I 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1652 

To reauthorize and improve a grant program to assist institutions of higher 

education in establishing, maintaining, improving, and operating Veteran 

Student Centers. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 8, 2019 

Ms. FRANKEL (for herself and Mr. BILIRAKIS) introduced the following bill; 

which was referred to the Committee on Education and Labor 

A BILL 

To reauthorize and improve a grant program to assist institutions of higher education in establishing, maintaining, 

improving, and operating Veteran Student Centers. 

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 ‘‘Veteran Education 

5 Empowerment Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress finds the following: 

8 (1) Over 1,000,000 veterans attend institutions 

9 of higher education each year. 


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1 (2) Veterans face unique challenges in transi2 tioning from the battlefield to the classroom and 

3 eventually to the workforce, including: age dif4 ferences, family obligations, significant time away 

5 from academic life, and service-related disabilities. 

6 (3) The National Education Association found 

7 that veteran students can feel lonely and vulnerable 

8 on campus and that ‘‘connecting student veterans 

9 can effectively ease this isolation’’ by bringing to10 gether new veteran students with those who have al11 ready successfully navigated the first few semesters 

12 of college. 

13 (4) According to Mission United—a United 

14 Way program that helps veterans re-acclimate to ci15 vilian life—it is often ‘‘essential’’ for veteran stu16 dents to be mentored by ‘‘another veteran who un17 derstands their mindset and experience’’. 

18 (5) Veteran Student Centers are recognized as 

19 an institutional best practice by Student Veterans of 

20 America. 

21 (6) The American Council on Education, which 

22 represents more than 1,700 institutions of higher 

23 education across the United States, has called hav24 ing a dedicated space for veterans on campus ‘‘a 

25 promising way for colleges and universities to better 


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1 serve veterans on campus’’ and a ‘‘critical’’ compo2 nent of many colleges’ efforts to serve their veteran 

3 students. 

4 (7) The Department of Education included as 

5 one of its 8 Keys to Veterans’ Success that colleges 

6 and universities should ‘‘coordinate and centralize 

7 campus efforts for all veterans, together with the 

8 creation of a designated space for them’’. 

9 (8) Budget constraints often make it difficult or 

10 impossible for institutions of higher education to 

11 dedicate space to veteran offices, lounges, or student 

12 centers. 

13 (9) The 110th Congress authorized the funding 

14 of Veteran Student Centers through the Centers of 

15 Excellence for Veteran Student Success under part 

16 T of title VIII of the Higher Education Act of 1965 

17 (20 U.S.C. 1161t). Congress also chose to appro18 priate funding for this program for fiscal year 2015 

19 under the Consolidated and Further Continuing Ap20 propriations Act, 2015 (Public Law 113–235). 

21 (10) According to the Department of Edu22 cation, federally funded Veteran Student Centers 

23 and staff have generated improved recruitment, re24 tention, and graduation rates, have helped veteran 

25 students feel better connected across campus, and 


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1 have directly contributed to veteran students’ suc2 cessful academic outcomes. 

3 SEC. 3. GRANT PROGRAM TO ESTABLISH, MAINTAIN, AND 

4 IMPROVE VETERAN STUDENT CENTERS. 

5 Part T of title VIII of the Higher Education Act of 

6 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1161t) is amended to read as follows: 

7 ‘‘PART T—GRANTS FOR VETERAN STUDENT 

8 CENTERS 

9 ‘‘SEC. 873. GRANTS FOR VETERAN STUDENT CENTERS. 

10 ‘‘(a) GRANTS AUTHORIZED.—Subject to the avail11 ability of appropriations under subsection (h), the Sec12 retary shall award grants to institutions of higher edu13 cation or consortia of institutions of higher education to 

14 assist in the establishment, maintenance, improvement, 

15 and operation of Veteran Student Centers. 

16 ‘‘(b) ELIGIBILITY.— 

17 ‘‘(1) APPLICATION.—An institution or consor18 tium seeking a grant under subsection (a) shall sub19 mit to the Secretary an application at such time, in 

20 such manner, and containing such information as 

21 the Secretary may require. 

22 ‘‘(2) CRITERIA.—The Secretary may award a 

23 grant under subsection (a) to an institution or a 

24 consortium if the institution or consortium meets 

25 each of the following criteria: 


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1 ‘‘(A) The institution or consortium enrolls 

2 in undergraduate or graduate courses— 

3 ‘‘(i) a significant number of veteran 

4 students, members of the Armed Forces 

5 serving on active duty, or members of a re6 serve component of the Armed Forces; or 

7 ‘‘(ii) a significant percentage of vet8 eran students, members of the Armed 

9 Forces serving on active duty, or members 

10 of a reserve component of the Armed 

11 Forces, 

12 as measured by comparing, for the most recent aca13 demic year for which data are available, the number 

14 or percentage of veteran students, members of the 

15 Armed Forces serving on active duty, and members 

16 of a reserve component of the Armed Forces who are 

17 enrolled in undergraduate or graduate courses at the 

18 institution or consortium, with the average number 

19 or percentage of veteran students, members of the 

20 Armed Forces serving on active duty, and members 

21 of a reserve component of the Armed Forces who 

22 were enrolled in undergraduate or graduate courses 

23 at comparable institutions or consortia of institu24 tions. 


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1 ‘‘(B) The institution or consortium pre2 sents a sustainability plan to demonstrate that 

3 the Veteran Student Center will be maintained 

4 and will continue to operate after the grant pe5 riod has ended. 

6 ‘‘(3) SELECTION CRITERIA.—In awarding 

7 grants under subsection (a), the Secretary shall pro8 vide priority consideration to institutions or con9 sortia that meet one or more of the following cri10 teria: 

11 ‘‘(A) The institution or consortium is lo12 cated in a region or community that has a sig13 nificant population of veterans. 

14 ‘‘(B) The institution or consortium carries 

15 out programs or activities that assist veterans 

16 in the local community, and the spouses or 

17 partners and children of veteran students. 

18 ‘‘(C) The institution or consortium part19 ners in its veteran-specific programming with 

20 nonprofit veteran service organizations, local 

21 workforce development organizations, or other 

22 institutions of higher education. 

23 ‘‘(D) The institution or consortium com24 mits to hiring a staff at the Veteran Student 

25 Center that includes veterans (including veteran 


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1 student volunteers and veteran students partici2 pating in a Federal work-study program under 

3 part C of title IV, a work-study program ad4 ministered by the Secretary of Veteran Affairs, 

5 or a State work-study program). 

6 ‘‘(E) The institution or consortium com7 mits to using a portion of the grant received 

8 under this section to develop or maintain a vet9 eran student retention program carried out by 

10 the Veteran Student Center. 

11 ‘‘(F) The institution or consortium com12 mits to providing mental health counseling to 

13 its veteran students (and the spouses or part14 ners and children of such students). 

15 ‘‘(c) USE OF FUNDS.— 

16 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—An institution or consor17 tium that is awarded a grant under subsection (a) 

18 shall use such grant to establish, maintain, improve, 

19 or operate a Veteran Student Center. 

20 ‘‘(2) OTHER ALLOWABLE USES.—An institution 

21 or consortium receiving a grant under subsection (a) 

22 may use a portion of such grant to carry out sup23 portive instruction services for veteran students, in24 cluding— 


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1 ‘‘(A) assistance with special admissions 

2 and transfer of credit from previous postsec3 ondary education or experience; and 

4 ‘‘(B) any other support services the insti5 tution or consortium determines to be necessary 

6 to ensure the success of veteran students in 

7 achieving education and career goals. 

8 ‘‘(d) AMOUNTS AWARDED.— 

9 ‘‘(1) DURATION.—Each grant awarded under 

10 subsection (a) shall be for a 4-year period. 

11 ‘‘(2) TOTAL AMOUNT OF GRANT AND SCHED12 ULE.—Each grant awarded under subsection (a) 

13 may not exceed a total of $500,000. The Secretary 

14 shall disburse to an institution or consortium the 

15 amount awarded under the grant in such amounts 

16 and at such times during the grant period as the 

17 Secretary determines appropriate. 

18 ‘‘(e) REPORT.—From the amounts appropriated to 

19 carry out this section, and not later than 3 years after 

20 the date on which the first grant is awarded under sub21 section (a), the Secretary shall submit to Congress a re22 port on the grant program established under subsection 

23 (a), including— 

24 ‘‘(1) the number of grants awarded; 


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1 ‘‘(2) the institutions of higher education and 

2 consortia that have received grants; 

3 ‘‘(3) with respect to each such institution of 

4 higher education and consortium— 

5 ‘‘(A) the amounts awarded; 

6 ‘‘(B) how such institution or consortium 

7 used such amounts; 

8 ‘‘(C) a description of the demographics of 

9 veteran students (and spouses or partners and 

10 children of such students) to whom services 

11 were offered as a result of the award; 

12 ‘‘(D) the number of veteran students (and 

13 spouses or partners and children of such stu14 dents) to whom services were offered as a result 

15 of the award, and a description of the services 

16 that were offered and provided; and 

17 ‘‘(E) data enumerating whether the use of 

18 the amounts awarded helped veteran students 

19 at the institution or consortium toward comple20 tion of a degree, certificate, or credential; 

21 ‘‘(4) best practices for veteran student success, 

22 identified by reviewing data provided by institutions 

23 and consortia that received a grant under this sec24 tion; and 


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1 ‘‘(5) a determination by the Secretary with re2 spect to whether the grant program under this sec3 tion should be extended or expanded. 

4 ‘‘(f) DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION BEST PRACTICES

5 WEBSITE.—Subject to the availability of appropriations 

6 under subsection (h) and not later than 3 years after the 

7 date on which the first grant is awarded under subsection 

8 (a), the Secretary shall develop and implement a website 

9 for Veteran Student Centers at institutions of higher edu10 cation, which details best practices for serving veteran stu11 dents at institutions of higher education. 

12 ‘‘(g) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

13 ‘‘(1) INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION.— 

14 The term ‘institution of higher education’ has the 

15 meaning given the term in section 101. 

16 ‘‘(2) VETERAN STUDENT CENTER.—The term 

17 ‘Veteran Student Center’ means a dedicated space 

18 on a campus of an institution of higher education 

19 that provides students who are veterans, members of 

20 the Armed Forces serving on active duty, or mem21 bers of a reserve component of the Armed Forces 

22 with the following: 

23 ‘‘(A) A lounge or meeting space for such 

24 veteran students (and the spouses or partners 


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1 and children of such students), and veterans in 

2 the community. 

3 ‘‘(B) A centralized office for veteran stu4 dent services that— 

5 ‘‘(i) is a single point of contact to co6 ordinate comprehensive support services 

7 for veteran students; 

8 ‘‘(ii) is staffed by trained employees 

9 and volunteers, which includes veterans 

10 and at least one full-time employee or vol11 unteer who is trained as a veterans’ bene12 fits counselor; 

13 ‘‘(iii) provides veteran students with 

14 assistance relating to— 

15 ‘‘(I) transitioning from the mili16 tary to student life; 

17 ‘‘(II) transitioning from the mili18 tary to the civilian workforce; 

19 ‘‘(III) networking with other vet20 eran students and veterans in the 

21 community; 

22 ‘‘(IV) understanding and obtain23 ing benefits provided by the institu24 tion of higher education, Federal GovVerDate Sep 11 2014 03:03 Mar 27, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00011 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1652.IH H1652

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1 ernment, and State for which such 

2 students may be eligible; 

3 ‘‘(V) understanding how to suc4 ceed in the institution of higher edu5 cation, including by understanding 

6 academic policies, the course selection 

7 process, and institutional policies and 

8 practices related to the transfer of 

9 academic credits; and 

10 ‘‘(VI) understanding disability-re11 lated rights and protections under the 

12 Americans with Disabilities Act of 

13 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12101 et seq.) and 

14 section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act 

15 of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 794); and 

16 ‘‘(iv) provides comprehensive academic 

17 and tutoring services for veteran students, 

18 including peer-to-peer tutoring and aca19 demic mentorship. 

20 ‘‘(h) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 

21 are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this part 

22 such sums as may be necessary for fiscal year 2020 and 

23 each succeeding fiscal year.’’. 

Æ 


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