Dual Degree Achievement Act

Summary: Directs the Secretary of Education to make five-year grants to eligible partnerships to carry out the program activities. Requires such partnerships to include one or more MSIs that award baccalaureate degrees and one or more partner IHEs that offer baccalaureate or post-baccalaureate degrees not awarded by the MSIs with which they are partnered. Allows such partnerships also to include other public and private entities, including MSIs (such as community colleges) that do not award baccalaureate degrees, community-based organizations, and businesses. Sets forth application requirements, including assurances that each participating student: (1) is enrolled in an academic program that leads to a five-year baccalaureate or post-baccalaureate degree not awarded by the MSI; and (2) upon successful completion of the program, will be awarded a baccalaureate degree from the MSI and a baccalaureate degree or a master's degree from the partner IHE that the student attends. Directs the Secretary to publish an annual list of baccalaureate and post-baccalaureate degree fields of study associated with professions in which students attending MSIs are underrepresented.
Requires grants to be used for: (1) support services for participating students, including tutoring, mentoring, academic and personal counseling, and transition services; (2) scholarships to students in their fourth and fifth years in the program; (3) reimbursement to MSIs for the amount of tuition that they would have received had participating students attended those MSIs during their fourth year of the program instead of the partner IHE; and (4) academic program enhancements at the MSI that increase program quality and the number of student participants in the dual degree program. Requires that such scholarships: (1) reflect any additional amount of tuition and fees charged the participating student by the partner IHE compared to that charged by the MSI during the student's third year in the program; and (2) not be considered for the purposes of awarding Federal Pell Grants. Requires a majority of funds received under this program to be expended for such scholarships to students and such reimbursement to MSIs.
Authorizes appropriations.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Dual Degree Achievement Act''.

SEC. 2. DUAL DEGREE ACHIEVEMENT.

    Title III of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1000 et 
seq.) is amended--
            (1) by redesignating part F as part G;
            (2) by inserting immediately after part E a new Part F to 
        read as follows:

                   ``PART F--DUAL DEGREE ACHIEVEMENT

``SEC. 371. FINDINGS; PURPOSE.

    ``(a) Findings.--For the reasons set forth in sections 301, 321, 
341, 350, and 501 of this Act, the Federal Government--
            ``(1) has a unique relationship with, and a substantial 
        investment in, the institutions that receive grants under this 
        title and title V of this Act; and
            ``(2) should continue to seek new and even more effective 
        ways to improve and strengthen those institutions.
    ``(b) Purpose.--It is the purpose of this part to--
            ``(1) strengthen curricula and enhance student 
        opportunities at minority-serving institutions;
            ``(2) increase postgraduate access and persistence for 
        students who attend such institutions; and
            ``(3) increase diversity within scientific, technical, and 
        other professions requiring baccalaureate and post-
        baccalaureate study.

``SEC. 372. PROGRAM AUTHORITY.

    ``(a) In General.--
            (1) From funds appropriated under section 399(a)(6), the 
        Secretary shall make grants to eligible partnerships under 
        subsection (b) to carry out the activities described in section 
        373.
            ``(2) Each grant awarded under this part shall be for a 
        five-year period.
    ``(b) Eligibility.--
            (1) For purposes of this part, an eligible partnership 
        shall include--
                    ``(A) one or more minority-serving institutions 
                that award baccalaureate degrees; and
                    ``(B) one or more partner institutions.
            ``(2) Other public and private entities, including 
        minority-serving institutions that do not award baccalaureate 
        degrees (such as community colleges), community based 
        organizations, and businesses, may be included in partnerships 
        under this section.
    ``(c) Definitions.--For purposes of this part--
            ``(1) a `minority-serving institution' means an institution 
        that is eligible to apply for assistance under sections 316 or 
        317, under part B of this title, or under title V of this Act; 
        and
            ``(2) a `partner institution' means an institution of 
        higher education that offers a baccalaureate or post-
        baccalaureate degree not awarded by the minority-serving 
        institutions with which it is partnered.
    ``(d) Application Requirements.--In addition to the application 
requirements under section 391, an eligible partnership under 
subsection (b)(1) shall include in its application--
            ``(1) the name of each partner and a description of its 
        responsibilities as a member of the partnership;
            ``(2) a copy of the partnership agreement, including any 
        articulation agreement between the partners;
            ``(3) a description of--
                    ``(A) the academic fields of study to be covered by 
                the project and the degrees to be awarded by the 
                partners;
                    ``(B) how the project will operate, including a 
                description of how the project will build on existing 
                services and activities, if any, and be coordinated 
                with other related Federal and non-Federal programs;
                    ``(C) the need for the project, including, if the 
                project is to cover academic fields of study that have 
                not otherwise been published by the Secretary under 
                subsection (f), a demonstration of how those fields of 
                study are associated with professions in which students 
                who attend minority serving institutions are 
                underrepresented;
                    ``(D) the resources that each member of the 
                partnership will contribute to the partnership; and
                    ``(E) how the partnership will support and continue 
                its program under this part after the grant has 
                expired; and
            ``(4) assurances that--
                    ``(A) each member of a partnership will designate 
                an individual at that institution to serve as the 
                primary point of contact for the partnership at that 
                institution;
                    ``(B) each participating student--
                            ``(i) is enrolled in an academic program 
                        that leads to a five year baccalaureate or 
                        post-baccalaureate degree not awarded by the 
                        minority-serving institution;
                            ``(ii) who successfully completes the 
                        program will be awarded a baccalaureate degree 
                        from the minority-serving institution and a 
                        baccalaureate degree or a master's degree from 
                        the partner institution that the student 
                        attends;
                            ``(iii) at each minority-serving 
                        institution will be informed of, and have 
                        access to, the instruction and rigorous 
                        academic courses necessary to obtain dual 
                        degrees and enter into their chosen field; and
                            ``(iv) will maintain satisfactory academic 
                        progress while in the program;
                    ``(C) a minority-serving institution under section 
                372(b)(1)(A) will be the fiscal agent for the 
                partnership; and
                    ``(D) each institution will use the funds made 
                available under this part only to supplement, and not 
                supplant, assistance that otherwise would be provided 
                to participating students.
    ``(e) Publication of Study Fields.--Each year, the Secretary shall 
publish in the Federal Register a list of baccalaureate and post-
baccalaureate degree fields of study that are associated with 
professions in which students attending minority-serving institutions 
are underrepresented.

``SEC. 373. USES OF FUNDS.

    ``(a) In General.--Grants awarded under this part shall be used 
for--
            ``(1) support services to students participating in the 
        program, such as tutoring, mentoring, and academic and personal 
        counseling, as well as any service which facilitates the 
        transition of minority students from the minority-serving 
        institution to the partner institution;
            ``(2) scholarships to students in their 4th and 5th years 
        in the program;
            ``(3) reimbursement to minority-serving institutions for 
        the amount of tuition that they would have received had 
        participating students attended those institutions during their 
        4th year of the program instead of the partner institution; and
            ``(4) academic program enhancements at the minority-serving 
        institution which result in increasing the quality of the 
        program offered and the quantity of student participants in the 
        dual degree program offered.
    ``(b) Scholarships.--
            ``(1) Scholarships awarded under this section shall reflect 
        any additional amount of tuition and fees charged the 
        participating student by the partner institution compared to 
        the amount of tuition and fees charged the student by the 
        minority-serving institution during the student's 3rd year in 
        the program.
            ``(2) Scholarships awarded under this section shall not be 
        considered for the purposes of awarding Federal Pell Grants 
        under subpart 1 of part A of title IV, except that in no case 
        shall the total amount of student financial assistance awarded 
        to a student under this section and title IV exceed the 
        student's cost of attendance, as defined in section 472.
    ``(c) Special Rule.--A majority of the funds received under this 
program part shall be expended for scholarships to assist minority 
students in acquiring degrees from the minority-serving institution and 
the partner institution and reimbursement to minority-serving 
institutions pursuant to subsection (a)(3).''; and
            (3) in part G, as redesignated by paragraph (1)--
                    (A) in section 391(b)(1), by striking out ``part C, 
                D, or E'' and inserting in lieu thereof ``part C, D, E, 
                or F''; and
                    (B) in section 399(a), by adding a new paragraph 
                (6) to read as follows:
            ``(6) Part f.--There are authorized to be appropriated 
        $40,000,000 to carry out part F for fiscal year 2001 and such 
        sums as may be necessary for each of the 2 succeeding fiscal 
        years.''.

SEC. 3. EFFECTIVE DATE.

    This Act shall take effect on the date of its enactment.