I 
116TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2006 
To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to provide capacity-building 
assistance to institutions of higher education to examine and address 
inequities in college student access and success, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 1, 2019 
Ms. SHALALA introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Education and Labor 
A BILL 
To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to provide 
capacity-building assistance to institutions of higher edu-
cation to examine and address inequities in college stu-
dent access and success, 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 ‘‘College Equity Act 
of 2019’’. 
SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS. 
It is the sense of Congress that institutions of higher 
education should examine institutional policies related to 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:32 Apr 04, 2019
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2006.IH
H2006
pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS
admissions, financial aid, remedial education, support 
services, coursework, faculty, and staff that may have dif-
ferential impacts on historically underrepresented stu-
dents. 
SEC. 3. EQUITY GRANTS. 
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: 
‘‘PART F—EQUITY GRANTS 
‘‘SEC. 791. EQUITY PLANNING GRANTS. 
‘‘(a) AUTHORIZATION.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall award 
planning grants to institutions of higher education 
to encourage institutions to conduct equity audits. 
‘‘(2) DURATION.—A grant award under this 
section shall be 2 years in duration. 
‘‘(3) MINIMUM GRANT AWARD.—A grant award 
under this section shall be in an amount that is not 
less than $100,000. 
‘‘(b) APPLICATIONS.—An institution of higher edu-
cation that desires to receive a planning grant under this 
section shall submit an application to the Secretary at 
such time, in such form, and containing such information, 
as the Secretary may require, including not less than the 
following: 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:32 Apr 04, 2019
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2006.IH
H2006
pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS
‘‘(1) A narrative statement with sufficient detail 
regarding how the institution intends to conduct the 
equity audit and that provides examples of certain 
policies, practices, and trends the institution intends 
to examine. 
‘‘(2) A description of all relevant offices and 
staff who will be involved in implementing the equity 
audit. 
‘‘(3) A description of what specific data and 
outcome measures the institution will examine and 
for which student populations. 
‘‘(c) USE OF GRANT FUNDS.—An institution of high-
er education that receives a planning grant under this sec-
tion to conduct an equity audit shall undertake a thorough 
internal review of the institution’s policies, practices, and 
resources to identify areas that might produce gaps in out-
comes by gender, race, ethnicity, national origin, income, 
criminal justice background, military service history, or 
for first-generation students, students with disabilities, 
student parents, and transfer students. The equity audit 
shall examine, with respect to the institution of higher 
education, the following: 
‘‘(1) Admissions policies, including the demo-
graphics of the State or region where the institution 
is located, the demographics of communities where 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:32 Apr 04, 2019
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2006.IH
H2006
pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS
the institution recruits, the makeup of students ad-
mitted through early admissions, early decision, 
demonstrated interest, athletic preference admis-
sions, and legacy admissions, and the treatment and 
admission of transfer students and credit transfer 
policies. 
‘‘(2) Outreach, communication, and other inter-
actions with students who accept admission to the 
institution to ensure they officially enroll when the 
school term begins. 
‘‘(3) The financial aid awarding policies and 
processes, including presentation of offer letters to 
students, handling student accounts if funds are de-
layed due to verification, and institutional grant aid 
policies, including the distribution of need-based and 
non-need-based grants, which students receive insti-
tutional support and which students lose institu-
tional support and when that occurs. 
‘‘(4) Access to, and participation in, pre-college 
and first-year experience offerings, such as orienta-
tion and bridge programs. 
‘‘(5) Educational supports, such as remedial 
placement and success, academic resource center 
usage, advisor to student ratios, and how students 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:32 Apr 04, 2019
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2006.IH
H2006
pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS
are differentially affected by satisfactory academic 
progress policies. 
‘‘(6) Student support services, including demo-
graphics of staff and students served by academic or 
career advising, child care centers, mentoring pro-
grams, and mental health and counseling services. 
‘‘(7) Access to, and participation in, small aca-
demic programs, STEM programs, study abroad, 
and undergraduate research opportunities. 
‘‘(8) Diversity among administrators, advisers, 
faculty overall, adjunct faculty, and teachers of core 
and introductory-level courses, and the demographics 
of faculty teaching historically underrepresented stu-
dents. 
‘‘(9) Physical accessibility on the grounds of the 
institution and programmatic accessibility of campus 
services, activities, and programs. 
‘‘(10) Demographics of students hired by em-
ployers who recruit on campus or that the institu-
tion has partnerships with in work-based programs. 
‘‘(11) Any other policy, practice, or trend the 
institution deems relevant to identify areas that 
might produce gaps in access or outcomes. 
‘‘(d) REPORTING REQUIREMENT.—An institution of 
higher education that receives a grant under this section 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:32 Apr 04, 2019
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2006.IH
H2006
pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS
shall submit a report to the Secretary detailing findings 
of the equity audit not later than 90 days after the date 
that the grant period ends. 
‘‘SEC. 792. EQUITY IMPLEMENTATION GRANTS. 
‘‘(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
‘‘(1) EDUCATIONAL
AND
RELATED
EXPENDI-
TURES.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The term ‘educational 
and related expenditures’ means, with respect 
to an institution of higher education for an aca-
demic year, the total amount that is equal to 
the sum of— 
‘‘(i) the amount expended by the insti-
tution of higher education in the academic 
year for instruction and student services; 
and 
‘‘(ii) the amount determined under 
subparagraph (B) with respect to the insti-
tution of higher education for the academic 
year. 
‘‘(B) EDUCATION SHARE.—With respect to 
an institution of higher education for an aca-
demic year, the amount determined under this 
subparagraph is equal to the product of— 
‘‘(i) the percentage that is equal to— 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:32 Apr 04, 2019
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00006
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2006.IH
H2006
pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS
‘‘(I) the amount expended by the 
institution of higher education in the 
academic year for instruction and stu-
dent services; divided by 
‘‘(II) the amount expended by 
the institution of higher education in 
the academic year for instruction, stu-
dent services, research, and public 
service; and 
‘‘(ii) the amount expended by the in-
stitution of higher education in the aca-
demic year for instruction, student serv-
ices, and operation maintenance. 
‘‘(2) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term ‘eligible en-
tity’ means an institution of higher education that 
has received an equity planning grant under section 
791. 
‘‘(3) 
FULL-TIME
EQUIVALENT
UNDER-
GRADUATE STUDENTS.—The term ‘full-time equiva-
lent undergraduate students’ means the sum of the 
number of undergraduate students enrolled full time 
at an institution of higher education, plus the full- 
time equivalent of the number of undergraduate stu-
dents enrolled part time (determined on the basis of 
the quotient of the sum of the credit hours of all 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:32 Apr 04, 2019
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00007
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2006.IH
H2006
pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS
part-time students divided by 12) at such institu-
tion. 
‘‘(b) AUTHORIZATION OF GRANTS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall award, 
on a competitive basis, implementation grants to en-
able eligible entities to develop and execute an im-
provement plan to address the findings of the equity 
audit. 
‘‘(2) DETERMINATION
OF
GRANT
SIZE.—The 
Secretary shall award implementation grants under 
this section in an amount based on— 
‘‘(A) the eligible entity’s enrollment size; 
and 
‘‘(B) the severity of equity audit findings, 
including low overall performance outcomes or 
large performance gaps between groups of stu-
dents. 
‘‘(3) DURATION.—A grant award under this 
section shall be 5 years in duration. 
‘‘(c) APPLICATION.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—An eligible entity that de-
sires to receive an implementation grant under this 
section shall submit an application to the Secretary 
at such time, in such form, and containing such in-
formation, as the Secretary may require. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:32 Apr 04, 2019
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00008
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2006.IH
H2006
pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS
‘‘(2) CONTENTS.—Each application submitted 
under paragraph (1) shall include the following: 
‘‘(A) Demographic information and data 
about the eligible entity, including a description 
of the entity’s mission, history, enrollment size, 
the student population it serves, and edu-
cational and related expenditures. 
‘‘(B) A description of equity audit find-
ings, including the gaps in outcomes identified 
and for which group of students. 
‘‘(C) An improvement plan that includes a 
description of the specific activities the eligible 
entity will carry out with the funds made avail-
able by such grant to address the specific gaps 
or problems identified by the equity audit. 
‘‘(D) A description of how the eligible enti-
ty will annually monitor and assess its progress 
in closing achievement gaps. 
‘‘(E) A description of the level of institu-
tional commitment and which institutional lead-
ers and offices will be involved in the planning, 
improvement, and assessment process. 
‘‘(3) 
PRIORITY.—An 
application 
submitted 
under paragraph (1) shall receive priority based on 
the following: 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:32 Apr 04, 2019
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00009
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2006.IH
H2006
pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS
‘‘(A) The average educational and related 
expenditures per full-time equivalent under-
graduate student of the eligible entity is low in 
comparison with the average educational and 
related expenditures per full-time equivalent un-
dergraduate student of institutions that offer 
similar instruction. 
‘‘(B) The eligible entity demonstrates low 
overall performance outcomes or large perform-
ance gaps between groups of students and sub-
mits additional written statements from select 
executive-level institutional leaders, including 
members of any governing board of trustees, to 
demonstrate their interest and commitment to 
executing the improvement plan. 
‘‘(C) The eligible entity has an enrollment 
of students not less than 30 percent of whom 
are eligible to receive a Federal Pell Grant. 
‘‘(d) REPORTING REQUIREMENTS.— 
‘‘(1) PROGRESS
REPORTS.—An eligible entity 
awarded an implementation grant under this section 
shall submit a report detailing progress on its im-
provement plan to the Secretary not later than 3 
years after being awarded the grant and again not 
later than 5 years after being awarded the grant. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:32 Apr 04, 2019
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00010
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2006.IH
H2006
pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS
‘‘(2) FINAL REPORT.—Not later than 90 days 
after the date a grant period awarded under this 
section ends, the Secretary shall submit to Congress 
a report detailing the grantee’s initial equity audit 
findings and progress in addressing identified equity 
gaps. 
‘‘SEC. 793. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
‘‘There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out 
this part such sums as may be necessary for fiscal year 
2019 and each succeeding fiscal year.’’. 
SEC. 4. ACCREDITATION. 
Section 496(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 
(20 U.S.C. 1099b(a)) is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (7), by striking ‘‘and’’ after 
the semicolon; 
(2) in paragraph (8), by striking the period at 
the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(9) such agency or association shall— 
‘‘(A) assess findings from an equity audit 
conducted under section 791 of any institution 
of higher education the agency or association 
accredits; and 
‘‘(B) provide ongoing feedback and tech-
nical assistance to help such institutions ad-
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:32 Apr 04, 2019
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00011
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2006.IH
H2006
pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS
dress the findings from the equity audit and 
share best practices from the equity audits.’’. 
Æ 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:32 Apr 04, 2019
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00012
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\H2006.IH
H2006
pamtmann on DSKBFK8HB2PROD with BILLS