I 

110TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 5143 

To encourage model programs to support veteran student success in postsecondary education by coordinating services to address the academic, financial, physical, and social needs of veteran students. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JANUARY 28, 2008 

Mr. HINOJOSA (for himself and Mr. CASTLE) introduced the following bill; 

which was referred to the Committee on Education and Labor 

A BILL 

To encourage model programs to support veteran student 

success in postsecondary education by coordinating services to address the academic, financial, physical, and 

social needs of veteran students. 

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 ‘‘Securing Success for 

5 Veterans on Campus Act of 2008’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE FOR VETERAN STUDENT 

2 SUCCESS. 

3 Title VII of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 

4 U.S.C. 1133 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end 

5 the following new part: 

6 ‘‘PART F—CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE FOR 

7 VETERAN STUDENT SUCCESS 

8 ‘‘SEC. 781. MODEL PROGRAMS FOR CENTERS OF EXCEL9 LENCE FOR VETERAN STUDENT SUCCESS. 

10 ‘‘(a) PURPOSE.—It is the purpose of this section to 

11 encourage model programs to support veteran student suc12 cess in postsecondary education by coordinating services 

13 to address the academic, financial, physical, and social 

14 needs of veteran students. 

15 ‘‘(b) GRANTS AUTHORIZED.— 

16 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Subject to the availability 

17 of appropriations under subsection (f), the Secretary 

18 shall award grants to institutions of higher edu19 cation to develop model programs to support veteran 

20 student success in postsecondary education. 

21 ‘‘(2) GRANT PERIOD.—A grant awarded under 

22 this section shall be awarded for a period of 3 years. 

23 ‘‘(c) USE OF GRANTS.— 

24 ‘‘(1) REQUIRED ACTIVITIES.—An institution of 

25 higher education receiving a grant under this section 


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1 shall use such grant to carry out a model program 

2 that includes— 

3 ‘‘(A) establishing of a Center of Excellence 

4 for Veteran Student Success on the campus of 

5 the institution to provide a single point of con6 tact to coordinate comprehensive support serv7 ices for veteran students; 

8 ‘‘(B) establishing a veteran students sup9 port team, including representatives from the 

10 offices of the institution responsible for admis11 sions, registration, financial aid, veterans bene12 fits, academic advising, student health, personal 

13 or mental health counseling, career advising, 

14 disabilities services, and any other office of the 

15 institution that provides support to veteran stu16 dents on campus; 

17 ‘‘(C) providing a full-time or part-time co18 ordinator whose primary responsibility is to co19 ordinate the model program carried out under 

20 this section; 

21 ‘‘(D) monitoring the rates of veteran stu22 dent enrollment, persistence, and completion; 

23 and 


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1 ‘‘(E) developing a plan to sustain the Cen2 ter of Excellence for Veteran Student Success 

3 after the grant period. 

4 ‘‘(2) OTHER AUTHORIZED ACTIVITIES.—An in5 stitution of higher education receiving a grant under 

6 this section may use such grant to carry out any of 

7 the following activities with respect to veteran stu8 dents: 

9 ‘‘(A) Outreach and recruitment of such 

10 students. 

11 ‘‘(B) Supportive instructional services for 

12 such students, which may include— 

13 ‘‘(i) personal, academic, and career 

14 counseling, as an on-going part of the pro15 gram; 

16 ‘‘(ii) tutoring and academic skill-build17 ing instruction assistance, as needed; and 

18 ‘‘(iii) assistance with special admis19 sions and transfer of credit from previous 

20 postsecondary education or experience. 

21 ‘‘(C) Assistance in obtaining student finan22 cial aid. 

23 ‘‘(D) Housing support for students living 

24 in institutional facilities and commuting stu25 dents. 


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1 ‘‘(E) Cultural events, academic programs, 

2 orientation programs, and other activities de3 signed to ease the transition to campus life for 

4 such students. 

5 ‘‘(F) Support for veteran student organiza6 tions and veteran student support groups on 

7 campus. 

8 ‘‘(G) Coordination of academic advising 

9 and admissions counseling with military bases 

10 and national guard units in the area. 

11 ‘‘(H) Other support services the institution 

12 determines to be necessary to ensure the suc13 cess of such students in achieving their edu14 cational and career goals. 

15 ‘‘(d) APPLICATION; SELECTION.— 

16 ‘‘(1) APPLICATION.—To be considered for a 

17 grant under this section, an institution of higher 

18 education shall submit to the Secretary an applica19 tion at such time, in such manner, and accompanied 

20 by such information as the Secretary may require. 

21 ‘‘(2) SELECTION CONSIDERATIONS.—In award22 ing grants under this section, the Secretary shall 

23 consider— 

24 ‘‘(A) the number of veteran students en25 rolled at an institution of higher education; and 


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1 ‘‘(B) the need for model programs to ad2 dress the needs of veteran students at a wide 

3 range of institutions of higher education, in4 cluding the need to provide— 

5 ‘‘(i) an equitable distribution of such 

6 grants to institutions of higher education 

7 of various types and sizes; 

8 ‘‘(ii) an equitable geographic distribu9 tion of such grants; and 

10 ‘‘(iii) an equitable distribution of such 

11 grants among rural and urban areas. 

12 ‘‘(e) EVALUATION AND ACCOUNTABILITY PLAN.— 

13 The Secretary shall develop an evaluation and account14 ability plan for model programs funded under this section 

15 to objectively measure the impact of such programs, in16 cluding a measure of whether postsecondary education en17 rollment, persistence, and completion for veterans in18 creases as a result of such programs. 

19 ‘‘(f) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 

20 are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this part 

21 such sums as may be necessary for fiscal year 2009 and 

22 each of the 4 succeeding fiscal years.’’. 

Æ 


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