II 

113TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 2349 

To establish a grant program to enable States to promote participation 

in dual enrollment programs, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MAY 15, 2014 

Mr. SANDERS (for himself, Mr. LEAHY, Mr. MURPHY, Mr. KAINE, and Mr. 

REED) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred 

to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions 

A BILL 

To establish a grant program to enable States to promote 

participation in dual enrollment programs, and for other 

purposes. 

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 ‘‘Supporting College 

5 Success Through Dual Enrollment Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress finds the following: 

8 (1) The future strength of the democracy of the 

9 United States, as well as the Nation’s economy, deVerDate Mar 15 2010 23:39 May 22, 2014 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S2349.IS S2349

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1 pends upon ensuring a highly educated population 

2 and a skilled workforce with the knowledge nec3 essary to compete in a globalized economy. 

4 (2) The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates 

5 that a majority of the fastest-growing and highest6 paying occupations require some form of postsec7 ondary education, be it a 2-year degree, a 4-year de8 gree, or an industry-recognized credential. 

9 (3) According to research conducted by the 

10 Georgetown University Center on Education and the 

11 Workforce, 63 percent of all new job openings by 

12 2018 will require at least some college education. 

13 (4) The cost of a college education is often the 

14 most significant obstacle that many students face in 

15 obtaining a college degree. Programs that help stu16 dents accumulate college credit in high school can 

17 help reduce the overall cost of a college degree by as 

18 much as 12.5 percent, thus reducing the financial 

19 burden on students and taxpayers. Research has 

20 found that for every 1,000,000 students entering 

21 college with a semester’s worth of credit, overall col22 lege expenditures are reduced by $9,500,000,000. 

23 (5) Although more students begin college today 

24 than did 20 years ago, many are not graduating due 

25 to substantial challenges in negotiating the transiVerDate Mar 15 2010 23:39 May 22, 2014 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S2349.IS S2349

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1 tion from high school to college. Fewer than 20 per2 cent of students in grade 9 will graduate with a bac3 calaureate degree by the age of 24. 

4 (6) Research conducted by the Department of 

5 Education has found that postsecondary success is 

6 predicated on both rigorous academic preparation 

7 and a clear understanding of the expectations in col8 lege. The academic intensity of a student’s high 

9 school courses is a better predictor of whether a stu10 dent will complete a bachelor’s degree than class 

11 rank, grade point average, or standardized admis12 sion test scores. 

13 (7) According to research conducted at the 

14 Teachers’ College at Columbia University, participa15 tion in dual enrollment programs is especially bene16 ficial for students who are traditionally underrep17 resented in higher education, including low-income, 

18 first generation, and minority students. 

19 (8) Students participating in dual enrollment 

20 programs have better academic outcomes. Research 

21 conducted in Florida, New York, and California 

22 found that students in dual enrollment programs 

23 were, on average, more likely to graduate from high 

24 school, transition into a 4-year institution of higher 

25 education, persist in postsecondary education, and 


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1 have a higher postsecondary grade point average, as 

2 demonstrated by the following: 

3 (A) Participants in New York City’s dual 

4 enrollment program, College Now, were more 

5 likely than their peers to pursue a bacca6 laureate degree and had higher grade point 

7 averages than nonparticipants. Further, there 

8 was a positive correlation between participation 

9 in dual enrollment and completion of a bacca10 laureate degree. 

11 (B) Florida’s dual enrollment program 

12 participants were 4.3 percent more likely than 

13 their peers to earn a high school diploma and 

14 7.7 percent more likely to enroll in a 4-year in15 stitution of higher education, and earned, on 

16 average, 15.1 more college credits than non17 participants. 

18 (C) In Missouri, dual enrollment students 

19 had an 89 percent likelihood of returning for 

20 their second year of college, compared to 76 

21 percent for students who entered college with 

22 no previous college credit. 

23 SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 

24 In this Act: 


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1 (1) DUAL ENROLLMENT.—The term ‘‘dual en2 rollment’’ means a program through which a sec3 ondary school student— 

4 (A) takes courses offered through an insti5 tution of higher education while the student is 

6 enrolled in secondary school; and 

7 (B) earns both secondary school and post8 secondary credit for the courses described in 

9 subparagraph (A). 

10 (2) INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION.—The 

11 term ‘‘institution of higher education’’ has the 

12 meaning given the term in section 101(a) of the 

13 Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001(a)). 

14 (3) MODERATE- TO LOW-INCOME STUDENT.— 

15 The term ‘‘moderate- to low-income student’’ means 

16 a student from a family whose income is less than 

17 90 percent of the median income for the State for 

18 a family of the size involved. 

19 (4) POVERTY LINE.—The term ‘‘poverty line’’ 

20 means the poverty line (as defined in section 673(2) 

21 of the Community Services Block Grant Act (42 

22 U.S.C. 9902(2))) applicable to a family of the size 

23 involved. 

24 (5) SECONDARY SCHOOL.—The term ‘‘sec25 ondary school’’ has the meaning given the term in 


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1 section 9101 of the Elementary and Secondary Edu2 cation Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801 et seq.). 

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

4 the Secretary of Education. 

5 (7) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ means the sev6 eral States of the United States, the District of Co7 lumbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, 

8 American Samoa, the United States Virgin Islands, 

9 and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Is10 lands. 

11 SEC. 4. GRANTS AUTHORIZED. 

12 (a) PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.—From amounts appro13 priated to carry out this Act, the Secretary shall make 

14 grants, from allotments under subsection (b), to States to 

15 enable the States to pay the Federal share of the costs 

16 of activities designed to promote participation in dual-en17 rollment programs by moderate- to low-income students. 

18 (b) DETERMINATION OF ALLOTMENT.— 

19 (1) AMOUNT OF ALLOTMENT.—Subject to para20 graph (2), the allotment provided under this sub21 section to each State that submits an approved ap22 plication for a fiscal year shall be equal to the sum 

23 of— 

24 (A) the amount that bears the same rela25 tion to 50 percent of the amount appropriated 


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1 under section 8 for such fiscal year as the num2 ber of residents in the State aged 5 through 17 

3 who are living below the poverty line bears to 

4 the total number of such residents in all States 

5 that submitted approved applications; and 

6 (B) the amount that bears the same rela7 tion to 50 percent of the amount appropriated 

8 under section 8 for such fiscal year as the num9 ber of residents in the State aged 15 through 

10 44 who are living below the poverty line bears 

11 to the total number of such residents in all 

12 States that submitted approved applications. 

13 (2) MINIMUM AMOUNT.—The allotment for 

14 each State under this section for a fiscal year shall 

15 not be an amount that is less than 0.5 percent of 

16 the total amount appropriated under section 8 for 

17 such fiscal year. 

18 (c) FEDERAL SHARE.—The Federal share of the cost 

19 of the activities funded under this Act shall not exceed 

20 80 percent. The non-Federal share of the cost of such ac21 tivities may be provided in cash or in kind, fairly evalu22 ated, including services. 

23 (d) SUPPLEMENT, NOT SUPPLANT.—Funds received 

24 by a State under a grant under this Act shall be used 


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1 to supplement, and not supplant, non-Federal funds ex2 pended for dual enrollment programs. 

3 SEC. 5. APPLICATION AND APPROVAL. 

4 (a) APPLICATION.—A State desiring a grant under 

5 this section shall submit an application to the Secretary 

6 at such time, in such manner, and containing such infor7 mation as the Secretary may require. The application 

8 shall— 

9 (1) describe the State’s proposed program to 

10 support dual enrollment programs, which shall in11 clude— 

12 (A) aligning the kindergarten through 

13 grade 12, higher education, and career and 

14 technical education systems of the State to sup15 port dual enrollment programs; 

16 (B) requiring each local educational agency 

17 in the State, or each public institution of higher 

18 education that is partnering with a local edu19 cational agency pursuant to paragraph (2), to 

20 provide a counselor, advisor, or advisor working 

21 in conjunction with a school counselor, who spe22 cializes in dual enrollment, to provide high-qual23 ity advice to secondary school students and 

24 their parents on the dual enrollment program 


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1 options, course selection, and other related 

2 issues; 

3 (C) ensuring that every public secondary 

4 school, including every public charter school, in 

5 the State offers a high-quality dual enrollment 

6 program, and that all secondary school students 

7 are informed about, or engaged in, the dual en8 rollment program by grade 10 or an earlier 

9 grade; 

10 (D) directly addressing participation in 

11 dual enrollment programs among low-income 

12 students; 

13 (E) developing a plan to ensure that path14 ways are available, and barriers are removed, in 

15 order to allow secondary school students partici16 pating in dual enrollment programs to matricu17 late to institutions of higher education, and at18 tain a degree or appropriate certification; 

19 (F) developing a system of accountability; 

20 and 

21 (G) addressing the problems that students 

22 and schools in small communities face with re23 spect to dual enrollment programs, including 

24 the difficulties in providing such students with 


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1 the opportunity to participate at campuses of 

2 institutions of higher education; 

3 (2) include an assurance that every local edu4 cational agency in the State will form a partnership 

5 with 1 or more 2-year or 4-year degree-granting in6 stitutions of higher education to coordinate dual en7 rollment programs, under which the institution of 

8 higher education— 

9 (A) has the responsibility to administer the 

10 dual enrollment program, with the cooperation 

11 of the local educational agency; and 

12 (B) determines the curriculum, standards, 

13 and instructors to be used in the dual enroll14 ment program; 

15 (3) include an assurance that the State will 

16 align State policy to ensure, to the maximum extent 

17 practicable, credits earned through a dual enrollment 

18 program are recognized throughout the system of 

19 public higher education of the State and count as 

20 credits earned for both secondary school graduation 

21 and graduation from a public institution of higher 

22 education; 

23 (4) include an assurance that the State will es24 tablish a policy to encourage matriculation and cred25 it agreements among local educational agencies and 


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1 institutions of higher education to encourage low-in2 come students to attain a baccalaureate degree; 

3 (5) include an assurance that the State will es4 tablish a policy to encourage access to dual enroll5 ment courses for as many students as possible and 

6 to prevent student disqualification for participation 

7 as much as possible, with eligibility requirements 

8 that— 

9 (A) are based on quantifiable, valid, and 

10 reliable measures of a student’s ability to suc11 ceed in a postsecondary education course; 

12 (B) use a consistent standard of readiness 

13 for postsecondary education for all secondary 

14 schools and public institutions of higher edu15 cation in the State; and 

16 (C) are consistent with the eligibility 

17 standards established by the partner institution 

18 of higher education of the dual enrollment pro19 gram; 

20 (6) include an assurance that the State will es21 tablish policies that— 

22 (A) maximize, to the extent practicable, 

23 the number of dual enrollment program stu24 dents who take courses on the campuses of in25 stitutions of higher education, in classrooms 


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1 with postsecondary education students, and 

2 with professors of the institutions of higher 

3 education; 

4 (B) in any case where providing courses of 

5 the dual enrollment program on a campus of an 

6 institution of higher education is not prac7 ticable, ensure that each course of the dual en8 rollment program that is taught in secondary 

9 schools— 

10 (i) is developed by the institution of 

11 higher education partner; 

12 (ii) is fully comparable with the 

13 courses offered at the campus of the insti14 tution of higher education; 

15 (iii) is augmented with campus experi16 ences when reasonably achievable; and 

17 (iv) is taught by an instructor from 

18 the partner institution of higher education, 

19 where practicable, or, if not practicable, by 

20 an instructor who is selected, supervised, 

21 and evaluated by the institution of higher 

22 education; and 

23 (C) provide that all instructors of dual en24 rollment program classes are assessed by the 

25 partner institution of higher education in the 


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1 same way that such institutions assess their 

2 own faculty; 

3 (7) describe how the State will incorporate dual 

4 enrollment program opportunities with programs 

5 and services provided under subpart 2 of part A of 

6 title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 

7 (1070a–21 et seq.); 

8 (8) include an assurance that the State edu9 cational agency and the State system of public insti10 tutions of higher education will develop a plan to in11 crease enrollment in postsecondary education among 

12 moderate- or low-income students and populations 

13 underrepresented in higher education, including 

14 underrepresented minorities, throughout the State; 

15 (9) describe how the State will align the State’s 

16 career and technical education policy with dual en17 rollment programs, which may include— 

18 (A) establishing flexible pathways, which 

19 are career sequences that begin in secondary 

20 school and continue in postsecondary education; 

21 and 

22 (B) establishing State policies that— 

23 (i) broaden access to career and tech24 nical education and that provide needed 


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1 supports to students participating in career 

2 and technical education; and 

3 (ii) support inclusion of work-based 

4 learning in flexible pathways, as described 

5 in subparagraph (A); 

6 (10) demonstrate that the State has enacted 

7 funding models that ensure that local educational 

8 agencies and institutions of higher education who 

9 participate in dual enrollment programs do not lose 

10 per-pupil funding for dually enrolled students; and 

11 (11) include an assurance that a student’s par12 ticipation in a dual enrollment program shall not 

13 negatively impact the student’s eligibility for State 

14 financial assistance for postsecondary education. 

15 (b) APPROVAL.—The Secretary shall approve any ap16 plication for a State program that includes the compo17 nents described in subsection (a). 

18 SEC. 6. USE OF FUNDS. 

19 (a) IN GENERAL.— 

20 (1) IN GENERAL.—A State receiving a grant 

21 under this Act shall use grant funds to carry out 

22 any of the following activities: 

23 (A) Paying for tuition for moderate- to 

24 low-income students to take postsecondary-level 


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1 courses while enrolled in secondary school 

2 through a dual enrollment program. 

3 (B) Textbooks, fees, and other expenses 

4 associated with a student’s attendance of a 

5 course offered through a dual enrollment pro6 gram. 

7 (C) Counseling and support services for 

8 students and families regarding dual enrollment 

9 programs, including services that will improve 

10 the postsecondary education enrollment and 

11 program completion rates of students in dual 

12 enrollment programs or reduce the postsec13 ondary education costs for such students. 

14 (D) Creation of a credit-bearing, or non15 credit-bearing, course to ensure that low-income 

16 and first generation college students— 

17 (i) are prepared for postsecondary 

18 education studies to be offered through a 

19 dual enrollment program; and 

20 (ii) have the requisite academic and 

21 nonacademic skills and resources necessary 

22 to succeed, understand expectations, help 

23 navigate the postsecondary education envi24 ronment, and be able to advocate for them25 selves. 


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1 (E) Options to encourage participation in 

2 dual enrollment programs by students and 

3 schools from small communities. 

4 (F) Other activities that support the pur5 poses of this Act, as proposed and approved by 

6 the Secretary in the application. 

7 (2) TRANSPORTATION COSTS.—A State receiv8 ing a grant under this Act that has additional grant 

9 funds available after carrying out activities described 

10 in paragraph (1), may use such funds to pay for the 

11 costs of providing transportation for students in 

12 rural areas to participate in dual enrollment pro13 grams. 

14 (b) FOCUS AREAS.—A State receiving a grant under 

15 this Act shall focus the activities supported under this sec16 tion on dual enrollment programs offered through sec17 ondary schools in the State that— 

18 (1) are located in an area of high poverty; 

19 (2) serve a large number or percentage of stu20 dents from populations underrepresented in higher 

21 education; 

22 (3) have a high secondary school dropout rate; 

23 (4) have a low percentage of graduates who 

24 enter postsecondary education; 


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1 (5) are in a county or region of the State with 

2 low postsecondary education aspiration and attain3 ment rates; or 

4 (6) are small schools whose academic offerings 

5 are limited by scale. 

6 SEC. 7. STUDENT FINANCIAL AID ELIGIBILITY. 

7 The Secretary shall ensure that— 

8 (1) a student’s participation in a dual enroll9 ment program does not negatively impact the stu10 dent’s eligibility for financial assistance under the 

11 Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001 et 

12 seq.); and 

13 (2) for purposes of part C of title I, title IV, 

14 and any other provision, of such Act— 

15 (A) students participating in a dual enroll16 ment program are not classified as first-time, 

17 full-time students of the partner institution of 

18 higher education of the program during the stu19 dent’s participation; and 

20 (B) in the case of a student who attends 

21 a dual enrollment program and then matricu22 lates to an institution of higher education, the 

23 student’s first year at such institution shall be 

24 considered to be the student’s first year of a 

25 program of undergraduate education, regardless 


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1 of the number of postsecondary credits that the 

2 student has previously earned through the dual 

3 enrollment program. 

4 SEC. 8. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

5 There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out 

6 this Act $150,000,000 for fiscal year 2015 and each suc7 ceeding fiscal year. 

Æ 


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