To establish the Grants for College Access and Completion Program.

Summary: Establishing Grants for College Access and Completion Act of 2009 - Directs the Secretary of Education to award competitive five-year grants to certain nonprofit organizations for the provision of mentoring, support, outreach, and other services that encourage disadvantaged students to attend institutions of higher education.

Prohibits a grant from covering more than 85% of the cost of the services the grant supports.

Requires nonprofit applicants to have met certain requirements, including that they have provided scholarship and support programs to students in more than one state, and have a business plan in place to expand into other states.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Establishing Grants for College 
Access and Completion Act of 2009''.

SEC. 2. GRANTS FOR COLLEGE SUCCESS.

    (a) Purpose.--The purpose of this Act is to authorize grants to 
eligible entities to--
            (1) build and sustain an understanding among secondary 
        school students from disadvantaged populations of the need for 
        higher levels of educational attainment and lifelong learning; 
        and
            (2) increase the number of low-income students from 
        underserved populations and disadvantaged backgrounds who enter 
        and complete college.
    (b) Grants Authorized.--Subject to the availability of amounts 
appropriated to carry out this Act, the Secretary of Education shall 
award 5-year grants, on a competitive basis, to eligible entities to 
carry out the purpose of this Act through the activities and services 
described in subsection (d).
    (c) Federal Share; Non-Federal Share.--
            (1) Federal share.--The amount of the Federal share under 
        this section for a fiscal year shall be not be more than 85 
        percent of the costs of the activities and services described 
        in subsection (d) that are carried out under the grant.
            (2) Non-federal share.--The amount of the non-Federal share 
        under this section shall be not less than 15 percent of the 
        costs of the activities and services described in subsection 
        (d). Such non-Federal share may be provided in cash or in-kind, 
        or both.
    (d) Uses of Funds.--
            (1) In general.--Grants awarded under this Act shall be 
        used to--
                    (A) provide mentoring, academic support, and 
                supportive services to prepare low-income students to 
                attend institutions of higher education;
                    (B) conduct outreach programs to encourage low-
                income students to pursue higher education, including 
                providing information about Federal and State financial 
                aid options; and
                    (C) provide other activities to ensure that an 
                increasing number of low-income students attend 
                institutions of higher education.
            (2) Priority.--In carrying out the activities and services 
        described in paragraph (1), an eligible entity receiving a 
        grant under this Act shall give priority to students who are 
        from families with incomes below the poverty line.
    (e) Annual Report.--Each eligible entity receiving a grant under 
this Act shall prepare and submit an annual report to the Secretary of 
Education on the activities and services provided with such grant 
funds, including--
            (1) each activity and service that was provided to low-
        income students over the course of the year;
            (2) the cost of providing each such activity and service;
            (3) the number of low-income students who received 
        mentoring and outreach services from the entity; and
            (4) the outcomes for students who participated in an 
        activity or received services provided with such grant funds, 
        including high school graduation rates and enrollment rates at 
        institutions of higher education.
    (f) Definitions.--For the purposes of this Act:
            (1) Eligible entity.--The term ``eligible entity'' means a 
        nonprofit organization that--
                    (A) has as its primary purpose to provide 
                scholarships and support services to students from 
                underserved and disadvantaged populations to increase 
                the number of such students who enter and complete a 
                program of study at institutions of higher education;
                    (B) has been in operation for not less than 6 years 
                and serves secondary school students;
                    (C) is actively collaborating with the State in 
                which it is headquartered;
                    (D) has received financial support from such State;
                    (E) has raised not less than $75,000,000 from 
                private or other nongovernmental sources for 
                scholarship aid and support programs for low-income 
                students;
                    (F) has a business plan in place to expand into 
                additional States;
                    (G) provides scholarships and support programs to 
                students in more than one State;
                    (H) during the 3-year period before applying for a 
                grant under this Act, has served a significant number 
                of students and awarded a significant number of 
                scholarships through all of its programs, as determined 
                by the Secretary; and
                    (I) has provided scholarships and mentoring 
                services for a significant number of baccalaureate 
                degree graduates, as determined by the Secretary, since 
                the entity was established.
            (2) Low-income student.--The term ``low-income student'' 
        means a student who is determined by a local educational agency 
        to be from a low-income family using the measures described in 
        section 1113(a)(5) of the Elementary and Secondary Education 
        Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6313(a)(5)).
            (3) Institution of higher education.--The term 
        ``institution of higher education'' has the meaning given such 
        term in section 102 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
        U.S.C. 1002), except that such term does not include an 
        institution described in subsection (a)(1)(C) of that section.
            (4) Poverty line.--The term ``poverty line'' means the 
        poverty line (as defined by the Office of Management and Budget 
        and revised annually in accordance with section 673(2) of the 
        Community Services Block Grant Act) applicable to a family of 
        the size involved.
            (5) State.--The term ``State'' means each of the several 
        States and the District of Columbia.
    (g) Authorization of Appropriation.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this Act such sums as may be necessary for 
fiscal year 2010 and each of the 5 succeeding fiscal years.