I 
110TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3091 
To establish the Patsy T. Mink Graduate Fellow program. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 18, 2007 
Ms. WOOLSEY introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Education and Labor 
A BILL 
To establish the Patsy T. Mink Graduate Fellow 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 ‘‘Patsy T. Mink Fellow-
ship Act of 2007’’. 
SEC. 2. PATSY MINK. 
Title VII of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
U.S.C. 1133 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end 
the following new part: 
‘‘PART E—PATSY T. MINK FELLOWSHIP 
‘‘SEC. 771. FINDINGS; PURPOSE; DESIGNATION. 
‘‘(a) FINDINGS.—The Congress finds the following 
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‘‘(1) While minority college enrollment con-
tinues to grow, rising to 28 percent in 1999–2000, 
the employment of women and minorities as faculty 
in higher education continues to lag behind, espe-
cially among American Indian and Alaskan Natives, 
and women of color in the professoriate. 
‘‘(2) In the fall of 1999, total employment of 
faculty in all sectors in instruction and research was 
1,027,830, only 14 percent of whom were minorities, 
including 5 percent African American; 5 percent 
Asia/Pacific Islanders; 3 percent Hispanic American; 
and 0.5 percent American Indian/Alaskan Native; 
with one-half of all collegiate faculty being white 
males and 35 percent white females. 
‘‘(3) In the fall of 1999, African American fac-
ulty totaled 53,401, Hispanic American faculty to-
taled 30,961, Asian/Pacific Islander faculty totaled 
48,892, and American Indian/Alaskan Native faculty 
were just 4,429 of the 1,027,830 faculty employed 
in all degree-granting institutions of higher edu-
cation. 
‘‘(4) In the Fall of 1999, women made up over 
one-third of full-time instructional faculty, ranging 
from 49 percent of faculty at public two-year institu-
tions to less than 30 percent of faculty at research 
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universities; with men outnumbering women in all 
faculty rank categories except the two less-senior po-
sitions of Instructor and Lecturer. 
‘‘(5) The maldistribution and absence of minor-
ity faculty frequently places minority students in in-
stitutional and educational environments in which 
they encounter no teachers, counselors, or advisors, 
mentor and professional or personal role models to 
ensure student progress and academic success. 
‘‘(6) The presence of minority and women fac-
ulty at all levels in the higher education professo-
riate will help facilitate student access, increase stu-
dent retention and persistence, and strengthen the 
academic environment for all students. 
‘‘(b) PURPOSE.—It is the purpose of this part to pro-
vide a program of fellowship awards to assist highly quali-
fied minorities and women to acquire the terminal masters 
degree or the doctorate degree in academic areas in which 
such individuals are underrepresented for the purpose of 
entering the higher education professoriate. 
‘‘(c) ELIGIBLE INSTITUTIONS.—For purposes of this 
part, the term ‘eligible institution’ means an institution 
of higher education, or a consortium of such institutions, 
that offers a program of post-baccalaureate study leading 
to a graduate degree. 
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‘‘(d) DESIGNATION.—Each recipient of a fellowship 
award from an institution receiving a grant under this 
subpart shall be known as a ‘Patsy T. Mink Graduate Fel-
low’. 
‘‘SEC. 772. PROGRAM AUTHORIZED. 
‘‘(a) GRANTS BY SECRETARY.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall make 
grants to eligible institutions of higher education to 
enable such institutions to make fellowship awards 
to qualified students in accordance with the provi-
sions of this part. 
‘‘(2) PRIORITY
CONSIDERATION.—In making 
grant awards under this part, the Secretary shall 
consider the applicant institution’s prior experience 
in producing doctorates and terminal masters degree 
holders who are minorities and females, and shall 
give priority consideration in making grants under 
this part to those institutions with a demonstrated 
record of producing minorities and women who have 
earned such degrees. 
‘‘(b) DISTRIBUTION AND AMOUNTS OF GRANTS.— 
‘‘(1) EQUITABLE
DISTRIBUTION.—In making 
such grants the Secretary shall, to the maximum ex-
tent feasible, ensure an equitable geographic dis-
tribution of awards and an equitable distribution 
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among eligible public and private institutions of 
higher education that apply for grants under this 
part and that demonstrate the institution’s ability to 
achieve the purpose of this part. 
‘‘(2) SPECIAL RULE.—To the maximum extent 
practical, the Secretary shall award at least 50 per-
cent of the amount appropriated pursuant under this 
part to institutions of higher education eligible for 
assistance under titles III and V, or to consortia 
composed of otherwise eligible institutions of higher 
education and such minority-serving institutions. 
‘‘(3) ALLOCATION.—In making such grants the 
Secretary shall, consistent with paragraphs (1) and 
(2), allocate appropriated funds to those institutions 
whose applications indicate their ability to signifi-
cantly increase the numbers of minorities and 
women entering the higher education professoriate 
and that commit institutional resources to the at-
tainment of the purpose of this part. No grant made 
under this part shall support fewer than fifteen de-
gree candidates consistent with section 774(b). 
‘‘(4) REALLOTMENT.—Whenever the Secretary 
determines that an institution of higher education is 
unable to utilize all of the amounts made available 
to it under this part, the Secretary shall, on such 
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dates during the fiscal year as the Secretary may de-
termine, reallocate such unused amounts to institu-
tions which demonstrate that they can use any re-
allocated grant funds to make fellowship awards to 
qualified individuals under this part. 
‘‘SEC. 773. APPLICATIONS. 
‘‘(a) APPLICATIONS REQUIRED.—Any eligible institu-
tion of higher education offering a program of post-bacca-
laureate study leading to a graduate degree that meets 
the purpose of this part may apply for a grant. Each such 
institution, or consortium of eligible institutions (including 
those institutions specified in section 772(b)(2)), may 
make an application to the Secretary at such time, in such 
manner, and containing or accompanied by such informa-
tion as the Secretary may reasonably require. 
‘‘(b) SELECTION OF APPLICATIONS.—In selecting ap-
plications for the making grants to institutions of higher 
education, the Secretary shall— 
‘‘(1) take into account the number and distribu-
tion of minority and female faculty nationally, as 
well as the current and projected need for highly- 
trained individuals in all areas of the higher edu-
cation professoriate; 
‘‘(2) take into account the number and distribu-
tion of minority and female faculty nationally, as 
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well as the present and projected need for highly 
trained individuals in academic career fields in which 
minorities and women are underrepresented in the 
higher education professoriate; and 
‘‘(3) consider the need to prepare a larger num-
ber of minorities and women generally in academic 
career fields of high national priority, especially in 
areas in which such individuals are traditionally 
underrepresented in college and university faculties. 
‘‘SEC. 774. FELLOWSHIP TERMS AND CONDITIONS. 
‘‘(a) SELECTION OF FELLOWS.— 
‘‘(1) ELIGIBLE
APPLICANTS.—The Secretary 
shall assure that, in awarding fellowships from funds 
made available under this part, grantee institutions 
make fellowship awards to individuals who plan to 
pursue a career in instruction at any institution of 
higher education that is eligible to participate in title 
IV programs. 
‘‘(2) ACADEMIC
PROGRESS.—Notwithstanding 
paragraph (1), no otherwise eligible student selected 
for support, shall receive a fellowship award— 
‘‘(A) during periods in which such student 
is enrolled, unless such student is maintaining 
satisfactory academic progress in, and devoting 
essentially full-time to, study or research in the 
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pursuit of the degree for which the fellowship 
support was awarded; or 
‘‘(B) if the student is engaged in gainful 
employment other than part-time employment 
involved in teaching, research, or similar activ-
ity determined by the institution to be con-
sistent with and supportive of the student’s 
progress toward the appropriate degree. 
‘‘(b) SERVICE REQUIREMENT.— 
‘‘(1) TEACHING
REQUIRED.—Each Patsy T. 
Mink Graduate Fellow who earns the doctoral or 
terminal masters degree with assistance provided 
under this part shall teach at an eligible institution 
for one year for each year of fellowship assistance 
received under this part. 
‘‘(2) INSTITUTIONAL OBLIGATION.—Each insti-
tution which receives an award from the Secretary 
under this part, shall provide an assurance that it 
has inquired of and determined the fellowship recipi-
ent’s decision to, within 3 years of receiving the doc-
torate or terminal masters degree, begin employment 
at an eligible institution of higher education as re-
quired by this part. 
‘‘(3) AGREEMENT REQUIRED.—Prior to receiv-
ing the initial fellowship award, and upon the annual 
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renewal or the fellowship award, a fellow shall sign 
an agreement with the Secretary memorializing this 
commitment to enter the professoriate. 
‘‘(4) CONSEQUENCES OF FAILURE.—If a fellow-
ship recipient fails to honor the service requirement 
of this subsection, the Secretary shall— 
‘‘(A) require the individual to repay all or 
the applicable portion of the total fellowship 
amount awarded to the individual by converting 
the balance due to a loan at the interest rate 
applicable to loans made under part B of title 
IV; or 
‘‘(B) require the individual to pay an 
amount determined by the Secretary to be ap-
propriate, except as provided in paragraph (5). 
‘‘(5) MODIFIED SERVICE REQUIREMENT.—The 
Secretary may waive or modify the service require-
ment of this subsection based on regulations, pro-
mulgated pursuant to and consistent with criteria 
which, determine that compliance with the service 
obligation by the fellowship recipient would be in-
equitable and represent a substantial hardship. The 
Secretary may waive the service requirement if— 
‘‘(A) compliance by the fellowship recipient 
would be deemed impossible because the indi-
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vidual is permanently and totally disabled at 
the time of the waiver request; or 
‘‘(B) compliance by the fellowship recipient 
is based on documentation presented to the 
Secretary of substantial economic or personal 
hardship, as determined in accordance with reg-
ulations prescribed by the Secretary. 
‘‘(c) AMOUNT OF FELLOWSHIP AWARDS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—From the grants made pur-
suant to this part, eligible institutions shall award 
stipends to individuals who are awarded fellowships 
under this part. Such stipends shall reflect the pur-
pose of the program authorized by this part to en-
courage highly qualified minorities and women to 
pursue graduate study for the purpose of entering 
the higher education professoriate. 
‘‘(2) AWARDS BASED ON NEED.—Stipends shall 
be in an amount equal to the level of support pro-
vided by the National Science Foundation graduate 
fellowships, except that such stipend shall be ad-
justed as necessary so as not to exceed the fellow’s 
demonstrated need as determined by the institution 
of higher education where the graduate student is 
enrolled. 
‘‘(d) INSTITUTIONAL PAYMENTS.— 
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‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall, in ad-
dition to the amounts made available to institutions 
for stipends to individuals under this part, pay to 
grantee institutions of higher education, for each in-
dividual awarded a fellowship under this part at 
such institution, an institutional allowance. Except 
as provided for in paragraph (3), such allowance 
shall be, for academic year 2008–2009 and suc-
ceeding academic years, the same as the institutional 
payment made for that year under the Graduate As-
sistance in Areas of National Need program in sub-
part 2 of part A, and shall be adjusted annually 
thereafter in accordance with inflation as determined 
by the Department of Labor’s Consumer Price Index 
for the previous calendar year. 
‘‘(2) USE OF FUNDS.—Institutional payments 
may be expended in the discretion of the institution, 
except that such funds shall be used to provide aca-
demic support and career transition services for par-
ticipating fellows. 
‘‘(3) REDUCTION.—The institutional allowance 
paid under paragraph (1) shall be reduced by the 
amount the institution charges and collects from a 
fellowship recipient for tuition and other expenses as 
part of the institution’s instructional program. 
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