I 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 9824 

To direct the Secretary of Education to carry out a grant program for 

skills-for-success courses for all first-year students enrolled at certain 

institutions of higher education. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

SEPTEMBER 25, 2024 

Mrs. FOUSHEE (for herself, Ms. ADAMS, Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia, and Ms. 

ROSS) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 

on Education and the Workforce 

A BILL 

To direct the Secretary of Education to carry out a grant 

program for skills-for-success courses for all first-year 

students enrolled at certain institutions of higher education. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘College Thriving Act’’. 

5 SEC. 2. GRANT PROGRAM AUTHORIZED; APPLICATION RE6 QUIREMENTS. 

7 (a) GRANT PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.—The Secretary 

8 of Education shall award grants, on a competitive basis, 


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1 to eligible institutions to carry out skills-for-success 

2 courses for all first-year students enrolled at such institu3 tions. 

4 (b) PRIORITY.—In awarding grants under this sec5 tion, the Secretary shall give priority to eligible institu6 tions that are historically Black colleges and universities. 

7 (c) GRANT PERIOD; MINIMUM GRANT AMOUNT.— 

8 (1) GRANT PERIOD.—A grant awarded to an el9 igible institution under this Act shall be for a 5-year 

10 grant period. 

11 (2) MINIMUM GRANT AMOUNT.— 

12 (A) IN GENERAL.—Subject to subpara13 graph (B), a grant under this Act shall be 

14 awarded in an amount of $1,000,000 for the 5- 

15 year grant period for such grant. 

16 (B) RATABLE INCREASES OR DE17 CREASES.—The amount specified in subpara18 graph (A) shall be ratably increased or de19 creased to the extent that funds available under 

20 section 5 exceed or are less than (respectively) 

21 the amount required to provide the amounts 

22 specified in subparagraph (A). 

23 (d) APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS.—To be eligible to 

24 receive a grant under this Act, an eligible institution shall 

25 submit an application at such time, and in such manner, 


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1 and containing such information as the Secretary may re2 quire, which shall include a description of— 

3 (1) the skills-for-success course that the institu4 tion will develop and implement with the grant; and 

5 (2) the activities the institution will carry out 

6 under each phase described in section 3(b). 

7 SEC. 3. USES OF FUNDS; REPORT. 

8 (a) IN GENERAL.—Each eligible institution receiving 

9 a grant under this section shall develop and implement 

10 a skills-for-success course by carrying out the activities 

11 listed in each of the 4 phases described in subsection (b). 

12 (b) PHASES FOR USES OF FUNDS.— 

13 (1) PREPARATION PHASE.—During the first 

14 year of the grant period, the eligible institution shall 

15 use such grant to develop the skills-for-success 

16 course and carry out the necessary preparation ac17 tivities, which may include— 

18 (A) identifying and training instructional 

19 staff; 

20 (B) obtaining support from faculty, staff, 

21 or institution administration for the curricular 

22 adaptation; 

23 (C) developing infrastructure for imple24 mentation, including obtaining necessary course 

25 and syllabus approvals; 


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1 (D) determining how student registration 

2 will be handled; 

3 (E) establishing a course evaluation model; 

4 and 

5 (F) designating appropriate classroom 

6 space. 

7 (2) PILOT PHASE.—During the second year of 

8 the grant period, the eligible institution shall use 

9 such grant to implement a pilot skills-for-success 

10 course, which shall include the piloting of methods 

11 for evaluating the course, such as observation and 

12 solicitation of feedback from course instructors, stu13 dents, and identified campus community leaders. 

14 (3) IMPLEMENTATION.—During the third, 

15 fourth, and fifth years of the grant program, the eli16 gible institution shall use such grant to fully imple17 ment the skills-for-success course, which— 

18 (A) incorporates the improvements identi19 fied during the pilot skills-for-success course 

20 during the second year of the grant period; and 

21 (B) is made available for each first-year 

22 student enrolled at the institution, at the begin23 ning of such students’ first term of enrollment 

24 at such institution, to the extent practicable. 


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1 (c) REPORT.—Each eligible institution that receives 

2 a grant under this Act shall submit to the Secretary a 

3 report upon the completion of the 5-year grant period, 

4 which shall include— 

5 (1) an evaluation of the pilot skills-for-success 

6 course, and the skills-for-success course implemented 

7 during the third through fifth years of the grant pe8 riod; and 

9 (2) a description of how such grant was used 

10 during each year of the grant period. 

11 SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS. 

12 In this Act: 

13 (1) ELIGIBLE INSTITUTION.—The term ‘‘eligi14 ble institution’’ has the meaning given the term ‘‘in15 stitution of higher education’’ in section 101(a) of 

16 the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 

17 1001(a)) and section 102(a)(1)(B) of such Act (20 

18 U.S.C.1002(a)(1)(B)). 

19 (2) HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES AND UNI20 VERSITIES.—The term ‘‘historically Black colleges 

21 and universities’’ has the meaning given the term 

22 ‘‘part B institution’’ in section 322 of the Higher 

23 Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1061)). 

24 (3) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 

25 the Secretary of Education. 


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1 (4) SKILLS-FOR-SUCCESS COURSE.—The term 

2 ‘‘skills-for-success course’’ means a course offered by 

3 an eligible institution for first-year students (includ4 ing transfer students) at the beginning of such stu5 dents’ first term of enrollment at such institution 

6 that— 

7 (A) has a low student-to-teacher ratio; 

8 (B) is not graded or is pass-fail; and 

9 (C) provides skills for success in college, 

10 and includes each of the following topics: 

11 (i) Development of connections with 

12 campus partners (academic advisors) or 

13 engagement with campus resources (cam14 pus mental health counselors). 

15 (ii) Mental well-being. 

16 (iii) Time management skills. 

17 (iv) Planning and organization skills. 

18 (v) Coping with stress and setbacks. 

19 (vi) Managing conflict and difference. 

20 (vii) Goal setting. 

21 (viii) Building and maintaining 

22 healthy interpersonal relationships. 

23 (ix) Self-care and compassion. 


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1 SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

2 There are authorized to be appropriated 50,000,000 

3 to carry out this Act, which shall remain available until 

4 expended. 

Æ 


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