To encourage partnerships between community colleges and four-year colleges and universities.

Summary: Community College Partnership Act of 2003 - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to establish a community college opportunity program to help students at community or technical colleges to transfer to four-year institutions and complete bachelor's degrees.Directs the Secretary of Education to award program grants to eligible partnerships that include one or more community or technical colleges that award associate's degrees and one or more institutions of higher education that offer a baccalaureate or postbaccalaureate degree not awarded by the partner colleges. Requires funds from such grants to be used for: (1) development of policies to expand opportunities for community or technical college students to earn bachelor's degrees, including promoting the transfer of academic credits between institutions and expanding articulation and guaranteed transfer agreements; (2) support services to students participating in the program, including tutoring, mentoring, academic and personal counseling, and transition facilitation; (3) need-based scholarships to transfer students for their third and fourth years of undergraduate education; (4) academic program enhancements at the community or technical college that increase program quality and the number of student participants in the dual degree program offered in conjunction with a baccalaureate degree granting institution; and (5) programs to identify barriers that inhibit student transfers.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Community College Partnership Act of 
2003''.

SEC. 2. COMMUNITY COLLEGE OPPORTUNITY; COLLEGE PREPARATION PROGRAMS 
              AUTHORIZED.

    Subpart 2 of part A of title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 
is amended--
            (1) by redesignating section 407E as section 406E; and
            (2) by inserting after chapter 3 (20 U.S.C. 1070a-31 et 
        seq.) the following new chapter:

               ``CHAPTER 4--COMMUNITY COLLEGE OPPORTUNITY

``SEC. 407A. PURPOSE.

    ``It is the purpose of this chapter to enhance opportunities of 
students at community or technical colleges to transfer to 4-year 
institutions and complete bachelor's degrees.

``SEC. 407B. ACTIVITIES.

    ``(a) Grants Authorized.--From the amounts appropriated under 
section 407D, the Secretary shall award grants to an eligible 
partnership that includes--
            ``(1) 1 or more community or technical colleges that award 
        associate's degrees; and
            ``(2) 1 or more institutions of higher education that offer 
        a baccalaureate or postbaccalaureate degree not awarded by the 
        institutions described in paragraph (1) with which it is 
        partnered.
    ``(b) Use of Funds.--Grants awarded under this part shall be used 
for--
            ``(1) the development of policies to expand opportunities 
        for community or technical college students to earn bachelor's 
        degrees, including promoting the transfer of academic credits 
        between institutions and expanding articulation and guaranteed 
        transfer agreements;
            ``(2) support services to students participating in the 
        program, such as tutoring, mentoring, and academic and personal 
        counseling, as well as any service that facilitates the 
        transition of students from the community or technical college 
        to the partner institution;
            ``(3) need-based scholarships to transfer students for 
        their 3d and 4th years of undergraduate education;
            ``(4) academic program enhancements at the community or 
        technical college that result in increasing the quality of the 
        program offered and the number of student participants in the 
        dual degree program offered in conjunction with a baccalaureate 
        degree granting institution; and
            ``(5) programs to identify barriers that inhibit student 
        transfers.
    ``(c) Applications.--Any institution, or a consortia or system of 
higher education, that desires to obtain a grant under this section 
shall submit to the Secretary an application at such time, in such 
manner, and containing such information or assurances as the Secretary 
may require.
    ``(d) Regulations.--The Secretary shall prescribe such regulations 
as may be necessary to carry out this section.

``SEC. 407C. SCHOLARSHIPS.

    ``(a) Amounts.--Scholarships awarded under this chapter shall, to 
the extent possible from the funds available, provide the additional 
amount of tuition and fees charged the participating student by the 
partner institution in excess of the amount of tuition and fees charged 
the student by the community or technical college.
    ``(b) Effect on Other Aid.--Scholarships awarded under this chapter 
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 chapter and title IV exceed the student's cost of 
attendance, as defined in section 472.

``SEC. 407D. DEFINITION.

    ``For the purpose of this part, the term `community or technical 
college' means an institution of higher education--
            ``(1) that admits as regular students persons who are 
        beyond the age of compulsory school attendance in the State in 
        which the institution is located and who have the ability to 
        benefit from the training offered by the institution;
            ``(2) that predominately does not provide an educational 
        program for which it awards a bachelor's degree (or an 
        equivalent degree);
            ``(3) that--
                    ``(A) provides an educational program of not less 
                than 2 years that is acceptable for full credit toward 
                such a degree; or
                    ``(B) offers a 2-year program in engineering, 
                mathematics, or the physical or biological sciences, 
                designed to prepare a student to work as a technician 
                or at the semiprofessional level in engineering, 
                scientific, or other technological fields requiring the 
                understanding and application of basic engineering, 
                scientific, or mathematical principles of knowledge; 
                and
            ``(4) that is accredited by a regional accrediting agency 
        or association recognized by the Secretary under section 496.

``SEC. 407E. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    ``There are authorized to be appropriated $70,000,000 to carry out 
this chapter for fiscal year 2004 and such sums as may be necessary for 
each of the 3 succeeding fiscal years.''.