1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Partnerships for Affordability and Student Success Act . 2. State commitment to affordable college education Section 137 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 ( 20 U.S.C. 1015f ) is amended— (1) by striking subsection (a) and inserting the following: (a) Maintenance of effort required For the academic year beginning on July 1, 2020, and for each of the 4 succeeding academic years, a State shall— (1) maintain State support for institutions of higher education (not including support for capital projects or research and development, or tuition and fees paid by students) at a level that is equal to or greater than the average level of such support for the 3 most recent academic years for which satisfactory data are available; and (2) maintain State support for student financial aid for paying costs associated with postsecondary education at a level that is equal to or greater than the average level of such support for the 3 most recent academic years for which satisfactory data are available. ; (2) by striking subsection (c) and inserting the following: (c) Waiver (1) In general The Secretary shall waive the requirements of subsection (a) if the Secretary determines that such a waiver would be appropriate due to exceptional or uncontrollable circumstances, such as a natural disaster or a precipitous decline in the financial resources of a State or State educational agency, as appropriate. (2) Consultation The Secretary shall consult with the States in developing the criteria and procedures for reviewing waiver requests. (3) Timeline Not later than 120 days after the date of enactment of the Partnerships for Affordability and Student Success Act , the Secretary shall publish the criteria and procedures for reviewing waiver requests under this subsection.