‘‘PART T—GRANTS FOR VETERAN STUDENT 
CENTERS 
‘‘SEC. 873. GRANTS FOR VETERAN STUDENT CENTERS. 
‘‘(a) GRANTS AUTHORIZED.—Subject to the avail-
ability of appropriations under subsection (i), 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 Veteran Student Centers. The Secretary 
shall award not more than 30 grants under this sub-
section. 
‘‘(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: 
‘‘(A) The institution or consortium enrolls 
in undergraduate or graduate courses— 
‘‘(i) a significant number of veteran 
students, members of the Armed Forces 
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serving on active duty, and members of a 
reserve component of the Armed Forces; or 
‘‘(ii) a significant percentage of vet-
eran students, 
as measured by comparing the overall enrollment of 
the institution or consortium to the number, for the 
most recent academic year for which data are avail-
able, of veteran students, members of the Armed 
Forces serving on active duty, and members of a re-
serve component of the Armed Forces who are en-
rolled in undergraduate or graduate courses at the 
institution or consortium. 
‘‘(B) The institution or consortium pre-
sents a sustainability plan to demonstrate that 
its Veteran Student Center will be maintained 
and will continue to operate after the grant pe-
riod of the grant received under subsection (a) 
has ended. 
‘‘(3) 
ADDITIONAL
CRITERIA.—In 
awarding 
grants under subsection (a), the Secretary— 
‘‘(A) shall consider institutions or con-
sortia representing a broad spectrum of sectors 
and sizes, including institutions or consortia 
from urban, suburban, and rural regions of the 
United States; and 
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‘‘(B) may provide consideration to institu-
tions or consortia that meet one or more of the 
following 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 
carries out programs or activities that as-
sist veterans in the local community and 
the spouses of veteran students. 
‘‘(iii) The institution or consortium 
partners in its veteran-specific program-
ming with non-profit veteran service orga-
nizations, local workforce development or-
ganizations, or institutions of higher edu-
cation. 
‘‘(iv) The institution or consortium 
commits to hiring a staff at the Veteran 
Student Center that includes veterans (in-
cluding veteran student volunteers and vet-
eran students 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). 
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‘‘(v) The institution or consortium 
commits to using a portion of the grant re-
ceived under this section to develop an 
early-warning veteran student retention 
program carried out by the Veteran Stu-
dent Center. 
‘‘(vi) The institution or consortium 
commits to providing mental health coun-
seling to its veteran students and their 
spouses. 
‘‘(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 Veteran Student Center. 
‘‘(2) OTHER ALLOWABLE USES.—An institution 
or consortium receiving a grant under subsection (a) 
may use a portion of such funds to carry out sup-
portive instruction services for student veterans, in-
cluding— 
‘‘(A) assistance with special admissions 
and transfer of credit from previous postsec-
ondary education or experience; and 
‘‘(B) any other support services the insti-
tution or consortium determines to be necessary 
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to ensure the success of veterans on campus in 
achieving education and career goals. 
‘‘(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. The Secretary 
shall disburse to an institution or consortium the 
amounts awarded under the grant in such amounts 
and at such times during the grant period as the 
Secretary determines appropriate. 
‘‘(e) REPORT.—From the amounts appropriated to 
carry out this section, and not later than 3 years after 
the date on which the first grant is awarded under sub-
section (a), the Secretary shall submit to Congress a re-
port on the grant program established under subsection 
(a), including— 
‘‘(1) the number of grants awarded; 
‘‘(2) the institutions of higher education and 
consortia that have received grants; 
‘‘(3) with respect to each such institution of 
higher education and consortium— 
‘‘(A) the amounts awarded; 
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‘‘(B) how such institution or consortium 
used such amounts; 
‘‘(C) a description of the students to whom 
services were offered as a result of the award; 
and 
‘‘(D) data enumerating whether the use of 
the amounts awarded helped veteran students 
at the institution or consortium toward comple-
tion of a degree, certificate, or credential; 
‘‘(4) best practices for veteran student success, 
identified by reviewing data provided by institutions 
and consortia that received a grant under this sec-
tion; and 
‘‘(5) a determination by the Secretary with re-
spect to whether the grant program under this sec-
tion should be extended or expanded. 
‘‘(f) 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 first grant is awarded under sub-
section (a). 
‘‘(g) DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION BEST PRACTICES 
WEBSITE.—Subject to the availability of appropriations 
under subsection (i) and not later than 3 years after the 
date on which the first grant is awarded under subsection 
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(a), the Secretary shall develop and implement a website 
for veteran student services at institutions of higher edu-
cation, which details best practices for serving veteran stu-
dents at institutions of higher education. 
‘‘(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. 
‘‘(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 
veteran students, their spouses or partners, and 
veterans in the community. 
‘‘(B) A centralized office for veteran serv-
ices that— 
‘‘(i) is a single point of contact to co-
ordinate comprehensive support services 
for veteran students; 
‘‘(ii) is staffed by trained employees 
and volunteers, which includes veterans 
and at least one full-time employee or vol-
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unteer who is trained as a veterans’ bene-
fits counselor; 
‘‘(iii) provides veteran students with 
assistance 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 vet-
eran students and veterans in the 
community; 
‘‘(IV) understanding and obtain-
ing benefits provided by the institu-
tion of higher education, Federal Gov-
ernment, and State for which such 
students may be eligible; 
‘‘(V) understanding how to suc-
ceed in the institution of higher edu-
cation, including by understanding 
academic policies, the course selection 
process, and institutional policies and 
practices related to the transfer of 
academic credits; and 
‘‘(VI) understanding their dis-
ability-related rights and protections 
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under the Americans with Disabilities 
Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12101 et seq.) 
and section 504 of the Rehabilitation 
Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 794) ; and 
‘‘(iv) provides comprehensive academic 
and tutoring services for veteran students, 
including peer-to-peer tutoring and aca-
demic mentorship. 
‘‘(i) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this part 
such sums as may be necessary for fiscal year 2016 and 
each of the 3 succeeding fiscal years.’’. 
SEC. 4. CONTINUATION OF AWARDS. 
An institution of higher education that received a 
grant under section 873 of the Higher Education Act of 
1965 (20 U.S.C. 1161t) before the date of enactment of 
this Act, as such section 873 (20 U.S.C. 1161t) was in 
effect on the day before the date of enactment of this Act, 
shall continue to receive funds in accordance with the 
terms and conditions of such grant. 
Æ 
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