[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5589 Introduced in House (IH)]
113th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 5589
To direct the Secretary of Education to establish a grant program to
assist institutions of higher education in establishing, maintaining,
and improving veteran student centers.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
September 18, 2014
Ms. Frankel of Florida (for herself, Mr. Bilirakis, and Mr. Takano)
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on
Education and the Workforce
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To direct the Secretary of Education to establish a grant program to
assist institutions of higher education in establishing, maintaining,
and improving veteran student centers.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Veteran Education Empowerment Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) Over 1,000,000 veterans attended institutions of higher
education in 2012.
(2) Veterans face unique hardships in transitioning from
the battlefield to the classroom and eventually to the
workforce.
(3) The National Endowment for the Humanities' Warrior-
Scholar Project found that ``veterans transitioning to college
likely have not used academic skills since high school and have
difficulty adjusting to a fundamentally different social and
cultural environment, [leading] to veterans dropping out of
college before earning their degree''.
(4) The National Education Association found that veteran
students can feel lonely and vulnerable on campus and that
``connecting student veterans can effectively ease this
isolation'' by bringing together new veteran students with
those who have already successfully navigated the first few
semesters of college.
(5) The unemployment rate for post--9/11 veterans far
outpaces both the overall non-veteran unemployment rate and the
unemployment rate for non-veterans entering the workforce for
the first time.
(6) According to Mission United--a United Way program that
helps veterans re-acclimate to civilian life--it is often
``essential'' for veteran students to be mentored by ``another
veteran who understands their mindset and experience''.
(7) Veteran student centers are recognized as an
institutional best practice by the Student Veterans of America.
(8) The American Council on Education, which represents
more than 1,700 institutions of higher education across the
country, has called having a dedicated space for veterans on
campus ``a promising way for colleges and universities to
better serve veterans on campus'' and a ``critical'' component
of many colleges' efforts to serve their veteran students.
(9) Budget constraints often make it difficult or
impossible for institutions of higher education to dedicate
space to veteran offices, lounges, or student centers.
(10) The 110th Congress authorized the funding of veteran
student centers through the Centers of Excellence for Veteran
Student Success under part T of title VIII of the Higher
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1161t).
(11) According to the Department of Education, federally
funded veteran student centers and staff have generated
improved recruitment, retention, and graduation rates, have
helped veteran students feel better connected across campus,
and have directly contributed to student veterans' successful
academic outcomes.
SEC. 3. GRANT PROGRAM TO ESTABLISH, MAINTAIN, AND IMPROVE VETERAN
STUDENT CENTERS.
(a) Establishment.--From the amounts appropriated to carry out this
Act, the Secretary of Education shall establish a program to award
grants to institutions of higher education to assist in the
establishment, maintenance, and improvement of veteran student centers.
(b) Eligibility.--
(1) Application.--An institution of higher education
seeking a grant under subsection (a) shall submit to the
Secretary an application at such time, in such manner, and
containing such information as the Secretary may require.
(2) Criteria.--The Secretary may award a grant under
subsection (a) to an institution of higher education if the
Secretary determines that the institution of higher education
meets the following criteria:
(A) The institution has a population of not less
than 15,000 students, of which not less than one
percent are veterans or members of the Armed Forces.
(B) The institution is located in a region or
community that has a significant population of
veterans.
(C) The institution carries out programs or
activities that assist veterans in the local community.
(D) The institution presents a sustainability plan
to demonstrate that its veteran student center will be
maintained and will continue to operate after the term
of the grant has ended.
(c) Use of Funds.--An institution of higher education that is
awarded a grant under subsection (a) shall use such grant to establish,
maintain, or improve a veteran student center.
(d) Amounts Awarded.--
(1) Duration.--Each grant awarded under subsection (a)
shall be for a 4-year period.
(2) Total amount of grant and schedule.--Each grant awarded
under subsection (a) may not exceed a total of $500,000.
Subject to subsection (e), the Secretary shall disburse to the
institution of higher education the amounts awarded under the
grant in such amounts and at such times during the grant period
as the Secretary determines appropriate.
(e) Evaluation.--The Secretary shall annually evaluate each
institution of higher education that is awarded a grant under
subsection (a) to determine whether the institution uses the grant in
accordance with this section. If the Secretary determines that the
institution of higher education is not using the grant in accordance
with this section, the Secretary may delay future disbursements of
amounts described in subsection (d)(2) until the Secretary determines
that the institution of higher education has corrected any deficiencies
and will use such amounts in accordance with this section.
(f) Report.--Not later than 3 years after the date of the enactment
of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report on the
grant program established under subsection (a), including--
(1) the number of grants awarded;
(2) the institutions of higher education that have received
grants;
(3) with respect to each such institution of higher
education--
(A) the amounts awarded; and
(B) how such institution used such amounts; and
(4) a determination by the Secretary with respect to
whether the grant program should be extended or expanded.
(g) Termination.--The authority of the Secretary to carry out the
grant program established under subsection (a) shall terminate on the
date that is 4 years after the date on which the grant program is
established.
(h) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Institution of higher education.--The term
``institution of higher education'' has the meaning given the
term in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20
U.S.C. 1001).
(2) Veteran student center.--The term ``veteran student
center'' means a dedicated space on a campus of an institution
of higher education that provides students who are veterans or
members of the Armed Forces with the following:
(A) A lounge or meeting space for such students and
veterans in the community.
(B) A centralized office for veteran services
that--
(i) is staffed by trained employees and
volunteers; and
(ii) provides such students with assistance
relating to--
(I) transitioning from the military
to student life;
(II) transitioning from the
military to the civilian workforce;
(III) networking with other such
students;
(IV) understanding and obtaining
benefits provided by the Federal
Government or a State for which such
students may be eligible; and
(V) understanding how to succeed in
the institution of higher education,
including by understanding how to
transfer educational credits.
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