I 
116TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 7497 
To establish a rural postsecondary and economic development grant program. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 6, 2020 
Ms. STEFANIK (for herself, Mr. HARDER of California, Mr. GUTHRIE, Mrs. 
BUSTOS, Mr. VELA, and Mr. LONG) introduced the following bill; which 
was referred to the Committee on Education and Labor 
A BILL 
To establish a rural postsecondary and economic development 
grant 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 ‘‘Success for Rural Stu-
dents and Communities Act of 2020’’. 
SEC. 2. RURAL POSTSECONDARY AND ECONOMIC DEVEL-
OPMENT GRANT PROGRAM. 
Part Q of title VIII of the Higher Education Act of 
1965 (20 U.S.C. 1161q) is amended by adding at the end 
the following: 
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‘‘SEC. 862. RURAL POSTSECONDARY AND ECONOMIC DE-
VELOPMENT GRANT PROGRAM. 
‘‘(a) PURPOSES.—The purposes of this section are 
to— 
‘‘(1) increase enrollment and graduation rates 
of secondary school graduates and nontraditional 
students from rural areas at 2-year and 4-year insti-
tutions of higher education, their articulation from 
2-year degree programs into 4-year degree pro-
grams, and their attainment of market-relevant cre-
dentials and certificates; 
‘‘(2) ensure rural communities benefit from 
their students’ success by advancing rural economic 
development and cultivation of a skilled local work-
force with employment opportunities for college 
graduates; 
‘‘(3) promote economic growth and development 
in the rural United States through partnership 
grants to consortia of rural serving institutions of 
higher education, local educational agencies, and re-
gional economic development entities; 
‘‘(4) foster innovation and development of effec-
tive practices, identify and document effective prac-
tices for the purpose of continuous quality improve-
ment, and ensure that additional rural areas benefit 
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from innovations through dissemination of practices 
that are most effective in rural areas; and 
‘‘(5) foster elevated levels of investment in rural 
students and communities by State, private sector, 
and philanthropic partners. 
‘‘(b) DEFINITIONS.—For the purposes of this section: 
‘‘(1) NONTRADITIONAL
STUDENT.—The term 
‘nontraditional student’ means an individual who— 
‘‘(A) delays enrollment in an institution of 
higher education by 3 or more years after sec-
ondary school graduation; 
‘‘(B) attends an institution of higher edu-
cation part-time; or 
‘‘(C) attends an institution of higher edu-
cation and— 
‘‘(i) works full-time; 
‘‘(ii) is an independent student, as de-
fined in section 480; 
‘‘(iii) has 1 or more dependents other 
than a spouse; 
‘‘(iv) is a single parent or is the pri-
mary caregiver for a family member; 
‘‘(v) is aging out of foster care; 
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‘‘(vi) has been involved in the juvenile 
justice system or the adult criminal justice 
system; or 
‘‘(vii) is in recovery from a substance 
use disorder. 
‘‘(2) REGIONAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT EN-
TITY.—The term ‘regional economic development en-
tity’ means an entity working to promote economic 
development in, or employing residents of, a rural 
area, which may include local boards (as defined in 
section 3 of the Workforce Innovation and Oppor-
tunity Act), Chambers of Commerce, and employers 
in the rural region covered by the grant. 
‘‘(3) RURAL
AREA.—The term ‘rural area’ 
means an area that is defined, identified, or other-
wise recognized as rural by a governmental agency 
of the State in which the area is located. 
‘‘(4) RURAL SERVING INSTITUTION OF HIGHER 
EDUCATION.—The term ‘rural serving institution of 
higher education’ means an institution of higher 
education that serves rural areas. 
‘‘(c) ELIGIBLE PARTNERSHIP.— 
‘‘(1) ELIGIBLE PARTNERSHIP.—A partnership 
eligible to apply for a grant and carry out activities 
under this section (referred to in this section as an 
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‘eligible partnership’) shall include partners rep-
resenting not less than 3 of the following types of 
organizations: 
‘‘(A) A local educational agency or edu-
cational service agency (as such term is defined 
in section 8101 of the Elementary and Sec-
ondary Education Act of 1965) serving a rural 
area. 
‘‘(B) An institution of higher education. 
‘‘(C) A regional economic development en-
tity. 
‘‘(D) A rural community-serving organiza-
tion, including a philanthropy, with dem-
onstrated success supporting rural students in 
accessing higher education and attaining 2-year 
or 4-year degrees, including supporting students 
articulating from a 2-year to a 4-year college. 
‘‘(2) OPTIONAL
PARTNERS.—Other organiza-
tions serving rural students, families, or commu-
nities, including agencies of Tribal, State, or local 
government, community action agencies, or other 
non-governmental agencies, and local elected officials 
may participate in the eligible partnership as op-
tional partners. 
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‘‘(3) LEAD APPLICANT.—Any required partner 
in an eligible partnership described in paragraph (1) 
may be designated by the eligible partnership to 
serve as the lead applicant and submit a competitive 
application on behalf of the eligible partnership of 
which that partner entity is a member. 
‘‘(4) LIMITATION.—No more than 1 partner 
may submit a grant application under this section 
on behalf of an eligible partnership. 
‘‘(d) GRANTS AUTHORIZED.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—From amounts made avail-
able under subsection (j), the Secretary may award 
grants, on a competitive basis, to eligible partner-
ships to carry out the activities described in sub-
section (f). 
‘‘(2) DURATION.—A grant awarded under this 
section shall be awarded for a period of not less than 
5 years and not more than 9 years. 
‘‘(3) MINIMUM
GRANTS.—A grant awarded 
under this section shall be in an amount not less 
than $1,000,000. 
‘‘(e) APPLICATIONS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Each eligible partnership 
desiring a grant under this section shall submit to 
the Secretary an application at such time, in such 
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manner, and containing such information as the Sec-
retary may reasonably require. 
‘‘(2) SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS.—In awarding 
grants under this section, the Secretary shall give 
special consideration to applications that dem-
onstrate the most potential and propose the most 
promising and innovative approaches for— 
‘‘(A) increasing the number and percent-
age of graduates from rural secondary schools 
who enroll in and graduate from institutions of 
higher education; 
‘‘(B) increasing the number of market-rel-
evant credentials and certificates awarded to 
students in rural communities; 
‘‘(C) meeting the employment needs of re-
gional employers; 
‘‘(D) strengthening the regional economy 
of a rural area; 
‘‘(E) utilizing Labor Market Information 
data to determine regional job growth opportu-
nities and connect that information to edu-
cation and other partners; and 
‘‘(F) creating shared data systems acces-
sible to all partners. 
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‘‘(f) MATCH.—As part of the application, each eligi-
ble partnership applying for a grant under this section 
shall secure and document commitments of matching 
funds, in cash or in kind, totaling not less than 20 percent 
of the amount of grant funding that the eligible partner-
ship is requesting in the application. Matching funds may 
be contributed from any non-Federal source, including a 
State, local, private, nonprofit, or philanthropic source. 
‘‘(g) USE OF FUNDS.—An eligible partnership that 
receives a grant under this section shall use grant and 
matching funds to carry out not less than 2 of the fol-
lowing 4 activities: 
‘‘(1) Improving postsecondary enrollment rates 
for rural secondary school students by providing 
supports to students, beginning as early as middle 
school, but in no case later than grade 11, and con-
tinuing through completion of postsecondary edu-
cation. Such supports may include— 
‘‘(A) providing students and families with 
counseling related to applying for postsecondary 
education, and Federal and State financial as-
sistance for postsecondary education; 
‘‘(B) providing students at rural high 
schools, and their families, with exposure and 
access to campuses, courses, programs, and in-
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ternships of institutions of higher education, in-
cluding covering the cost of transportation to 
and from such institutions; 
‘‘(C) providing students of rural high 
schools exposure and access to courses offering 
dual or concurrent enrollment that will earn 
credits towards postsecondary degrees, creden-
tials, or certificates; 
‘‘(D) supporting early connectivity to re-
gional employment opportunities for rural stu-
dents, including early opportunities for career 
exploration and exposure, expanding career 
counseling and opportunities for work-based 
learning experiences, opportunities available 
through career and technical education schools, 
and designing and implementing college and ca-
reer pathways in secondary schools that align to 
local labor market demands; 
‘‘(E) supporting the transition of students 
from high school to postsecondary education; 
‘‘(F) supporting students in completing 
their postsecondary degree or credential; 
‘‘(G) supporting the transition of students 
articulating from 2-year degree programs to 4- 
year degree programs; and 
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‘‘(H) other initiatives that assist students 
and families in developing interest in, applying 
for, attending, and graduating from rural serv-
ing institutions of higher education. 
‘‘(2) Increasing enrollment and completion rates 
of rural nontraditional students in degree programs 
at institutions of higher education, which may in-
clude— 
‘‘(A) programs to provide nontraditional 
students with counseling related to applying for 
postsecondary education, and Federal and State 
financial assistance for postsecondary edu-
cation; 
‘‘(B) community outreach initiatives to en-
courage nontraditional students to enroll in an 
institution of higher education; 
‘‘(C) programs to increase rural nontradi-
tional student persistence in and completion of 
postsecondary education; or 
‘‘(D) programs to improve the enrollment 
of nontraditional students in 2-year degree pro-
grams and the transition of nontraditional stu-
dents articulating from 2-year degree programs 
to 4-year degree programs. 
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‘‘(3) Creating or strengthening academic pro-
grams at rural serving institutions of higher edu-
cation to prepare graduates to enter into high-need 
occupations in the regional and local economies, and 
to provide additional career training to such stu-
dents in fields relevant to the regional economy. 
Such activities may include— 
‘‘(A) developing and expanding work-based 
learning opportunities, such as apprenticeships 
or paid internships, including covering the cost 
of transportation or the cost of internet access 
for virtual opportunities; 
‘‘(B) establishing policies and processes for 
assessing and awarding course credit for prior 
learning; 
‘‘(C) developing and expanding programs 
that accelerate learning and recognized postsec-
ondary credential attainment, including com-
petency-based education, corequisite remedi-
ation, and other strategies for acceleration; 
‘‘(D) developing and expanding efficient 
career pathways to credentials, including the 
development of stackable credentials and inte-
grated education and training strategies; 
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‘‘(E) working with local boards on the use 
of labor market information for making pro-
gram decisions; or 
‘‘(F) engaging employers in the develop-
ment of programs and curricula. 
‘‘(4) Generating local and regional economic de-
velopment that creates employment opportunities for 
rural students with postsecondary degrees, which 
may include— 
‘‘(A) promoting and incentivizing remote 
work opportunities to connect local talent with 
non-local employers; 
‘‘(B) supporting entrepreneurship as a 
part of career pathways in secondary school and 
postsecondary academic and career programs; 
‘‘(C) developing strategies to address 
transportation and internet connectivity gaps 
that create barriers to employment opportuni-
ties in rural areas; 
‘‘(D) designing and implementing mar-
keting efforts to attract employers and talent to 
the region or community; or 
‘‘(E) developing strategies to identify start- 
up funding for local entrepreneurs. 
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