I 
117TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3586 
To reauthorize and improve a grant program to assist institutions of higher 
education in establishing, maintaining, improving, and operating Student 
Veteran Centers. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 28, 2021 
Ms. LOIS FRANKEL of Florida (for herself, Mr. WALTZ, and Mr. BILIRAKIS) 
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
Education and Labor 
A BILL 
To reauthorize and improve a grant program to assist insti-
tutions of higher education in establishing, maintaining, 
improving, and operating Student Veteran Centers. 
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 ‘‘Veteran Education 
Empowerment Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) Over 1,000,000 veterans attend institutions 
of higher education each year. 
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(2) Veterans face unique challenges in transi-
tioning from the battlefield to the classroom and 
eventually to the workforce, including: age dif-
ferences, family obligations, significant time away 
from academic life, and service-related disabilities. 
(3) The National Education Association found 
that student veterans can feel lonely and vulnerable 
on campus and that ‘‘connecting student veterans 
can effectively ease this isolation’’ by bringing to-
gether new student veterans with those who have al-
ready successfully navigated the first few semesters 
of college. 
(4) According to Mission United—a United 
Way program that helps veterans re-acclimate to ci-
vilian life—it is often ‘‘essential’’ for student vet-
erans to be mentored by ‘‘another veteran who un-
derstands their mindset and experience’’. 
(5) Student Veteran Centers are recognized as 
an institutional best practice by Student Veterans of 
America. 
(6) The American Council on Education, which 
represents more than 1,700 institutions of higher 
education across the United States, has called hav-
ing a dedicated space for veterans on campus ‘‘a 
promising way for colleges and universities to better 
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serve veterans on campus’’ and a ‘‘critical’’ compo-
nent of many colleges’ efforts to serve their student 
veterans. 
(7) The Department of Education included as 
one of its 8 Keys to Veterans’ Success that colleges 
and universities should ‘‘coordinate and centralize 
campus efforts for all veterans, together with the 
creation of a designated space for them’’. 
(8) Budget constraints often make it difficult or 
impossible for institutions of higher education to 
dedicate space to veteran offices, lounges, or student 
centers. 
(9) The 110th Congress authorized the funding 
of Student Veteran Centers through the Centers of 
Excellence for Veteran Student Success under part 
T of title VIII of the Higher Education Act of 1965 
(20 U.S.C. 1161t). Congress also chose to appro-
priate funding for this program for fiscal year 2015 
under the Consolidated and Further Continuing Ap-
propriations Act, 2015 (Public Law 113–235). 
(10) According to the Department of Edu-
cation, federally funded Student Veteran Centers 
and staff have generated improved recruitment, re-
tention, and graduation rates, have helped student 
veterans feel better connected across campus, and 
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have directly contributed to the successful academic 
outcomes of student veterans. 
SEC. 3. GRANT PROGRAM TO ESTABLISH, MAINTAIN, AND 
IMPROVE STUDENT VETERAN CENTERS. 
Part T of title VIII of the Higher Education Act of 
1965 (20 U.S.C. 1161t) is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘PART T—GRANTS FOR STUDENT VETERAN 
CENTERS 
‘‘SEC. 873. GRANTS FOR STUDENT VETERAN CENTERS. 
‘‘(a) GRANTS AUTHORIZED.—Subject to the avail-
ability of appropriations under subsection (h), the Sec-
retary shall award grants to institutions of higher edu-
cation or consortia of institutions of higher education to 
assist in the establishment, maintenance, improvement, 
and operation of Student Veteran Centers. 
‘‘(b) ELIGIBILITY.— 
‘‘(1) APPLICATION.—An institution or consor-
tium seeking a grant under subsection (a) shall sub-
mit to the Secretary an application at such time, in 
such manner, and containing such information as 
the Secretary may require. 
‘‘(2) CRITERIA.—The Secretary may award a 
grant under subsection (a) to an institution or a 
consortium if the institution or consortium meets 
each of the following criteria: 
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‘‘(A) The institution or consortium enrolls 
in undergraduate or graduate courses— 
‘‘(i) a significant number of student 
veterans, members of the Armed Forces 
serving on active duty, or members of a re-
serve component of the Armed Forces; or 
‘‘(ii) a significant percentage of stu-
dent veterans, members of the Armed 
Forces serving on active duty, or members 
of a reserve component of the Armed 
Forces, 
as measured by comparing, for the most recent aca-
demic year for which data are available, the number 
or percentage of student veterans, members of the 
Armed Forces serving on active duty, and members 
of a reserve component of the Armed Forces who are 
enrolled in undergraduate or graduate courses at the 
institution or consortium, with the average number 
or percentage of student veterans, members of the 
Armed Forces serving on active duty, and members 
of a reserve component of the Armed Forces who 
were enrolled in undergraduate or graduate courses 
at comparable institutions or consortia of institu-
tions. 
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‘‘(B) The institution or consortium pre-
sents a sustainability plan to demonstrate that 
the Student Veteran Center will be maintained 
and will continue to operate after the grant pe-
riod has ended. 
‘‘(3) 
SELECTION
CRITERIA.—In 
awarding 
grants under subsection (a), the Secretary shall pro-
vide the following: 
‘‘(A) Priority consideration to institutions 
or consortia that meet one or more of the fol-
lowing criteria: 
‘‘(i) The institution or consortium is 
located in a region or community that has 
a significant population of veterans. 
‘‘(ii) The institution or consortium 
considers the need to serve student vet-
erans at a wide range of institutions of 
higher education, including the need to 
provide equitable distribution of grants to 
institutions of various sizes, geographic lo-
cations, and institutions in urban and 
rural areas. 
‘‘(iii) The institution or consortium 
carries out programs or activities that as-
sist veterans in the local community, and 
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the spouses or partners and children of 
student veterans. 
‘‘(iv) The institution or consortium 
partners in its veteran-specific program-
ming with nonprofit veteran service organi-
zations, local workforce development orga-
nizations, or other institutions of higher 
education. 
‘‘(v) The institution or consortium 
commits to hiring a staff at the Student 
Veteran Center that includes veterans (in-
cluding student veteran volunteers and stu-
dent veterans participating in a Federal 
work-study program under part C of title 
IV, a work-study program administered by 
the Secretary of Veteran Affairs, or a 
State work-study program). 
‘‘(vi) The institution or consortium 
commits to providing an orientation for 
student veterans that— 
‘‘(I) is separate from the new 
student orientation provided by the in-
stitution or consortium; and 
‘‘(II) provides student veterans 
with information on the benefits and 
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resources available to such students at 
or through the institution or consor-
tium. 
‘‘(vii) The institution or consortium 
commits to using a portion of the grant re-
ceived under this section to develop or 
maintain a student veteran retention pro-
gram carried out by the Student Veteran 
Center. 
‘‘(viii) The institution or consortium 
commits to providing mental health coun-
seling to its student veterans (and the 
spouses or partners and children of such 
students). 
‘‘(B) Equitable distribution of such grants 
to institutions or consortia of various sizes, geo-
graphic locations, and in urban and rural areas. 
‘‘(c) USE OF FUNDS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—An institution or consor-
tium that is awarded a grant under subsection (a) 
shall use such grant to establish, maintain, improve, 
or operate a Student Veteran Center. 
‘‘(2) OTHER ALLOWABLE USES.—An institution 
or consortium receiving a grant under subsection (a) 
may use a portion of such grant to carry out sup-
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