I
105TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 777
To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to establish a 21st Century
Scholars Program.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
FEBRUARY 13, 1997
Mr. FATTAH (for himself, Mr. CLAY, and Mr. KILDEE) introduced the follow-
ing bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and the
Workforce
A BILL
To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to establish
a 21st Century Scholars 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 ‘‘21st Century Scholars
Act of 1997’’.
SEC. 2. PELL GRANT GUARANTEES.
(a) AMENDMENT.—Subpart 1 of part A of title IV
of the Higher Education Act of 1965 is amended by in-
serting after section 401 (20 U.S.C. 1070a) the following
new section:
‘‘SEC. 401A. PELL GRANT GUARANTEES.
‘‘(a) PURPOSE.—It is the purpose of this section to
require the Secretary to establish a program to provide
to eligible 21st Century Scholars (in this section referred
to as ‘eligible Scholars’) a legally binding promise, secured
by the full faith and credit of the United States, to pro-
vide, for each of up to 4 years of attendance at an eligible
institution, the maximum authorized Pell Grant to cover
the costs of attendance at such institution.
‘‘(b) ELIGIBLE SCHOLARS.—
‘‘(1) ELIGIBLE
SCHOLARS.—For purposes of
this section, a student is an eligible Scholar if the
student successfully completed the uppermost grade
at a qualifying elementary school and was a resident
of the school attendance area of such school during
the school year in which such grade was completed.
‘‘(2) QUALIFYING ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS.—For
purposes of paragraph (1), an elementary school is
a qualifying elementary school if such school serves
a school attendance area in which the concentration
of children from low-income families exceeds 75 per-
cent, as determined under section 1113(a)(3)(A) of
the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of
1965 (20 U.S.C. 6313(a)(3)(A)).
‘‘(c) NOTIFICATION TO ELIGIBLE SCHOLARS.—
‘‘(1) INITIAL NOTIFICATION.—Upon receipt of
notification from a qualifying elementary school of
the identities and addresses of each student meeting
the requirements of subsection (b), the Secretary
shall send to each such student at their school, and
to the parents or guardians of such student, a writ-
ten commitment to provide, for each of up to 4 years
of attendance at an eligible institution, the maxi-
mum authorized Pell Grant to cover the costs of at-
tendance at an eligible institution. A copy of the no-
tice shall be maintained in the student’s official
record. Such notice shall contain—
‘‘(A) a statement of the value of the award
and its character as a legal obligation of the
United States; and
‘‘(B) the obligations of students and par-
ents or guardians, including the obligation to
meet current Pell requirements at the time of
admission to postsecondary education, except as
otherwise provided in this section.
‘‘(2) ANNUAL
NOTICES.—The Secretary shall
annually provide to each school, for each student no-
tified under paragraph (1), and to the parents or
guardians of such student, a notice restating the
written commitment provided under paragraph (1)
and containing—
‘‘(A) a statement of the maximum Pell
Grant then currently authorized;
‘‘(B) a notification to the parents or
guardians of the status of the Secretary’s
records of the Scholar’s current address, grade,
and school where currently enrolled; and
‘‘(C) instructions to the parents or guard-
ians of how to inform the Secretary of any
changes of the Scholar’s address, grade, or
school where currently enrolled.
‘‘(3) PLEDGE OF FULL FAITH AND CREDIT.—
The full faith and credit of the United States is
pledged to the payment of the written commitments
provided under this subsection.
‘‘(d) MAXIMUM AUTHORIZED PELL GRANT.—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The commitments provided
under subsection (c) shall guarantee to each eligible
Scholar an amount that, subject to paragraph (2),
is equal to the greater of—
‘‘(A) the maximum Pell Grant available,
pursuant to an appropriations Act, for the aca-
demic year for which the Scholar is seeking
payment of the commitment; or
‘‘(B) the maximum Pell Grant available,
pursuant to an appropriations Act, for the aca-
demic year during which the Scholar is first no-
tified under subsection (c)(2) of such commit-
ment.
‘‘(2) COST OF ATTENDANCE.—Notwithstanding
paragraph (1), the amount guaranteed to an eligible
Scholar for any academic year shall not exceed such
Scholar’s cost of attendance at the eligible institu-
tion at which such Scholar is enrolled or accepted
for enrollment.
‘‘(3) OTHER LIMITATIONS NOT APPLICABLE.—
Except as provided in paragraphs (1) and (2), the
Pell Grant awarded under this section shall not be
subject to any reduction based on expected family
contribution, or to any other limitation or reduction
pursuant to section 401 or any other law.
‘‘(e) APPLICATIONS
FOR GRANTS.—The Secretary
shall from time to time set dates by which eligible Scholars
shall file applications for payments of the commitments
provided under this section. Each such Scholar shall file
an application therefor containing such information and
assurances as the Secretary may deem necessary to enable
the Secretary to carry out the functions and responsibil-
ities of this section.
‘‘(f) DISTRIBUTION
OF GRANTS
TO STUDENTS.—
Payments under this section shall be made in accordance
with regulations promulgated by the Secretary for such
purpose, in such manner as will best accomplish the pur-
pose of this section. Any disbursement allowed to be made
by crediting the student’s account shall be limited to tui-
tion and fees and, in the case of institutionally owned
housing, room and board. The student may elect to have
the institution provide other such goods and services by
crediting the student’s account.’’.
(b) TRIO PARTICIPATION AND MENTORING.—
(1) TRIO ELIGIBILITY.—Section 402A(g) of
Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1070a-
11(g)) is amended by adding at the end the follow-
ing new sentence: ‘‘Any individual who has been
identified as an eligible 21st Century Scholar under
section 401A shall be treated as a low-income indi-
vidual for purposes of this section.’’.
(2) TALENT
SEARCH
MENTORING.—Section
402B(b) of such Act (20 U.S.C. 1070a-12(b)) is
amended—
(A) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of para-
graph (9);
(B) by striking the period at the end of
paragraph (10) and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and
(C) by adding at the end the following new
paragraph:
‘‘(11) special mentoring programs and activities
for eligible 21st Century Scholars identified under
section 401A.’’.
(3) EARLY INTERVENTION MENTORING, COUN-
SELING, OUTREACH, AND SUPPORTIVE SERVICES.—
Section 404C(c) of such Act (20 U.S.C. 1070a-
23(c)) is amended by striking ‘‘who is eligible’’ and
inserting ‘‘who is an eligible 21st Century Scholars
identified under section 401A or who is eligible’’.
(c) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS TO THE ELEMEN-
TARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION ACT OF 1965.—
(1) STATE
ASSURANCES.—Section 1111(c) of
the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of
1965 is amended—
(A) in paragraph (5), by striking ‘‘and’’
after the semicolon;
(B) in paragraph (6), by striking the pe-
riod and adding ‘‘; and’’; and
(C) by adding at the end the following:
‘‘(7) the State educational agency annually will
notify the recipients of awards under subpart 2 of
part A of title IV of the Higher Education Act of
teenage pregnancy, drop-out rates, and juvenile detention
and incarceration rates.
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