Access Aid Act of 1999

Summary: Authorizes the Secretary of Education to establish an Access Aid demonstration program to assist nonprofit organizations (organizations) working with local school districts to establish programs (programs) that identify and mentor college-eligible students and their families.
Requires program counseling services to: (1) focus on college selection, admissions, and funding; (2) involve the students' parents or legal guardians and be conducted on an individual and confidential basis; and (3) enable students to evaluate and select a college based on the student's interest level and qualifications, not on cost.
Allows programs to provide participating students small grants to underwrite the costs of college visits or to purchase books and equipment required by, but not included in, the student budget of the college. Allows emergency grants to be used when a student's demonstrated need is not fully funded by the postsecondary institution.
Requires organizations to provide outreach support to each participating school's guidance or career counseling staff and provide workshops relating to college admissions, college funding, and financial aid form completion to the general population of each participating school or other interested schools. Requires an organization to provide, at each project site, at least workshops in participating and surrounding school districts.
Requires the students selected for program assistance to be nominated by the staffs of the participating high schools. Bases selection primarily on their being college-eligible, first- generation, low-income students. Makes ineligible for program assistance students served by TRIO or GEAR UP programs. Requires students in each State to be selected for program assistance. Requires individual services to begin not later than the end of the tenth grade and continue until completion of college.
Requires an applicant organization, in order to qualify for a part L grant, to: (1) be a tax-exempt not-for-profit organization, not affiliated with a public or private educational institution, and not a seller of any kind of financial product; (2) demonstrate experience in the college admissions and college funding arenas, familiarity with Federal outreach programs, prior experience with the public secondary school sector, and a demand by schools and school districts for its program; and (3) provide plans for orderly shift of the funding component from the public to the private sector, for public awareness of the program, the participants, and the outcomes, for counseling services for participants from entry into the program until completion of college, for quantifiable evaluation, and for program implementation.
Authorizes appropriations.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Access Aid Act of 1999''.

SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF PROGRAM.

    Title X of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 
U.S.C. 8001 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following new 
part:

                         PART L--ACCESS AID ACT

``SEC. 10995A. INNOVATIVE PARTNERSHIPS AUTHORIZED.

    ``(a) Purposes of Access Aid Act.--The Secretary is authorized, in 
accordance with the requirements of this part, to establish a 
demonstration program with the following purposes:
            ``(1) Encourage nonprofit organizations working with local 
        school districts to establish a program that identifies and 
        mentors college eligible students and their families on college 
        selection, college admissions, and college funding. Such 
        program shall serve students no later than the end of grade 10 
        and shall continue to support them until the end of their 4- or 
        5-year college career. Nonprofit organizations shall provide 
        comprehensive mentoring, supportive services, and outreach to 
        students and others and schools participating under this part 
        to promote enrollment of first generation, low-income students 
        and others in colleges and universities across the Nation.
            ``(2) Shift the cost of programs established under this 
        part from the Federal Government to the private sector after 24 
        months to ensure that programs created under this part continue 
        without Federal funds.
            ``(3) A nonprofit organization selected to receive 
        assistance under this part shall involve parents or legal 
        guardians of students in every aspect of college selection and 
        college admissions in the financial aid process.
    ``(b) Counseling Component; Individual Services.--The primary focus 
of the counseling services under this part shall be college selection, 
college admissions, and college funding. Such counseling shall involve 
the students' parents or legal guardians and shall be conducted on an 
individual and confidential basis. The program shall enable students to 
evaluate and select a college based on the student's interest level and 
qualifications not cost. Such support programs ensures a higher rate of 
college graduation.
    ``(c) Emergency Grant Component.--Programs under this part may 
provide participating students small grants to underwrite the costs of 
college visits or to purchase books and equipment required by (but not 
included in) the student budget of the college. In addition, emergency 
grants may be used when a student's demonstrated need is not fully 
funded by the postsecondary institution. In every case, emergency 
grants will be made pursuant to the purposes outlined in this part.
    ``(d) Workshops Component.--In addition to individual counseling of 
students and scholars, the organization shall provide outreach support 
to each participating school's guidance or career counseling staff and 
provide workshops relating to college admissions, college funding, and 
financial aid form completion to the general population of each 
participating school or other interested schools. At each project site, 
the organization shall provide no less than 10 workshops in 
participating and surrounding school districts.

``SEC. 10995B. IMPLEMENTATION OF PROGRAM.

    ``(a) Identification of Participants.--The students selected for 
assistance under this part shall be nominated for the program by the 
staffs of the participating high schools. The primary standard for 
selection relates to college eligible, first generation, low-income 
students, with no student served by TRIO or GEAR UP eligible for the 
program under this part.
    ``(b) Scope of Access Aid.--Students shall be selected for 
assistance under this part in each State.
    ``(c) Qualifying Organizations.--In order to qualify for a grant 
under this part, the applicant shall--
            ``(1) be a tax-exempt not-for-profit organization;
            ``(2) not be affiliated with a public or private 
        educational institution;
            ``(3) not sell a financial product of any kind;
            ``(4) demonstrate experience in the college admissions and 
        college funding arenas;
            ``(5) demonstrate familiarity with Federal outreach 
        programs;
            ``(6) demonstrate prior experience with the public 
        secondary school sector;
            ``(7) provide evidence that there is a demand by schools 
        and school districts for its program;
            ``(8) provide a plan for orderly shift of the funding 
        component from the public to the private sector;
            ``(9) provide for a plan for public awareness of the 
        program, the participants, and the outcomes;
            ``(10) provide a plan for counseling services for 
        participants from entry into the program until completion of 
        college; and
            ``(11) include a quantifiable evaluation plan.
    ``(d) Plan Required for Eligibility.--
            ``(1) In order to qualify for a grant under this part, the 
        applicant shall submit to the Secretary a plan for carrying out 
        the program under this part. Such plan shall describe the 
        program, including the selection process for participating 
        students and the districts, the services rendered, and the 
        strategy to be used to shift the funding responsibility from 
        the Federal Government to the private sector.
            ``(2) The plan submitted pursuant to paragraph (1) shall be 
        in such form, contain or be accompanied by such information, 
        and be submitted at such time as the Secretary may require by 
        regulation and shall--
                    ``(A) describe the activities for which assistance 
                under this section is sought; and
                    ``(B) provide such additional assurances to ensure 
                compliance with the requirements of this part.

``SEC. 10995C. EARLY INTERVENTION.

    ``In order to receive payments under this part, an organization 
shall demonstrate to the satisfaction of the Secretary that the 
organization will provide comprehensive mentoring, outreach, and 
supportive services to students, parents, and schools participating 
under this part to promote enrollment of first generation, low-income 
students in colleges and universities across the Nation. Such 
individual services shall begin not later than the end of the 10th 
grade and shall continue until completion of college. Such counseling 
must involve the students' parents or legal guardians and shall be 
conducted on an individual and confidential basis. The primary focus of 
the counseling services shall be college selection, college admissions, 
and college funding. In order to assure completion of college, the 
program shall have participating students select and attend colleges 
across the Nation based upon their appropriateness for the student 
rather than the cost.

``SEC. 10995D. USES OF FUNDS.

    ``(a) In General.--The Secretary shall, by regulation, establish 
criteria for determining whether comprehensive mentoring, counseling, 
outreach, and supportive services programs may be used to meet the 
requirements of this part.
    ``(b) Allowable Providers.--To meet the requirements of this part, 
the organization may contract on a limited basis certain services from 
other providers.

``SEC. 10995E. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    ``There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this part 
$2,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2001 through 2005.''.