I
106TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 4476
To authorize a program of assistance for partnerships between minority-
serving institutions and other institutions of higher education that enable
students attending minority-serving institutions to earn dual degrees
and enter fields in which students from those institutions are underrep-
resented, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MAY 17, 2000
Mr. CLAY (for himself, Mr. MARTINEZ, Mr. OWENS, Mr. ROMERO-BARCELO´,
Mr. PASTOR, Mr. CLYBURN, Mr. PAYNE, Mr. HINOJOSA, Mrs. MINK of
Hawaii, and Mrs. MEEK of Florida) introduced the following bill; which
was referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce
A BILL
To authorize a program of assistance for partnerships be-
tween minority-serving institutions and other institutions
of higher education that enable students attending mi-
nority-serving institutions to earn dual degrees and enter
fields in which students from those institutions are
underrepresented, and for other purposes.
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 ‘‘Dual Degree Achieve-
ment Act’’.
SEC. 2. DUAL DEGREE ACHIEVEMENT.
Title III of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20
U.S.C. 1000 et seq.) is amended—
(1) by redesignating part F as part G;
(2) by inserting immediately after part E a new
Part F to read as follows:
‘‘PART F—DUAL DEGREE ACHIEVEMENT
‘‘SEC. 371. FINDINGS; PURPOSE.
‘‘(a) FINDINGS.—For the reasons set forth in sec-
tions 301, 321, 341, 350, and 501 of this Act, the Federal
Government—
‘‘(1) has a unique relationship with, and a sub-
stantial investment in, the institutions that receive
grants under this title and title V of this Act; and
‘‘(2) should continue to seek new and even more
effective ways to improve and strengthen those insti-
tutions.
‘‘(b) PURPOSE.—It is the purpose of this part to—
‘‘(1) strengthen curricula and enhance student
opportunities at minority-serving institutions;
‘‘(2) increase postgraduate access and persist-
ence for students who attend such institutions; and
‘‘(3) increase diversity within scientific, tech-
nical, and other professions requiring baccalaureate
and post-baccalaureate study.
‘‘SEC. 372. PROGRAM AUTHORITY.
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—
(1) From funds appropriated under section
399(a)(6), the Secretary shall make grants to eligi-
ble partnerships under subsection (b) to carry out
the activities described in section 373.
‘‘(2) Each grant awarded under this part shall
be for a five-year period.
‘‘(b) ELIGIBILITY.—
(1) For purposes of this part, an eligible part-
nership shall include—
‘‘(A) one or more minority-serving institu-
tions that award baccalaureate degrees; and
‘‘(B) one or more partner institutions.
‘‘(2) Other public and private entities, including
minority-serving institutions that do not award bac-
calaureate degrees (such as community colleges),
community based organizations, and businesses, may
be included in partnerships under this section.
‘‘(c) DEFINITIONS.—For purposes of this part—
‘‘(1) a ‘minority-serving institution’ means an
institution that is eligible to apply for assistance
under sections 316 or 317, under part B of this
title, or under title V of this Act; and
‘‘(2) a ‘partner institution’ means an institution
of higher education that offers a baccalaureate or
post-baccalaureate degree not awarded by the minor-
ity-serving institutions with which it is partnered.
‘‘(d) APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS.—In addition to
the application requirements under section 391, an eligible
partnership under subsection (b)(1) shall include in its
application—
‘‘(1) the name of each partner and a descrip-
tion of its responsibilities as a member of the part-
nership;
‘‘(2) a copy of the partnership agreement, in-
cluding any articulation agreement between the part-
ners;
‘‘(3) a description of—
‘‘(A) the academic fields of study to be
covered by the project and the degrees to be
awarded by the partners;
‘‘(B) how the project will operate, includ-
ing a description of how the project will build
on existing services and activities, if any, and
be coordinated with other related Federal and
non-Federal programs;
‘‘(C) the need for the project, including, if
the project is to cover academic fields of study
that have not otherwise been published by the
Secretary under subsection (f), a demonstration
of how those fields of study are associated with
professions in which students who attend mi-
nority serving institutions are underrepresented;
‘‘(D) the resources that each member of
the partnership will contribute to the partner-
ship; and
‘‘(E) how the partnership will support and
continue its program under this part after the
grant has expired; and
‘‘(4) assurances that—
‘‘(A) each member of a partnership will
designate an individual at that institution to
serve as the primary point of contact for the
partnership at that institution;
‘‘(B) each participating student—
‘‘(i) is enrolled in an academic pro-
gram that leads to a five year bacca-
laureate or post-baccalaureate degree not
awarded by the minority-serving institu-
tion;
‘‘(ii) who successfully completes the
program will be awarded a baccalaureate
degree from the minority-serving institu-
tion and a baccalaureate degree or a mas-
ter’s degree from the partner institution
that the student attends;
‘‘(iii) at each minority-serving institu-
tion will be informed of, and have access
to, the instruction and rigorous academic
courses necessary to obtain dual degrees
and enter into their chosen field; and
‘‘(iv) will maintain satisfactory aca-
demic progress while in the program;
‘‘(C) a minority-serving institution under
section 372(b)(1)(A) will be the fiscal agent for
the partnership; and
‘‘(D) each institution will use the funds
made available under this part only to supple-
ment, and not supplant, assistance that other-
wise would be provided to participating stu-
dents.
‘‘(e) PUBLICATION OF STUDY FIELDS.—Each year,
the Secretary shall publish in the Federal Register a list
of baccalaureate and post-baccalaureate degree fields of
study that are associated with professions in which stu-
dents attending minority-serving institutions are under-
represented.
‘‘SEC. 373. USES OF FUNDS.
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—Grants awarded under this part
shall be used for—
‘‘(1) support services to students participating
in the program, such as tutoring, mentoring, and
academic and personal counseling, as well as any
service which facilitates the transition of minority
students from the minority-serving institution to the
partner institution;
‘‘(2) scholarships to students in their 4th and
5th years in the program;
‘‘(3) reimbursement to minority-serving institu-
tions for the amount of tuition that they would have
received had participating students attended those
institutions during their 4th year of the program in-
stead of the partner institution; and
‘‘(4) academic program enhancements at the
minority-serving institution which result in increas-
ing the quality of the program offered and the quan-
tity of student participants in the dual degree pro-
gram offered.
‘‘(b) SCHOLARSHIPS.—
‘‘(1) Scholarships awarded under this section
shall reflect any additional amount of tuition and
fees charged the participating student by the partner
institution compared to the amount of tuition and
fees charged the student by the minority-serving in-
stitution during the student’s 3rd year in the pro-
gram.
‘‘(2) Scholarships awarded under this section
shall not be considered for the purposes of awarding
Federal Pell Grants under subpart 1 of part A of
title IV, except that in no case shall the total
amount of student financial assistance awarded to a
student under this section and title IV exceed the
student’s cost of attendance, as defined in section
472.
‘‘(c) SPECIAL RULE.—A majority of the funds re-
ceived under this program part shall be expended for
scholarships to assist minority students in acquiring de-
grees from the minority-serving institution and the part-
ner institution and reimbursement to minority-serving in-
stitutions pursuant to subsection (a)(3).’’; and
(3) in part G, as redesignated by paragraph
(1)—
(A) in section 391(b)(1), by striking out
‘‘part C, D, or E’’ and inserting in lieu thereof
‘‘part C, D, E, or F’’; and
(B) in section 399(a), by adding a new
paragraph (6) to read as follows:
‘‘(6) PART F.—There are authorized to be ap-
propriated $40,000,000 to carry out part F for fis-
cal year 2001 and such sums as may be necessary
for each of the 2 succeeding fiscal years.’’.
SEC. 3. EFFECTIVE DATE.
This Act shall take effect on the date of its enact-
ment.
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