II 

108TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 2819 

To provide education to students in grades 8, 9, and 10 about the importance 

of higher education. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

SEPTEMBER 21, 2004 

Mr. SPECTER introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred 

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

A BILL 

To provide education to students in grades 8, 9, and 10 

about the importance 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 ‘‘Higher Education 

5 Preparation Program Act of 2004’’. 

6 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

7 In this Act: 

8 (1) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 

9 the Secretary of Education. 
2 

•S 2819 IS

1 (2) SECONDARY SCHOOL.—The term ‘‘sec2 ondary school’’ has the meaning given the term in 

3 section 9101 of the Elementary and Secondary Edu4 cation Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801). 

5 (3) INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION.—The 

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

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

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

9 (4) STATE EDUCATIONAL AGENCY.—The term 

10 ‘‘State educational agency’’ has the meaning given 

11 the term in section 9101 of the Elementary and Sec12 ondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801). 

13 SEC. 3. HIGHER EDUCATION PREPARATION PROGRAM CUR14 RICULUM. 

15 (a) PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.—From amounts appro16 priated under section 6 for fiscal year 2005, the Secretary 

17 shall award, on a competitive basis, a grant to a nonprofit 

18 organization to enable the nonprofit organization to de19 velop a curriculum-based higher education preparation 

20 program curriculum for students in grades 8, 9, and 10 

21 that— 

22 (1) educates such students about the opportuni23 ties for and the importance of higher education and 

24 prepares such students for the process of applying to 

25 institutions of higher education; and 
3 

•S 2819 IS

1 (2) provides 1 class hour of higher education 

2 preparation instruction each week for students in 

3 grades 8, 9, and 10. 

4 (b) APPLICATION.—Each nonprofit organization de5 siring a grant under this section shall submit an applica6 tion to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and 

7 accompanied by such information as the Secretary may 

8 reasonably require. 

9 (c) AWARD BASIS.—In awarding a grant under this 

10 section, the Secretary shall take into consideration the 

11 ability of the nonprofit organization to develop the higher 

12 education preparation program curriculum described in 

13 subsection (a). 

14 SEC. 4. HIGHER EDUCATION PREPARATION PROGRAM 

15 DEMONSTRATION PROJECT. 

16 (a) PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.— 

17 (1) IN GENERAL.—From amounts appropriated 

18 under section 6, the Secretary shall establish a dem19 onstration project under which the Secretary shall 

20 award, on a competitive basis, grants to State edu21 cational agencies to enable the State educational 

22 agencies to provide higher education preparation 

23 programs, using the higher education preparation 

24 program curriculum designed under section 3, to 

25 students in grades 8, 9, and 10 in middle schools 
4 

•S 2819 IS

1 and secondary schools served by the State edu2 cational agencies. 

3 (2) NUMBER.—The Secretary shall award 

4 grants under paragraph (1) to not more than 5 

5 State educational agencies. 

6 (3) DURATION.—The Secretary shall award 

7 each grant under paragraph (1) for a period of 5 

8 years. 

9 (b) APPLICATION.—Each State educational agency 

10 desiring a grant under this section shall submit an appli11 cation to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and 

12 accompanied by such information as the Secretary may 

13 reasonably require. 

14 (c) AUTHORIZED ACTIVITIES.—A State educational 

15 agency receiving a grant under this section— 

16 (1) shall use grant funds to implement the 

17 higher education preparation program curriculum 

18 developed under section 3 in middle schools and sec19 ondary schools served by the State educational agen20 cy; and 

21 (2) may use grant funds, or any other funds in22 cluding private funds, to supplement the program 

23 described in paragraph (1) with appropriate enrich24 ments, such as guest speakers, videos, or web-based 

25 services. 
5 

•S 2819 IS

1 (d) AWARD BASIS.—In awarding grants under this 

2 section, the Secretary shall take into consideration the 

3 number of middle schools and secondary schools served by 

4 the State educational agency that have historically low 

5 rates of student application and admission to institutions 

6 of higher education. 

7 (e) REQUIREMENT.—In selecting students in grades 

8 8, 9, and 10 to participate in the higher education prepa9 ration program, a State educational agency receiving a 

10 grant under this section shall give priority to students in 

11 the middle schools and secondary schools served by the 

12 State educational agency that have historically low rates 

13 of student application and admission to institutions of 

14 higher education. 

15 (f) STATE EDUCATIONAL AGENCY REPORTS.—A 

16 State educational agency receiving a grant under this sec17 tion shall— 

18 (1) require that each middle school and sec19 ondary school participating in the higher education 

20 preparation program submit an annual report on the 

21 progress of the demonstration project to the State 

22 educational agency; and 

23 (2) submit an annual report on the progress of 

24 the demonstration project to the Secretary. 
6 

•S 2819 IS

1 SEC. 5. REPORTS TO CONGRESS. 

2 (a) ANNUAL REPORTS.—The Secretary shall submit 

3 to Congress an annual report on the progress of the dem4 onstration project described under section 4. 

5 (b) FINAL REPORT.—Not less than 90 days after the 

6 conclusion of the demonstration project described under 

7 section 4, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a final 

8 report on the results of the demonstration project, to9 gether with recommendations for such legislative or ad10 ministrative action as the Secretary determines appro11 priate. 

12 SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

13 There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out 

14 this Act $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2005 through 

15 2010. 

Æ