I 
110TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 717 
To encourage partnerships between community colleges and four-year colleges 
and universities. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 29, 2007 
Mr. WU introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 
on Education and Labor 
A BILL 
To encourage partnerships between community colleges and 
four-year colleges and universities. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Community College 
Partnership Act of 2007’’. 
SEC. 2. COMMUNITY COLLEGE OPPORTUNITY; COLLEGE 
PREPARATION PROGRAMS AUTHORIZED. 
Subpart 2 of part A of title IV of the Higher Edu-
cation Act of 1965 is amended— 
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(1) by redesignating section 407E as section 
406E; and 
(2) by inserting after chapter 3 (20 U.S.C. 
1070a–31 et seq.) the following new chapter: 
‘‘CHAPTER 4—COMMUNITY COLLEGE 
OPPORTUNITY 
‘‘SEC. 407A. PURPOSE. 
‘‘It is the purpose of this chapter to enhance opportu-
nities of students at community or technical colleges to 
transfer to 4-year institutions and complete bachelor’s de-
grees. 
‘‘SEC. 407B. ACTIVITIES. 
‘‘(a) GRANTS AUTHORIZED.—From the amounts ap-
propriated under section 407E, the Secretary shall award 
grants to an eligible partnership that— 
‘‘(1) shall include— 
‘‘(A) 1 or more community or technical 
colleges that award associate’s degrees; and 
‘‘(B) 1 or more institutions of higher edu-
cation that offer a baccalaureate or post-bacca-
laureate degree not awarded by the institutions 
described in subparagraph (A) with which it is 
partnered; and 
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‘‘(2) may include a State agency responsible for 
the oversight or coordination of institutions of high-
er education. 
‘‘(b) USE OF FUNDS.—Grants awarded under this 
part shall be used for— 
‘‘(1) the development of policies and programs 
to expand opportunities for community or technical 
college students to earn bachelor’s degrees, including 
promoting the transfer of academic credits between 
institutions and expanding articulation and guaran-
teed transfer agreements between institutions of 
higher education; 
‘‘(2) support services to students participating 
in the program, such as tutoring, mentoring, and 
academic and personal counseling, as well as any 
service that facilitates the transition of students 
from the community or technical college to the part-
ner institution; 
‘‘(3) academic program enhancements at the 
community or technical college that result in increas-
ing the quality of the program offered and the num-
ber of student participants in the program offered in 
cooperation with a baccalaureate degree granting in-
stitution pursuant to this section; and 
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‘‘(4) programs to identify barriers that inhibit 
student transfers. 
‘‘(c) APPLICATIONS.—Any institution, or a consortia 
or system of higher education, that desires to obtain a 
grant under this section shall submit to the Secretary an 
application at such time, in such manner, and containing 
such information or assurances as the Secretary may re-
quire. 
‘‘(d) REGULATIONS.—The Secretary shall prescribe 
such regulations as may be necessary to carry out this 
section. 
‘‘SEC. 407C. DEFINITION. 
‘‘For the purpose of this part, the term ‘community 
or technical college’ means a public or nonprofit institu-
tion of higher education— 
‘‘(1) that admits as regular students persons 
who are beyond the age of compulsory school attend-
ance in the State in which the institution is located 
and who have the ability to benefit from the training 
offered by the institution; 
‘‘(2) that predominately does not provide an 
educational program for which it awards a bach-
elor’s degree (or an equivalent degree); 
‘‘(3) that— 
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‘‘(A) provides an educational program of 
not less than 2 years that is acceptable for full 
credit toward such a degree; or 
‘‘(B) offers a 2-year program in engineer-
ing, mathematics, or the physical or biological 
sciences, designed to prepare a student to work 
as a technician or at the semiprofessional level 
in engineering, scientific, or other technological 
fields requiring the understanding and applica-
tion of basic engineering, scientific, or mathe-
matical principles of knowledge; and 
‘‘(4) that is accredited by a regional accrediting 
agency or association recognized by the Secretary 
under section 496. 
‘‘SEC. 407D. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
‘‘There 
are 
authorized 
to 
be 
appropriated 
$50,000,000 to carry out this chapter for fiscal year 2008 
and such sums as may be necessary for each of the 4 suc-
ceeding fiscal years.’’. 
Æ 
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