I 
111TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3259 
To establish the Grants for College Access and Completion Program. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 20, 2009 
Mr. INSLEE (for himself and Mr. REICHERT) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Education and Labor 
A BILL 
To establish the Grants for College Access and Completion 
Program. 
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 ‘‘Establishing Grants 
for College Access and Completion Act of 2009’’. 
SEC. 2. GRANTS FOR COLLEGE SUCCESS. 
(a) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this Act is to author-
ize grants to eligible entities to— 
(1) build and sustain an understanding among 
secondary school students from disadvantaged popu-
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lations of the need for higher levels of educational 
attainment and lifelong learning; and 
(2) increase the number of low-income students 
from underserved populations and disadvantaged 
backgrounds who enter and complete college. 
(b) GRANTS AUTHORIZED.—Subject to the avail-
ability of amounts appropriated to carry out this Act, the 
Secretary of Education shall award 5-year grants, on a 
competitive basis, to eligible entities to carry out the pur-
pose of this Act through the activities and services de-
scribed in subsection (d). 
(c) FEDERAL SHARE; NON-FEDERAL SHARE.— 
(1) FEDERAL SHARE.—The amount of the Fed-
eral share under this section for a fiscal year shall 
be not be more than 85 percent of the costs of the 
activities and services described in subsection (d) 
that are carried out under the grant. 
(2) NON-FEDERAL SHARE.—The amount of the 
non-Federal share under this section shall be not 
less than 15 percent of the costs of the activities and 
services described in subsection (d). Such non-Fed-
eral share may be provided in cash or in-kind, or 
both. 
(d) USES OF FUNDS.— 
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(1) IN GENERAL.—Grants awarded under this 
Act shall be used to— 
(A) provide mentoring, academic support, 
and supportive services to prepare low-income 
students to attend institutions of higher edu-
cation; 
(B) conduct outreach programs to encour-
age low-income students to pursue higher edu-
cation, including providing information about 
Federal and State financial aid options; and 
(C) provide other activities to ensure that 
an increasing number of low-income students 
attend institutions of higher education. 
(2) PRIORITY.—In carrying out the activities 
and services described in paragraph (1), an eligible 
entity receiving a grant under this Act shall give pri-
ority to students who are from families with incomes 
below the poverty line. 
(e) ANNUAL REPORT.—Each eligible entity receiving 
a grant under this Act shall prepare and submit an annual 
report to the Secretary of Education on the activities and 
services provided with such grant funds, including— 
(1) each activity and service that was provided 
to low-income students over the course of the year; 
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(2) the cost of providing each such activity and 
service; 
(3) the number of low-income students who re-
ceived mentoring and outreach services from the en-
tity; and 
(4) the outcomes for students who participated 
in an activity or received services provided with such 
grant funds, including high school graduation rates 
and enrollment rates at institutions of higher edu-
cation. 
(f) DEFINITIONS.—For the purposes of this Act: 
(1) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term ‘‘eligible enti-
ty’’ means a nonprofit organization that— 
(A) has as its primary purpose to provide 
scholarships and support services to students 
from underserved and disadvantaged popu-
lations to increase the number of such students 
who enter and complete a program of study at 
institutions of higher education; 
(B) has been in operation for not less than 
6 years and serves secondary school students; 
(C) is actively collaborating with the State 
in which it is headquartered; 
(D) has received financial support from 
such State; 
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(E) has raised not less than $75,000,000 
from private or other nongovernmental sources 
for scholarship aid and support programs for 
low-income students; 
(F) has a business plan in place to expand 
into additional States; 
(G) provides scholarships and support pro-
grams to students in more than one State; 
(H) during the 3-year period before apply-
ing for a grant under this Act, has served a sig-
nificant number of students and awarded a sig-
nificant number of scholarships through all of 
its programs, as determined by the Secretary; 
and 
(I) has provided scholarships and men-
toring services for a significant number of bac-
calaureate degree graduates, as determined by 
the Secretary, since the entity was established. 
(2) LOW-INCOME STUDENT.—The term ‘‘low-in-
come student’’ means a student who is determined 
by a local educational agency to be from a low-in-
come family using the measures described in section 
1113(a)(5) of the Elementary and Secondary Edu-
cation Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 6313(a)(5)). 
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(3) INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION.—The 
term ‘‘institution of higher education’’ has the 
meaning given such term in section 102 of the High-
er Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1002), except 
that such term does not include an institution de-
scribed in subsection (a)(1)(C) of that section. 
(4) POVERTY LINE.—The term ‘‘poverty line’’ 
means the poverty line (as defined by the Office of 
Management and Budget and revised annually in ac-
cordance with section 673(2) of the Community 
Services Block Grant Act) applicable to a family of 
the size involved. 
(5) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ means each of 
the several States and the District of Columbia. 
(g) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATION.—There are 
authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act such 
sums as may be necessary for fiscal year 2010 and each 
of the 5 succeeding fiscal years. 
Æ 
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