount of the Federal Pell Grant for a student