I 
113TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 5589 
To direct the Secretary of Education to establish a grant program to assist 
institutions of higher education in establishing, maintaining, and improv-
ing veteran student centers. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
SEPTEMBER 18, 2014 
Ms. FRANKEL of Florida (for herself, Mr. BILIRAKIS, and Mr. TAKANO) intro-
duced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Edu-
cation and the Workforce 
A BILL 
To direct the Secretary of Education to establish a grant 
program to assist institutions of higher education in es-
tablishing, maintaining, and improving veteran student 
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: 
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(1) Over 1,000,000 veterans attended institu-
tions of higher education in 2012. 
(2) 
Veterans 
face 
unique 
hardships 
in 
transitioning from the battlefield to the classroom 
and eventually to the workforce. 
(3) The National Endowment for the Human-
ities’ Warrior-Scholar Project found that ‘‘veterans 
transitioning to college likely have not used academic 
skills since high school and have difficulty adjusting 
to a fundamentally different social and cultural envi-
ronment, [leading] to veterans dropping out of col-
lege before earning their degree’’. 
(4) The National Education Association found 
that veteran students can feel lonely and vulnerable 
on campus and that ‘‘connecting student veterans 
can effectively ease this isolation’’ by bringing to-
gether new veteran students with those who have al-
ready successfully navigated the first few semesters 
of college. 
(5) The unemployment rate for post—9/11 vet-
erans far outpaces both the overall non-veteran un-
employment rate and the unemployment rate for 
non-veterans entering the workforce for the first 
time. 
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(6) According to Mission United—a United 
Way program that helps veterans re-acclimate to ci-
vilian life—it is often ‘‘essential’’ for veteran stu-
dents to be mentored by ‘‘another veteran who un-
derstands their mindset and experience’’. 
(7) Veteran student centers are recognized as 
an institutional best practice by the Student Vet-
erans of America. 
(8) The American Council on Education, which 
represents more than 1,700 institutions of higher 
education across the country, has called having a 
dedicated space for veterans on campus ‘‘a prom-
ising way for colleges and universities to better serve 
veterans on campus’’ and a ‘‘critical’’ component of 
many colleges’ efforts to serve their veteran stu-
dents. 
(9) Budget constraints often make it difficult or 
impossible for institutions of higher education to 
dedicate space to veteran offices, lounges, or student 
centers. 
(10) The 110th Congress authorized the fund-
ing of veteran student 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). 
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(11) According to the Department of Edu-
cation, federally funded veteran student centers and 
staff have generated improved recruitment, reten-
tion, and graduation rates, have helped veteran stu-
dents feel better connected across campus, and have 
directly contributed to student veterans’ successful 
academic outcomes. 
SEC. 3. GRANT PROGRAM TO ESTABLISH, MAINTAIN, AND 
IMPROVE VETERAN STUDENT CENTERS. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—From the amounts appro-
priated to carry out this Act, the Secretary of Education 
shall establish a program to award grants to institutions 
of higher education to assist in the establishment, mainte-
nance, and improvement of veteran student centers. 
(b) ELIGIBILITY.— 
(1) APPLICATION.—An institution of higher 
education seeking a grant under subsection (a) shall 
submit 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 of high-
er education if the Secretary determines that the in-
stitution of higher education meets the following cri-
teria: 
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(A) The institution has a population of not 
less than 15,000 students, of which not less 
than one percent are veterans or members of 
the Armed Forces. 
(B) The institution is located in a region 
or community that has a significant population 
of veterans. 
(C) The institution carries out programs or 
activities that assist veterans in the local com-
munity. 
(D) The institution presents a sustain-
ability plan to demonstrate that its veteran stu-
dent center will be maintained and will continue 
to operate after the term of the grant has 
ended. 
(c) USE OF FUNDS.—An institution of higher edu-
cation that is awarded a grant under subsection (a) shall 
use such grant to establish, maintain, or improve a veteran 
student center. 
(d) AMOUNTS AWARDED.— 
(1) DURATION.—Each grant awarded under 
subsection (a) shall be for a 4-year period. 
(2) TOTAL
AMOUNT
OF
GRANT
AND
SCHED-
ULE.—Each grant awarded under subsection (a) 
may not exceed a total of $500,000. Subject to sub-
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section (e), the Secretary shall disburse to the insti-
tution of higher education the amounts awarded 
under the grant in such amounts and at such times 
during the grant period as the Secretary determines 
appropriate. 
(e) EVALUATION.—The Secretary shall annually 
evaluate each institution of higher education that is 
awarded a grant under subsection (a) to determine wheth-
er the institution uses the grant in accordance with this 
section. If the Secretary determines that the institution 
of higher education is not using the grant in accordance 
with this section, the Secretary may delay future disburse-
ments of amounts described in subsection (d)(2) until the 
Secretary determines that the institution of higher edu-
cation has corrected any deficiencies and will use such 
amounts in accordance with this section. 
(f) REPORT.—Not later than 3 years after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit 
to Congress a report on the grant program established 
under subsection (a), including— 
(1) the number of grants awarded; 
(2) the institutions of higher education that 
have received grants; 
(3) with respect to each such institution of 
higher education— 
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(A) the amounts awarded; and 
(B) how such institution used such 
amounts; and 
(4) a determination by the Secretary with re-
spect to whether the grant program should be ex-
tended or expanded. 
(g) TERMINATION.—The authority of the Secretary 
to carry out the grant program established under sub-
section (a) shall terminate on the date that is 4 years after 
the date on which the grant program is established. 
(h) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION.—The 
term ‘‘institution of higher education’’ has the 
meaning given the term in section 101 of the Higher 
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001). 
(2) VETERAN
STUDENT
CENTER.—The term 
‘‘veteran student center’’ means a dedicated space 
on a campus of an institution of higher education 
that provides students who are veterans or members 
of the Armed Forces with the following: 
(A) A lounge or meeting space for such 
students and veterans in the community. 
(B) A centralized office for veteran serv-
ices that— 
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(i) is staffed by trained employees and 
volunteers; and 
(ii) provides such students with assist-
ance relating to— 
(I) transitioning from the mili-
tary to student life; 
(II) transitioning from the mili-
tary to the civilian workforce; 
(III) networking with other such 
students; 
(IV) understanding and obtaining 
benefits provided by the Federal Gov-
ernment or a State for which such 
students may be eligible; and 
(V) understanding how to suc-
ceed in the institution of higher edu-
cation, including by understanding 
how to transfer educational credits. 
Æ 
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