I 
116TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1652 
To reauthorize and improve a grant program to assist institutions of higher 
education in establishing, maintaining, improving, and operating Veteran 
Student Centers. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 8, 2019 
Ms. FRANKEL (for herself and Mr. BILIRAKIS) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Education and Labor 
A BILL 
To reauthorize and improve a grant program to assist insti-
tutions of higher education in establishing, maintaining, 
improving, and operating 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: 
(1) Over 1,000,000 veterans attend institutions 
of higher education each year. 
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(2) Veterans face unique challenges in transi-
tioning from the battlefield to the classroom and 
eventually to the workforce, including: age dif-
ferences, family obligations, significant time away 
from academic life, and service-related disabilities. 
(3) 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. 
(4) 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’’. 
(5) Veteran Student Centers are recognized as 
an institutional best practice by Student Veterans of 
America. 
(6) The American Council on Education, which 
represents more than 1,700 institutions of higher 
education across the United States, has called hav-
ing a dedicated space for veterans on campus ‘‘a 
promising way for colleges and universities to better 
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serve veterans on campus’’ and a ‘‘critical’’ compo-
nent of many colleges’ efforts to serve their veteran 
students. 
(7) The Department of Education included as 
one of its 8 Keys to Veterans’ Success that colleges 
and universities should ‘‘coordinate and centralize 
campus efforts for all veterans, together with the 
creation of a designated space for them’’. 
(8) Budget constraints often make it difficult or 
impossible for institutions of higher education to 
dedicate space to veteran offices, lounges, or student 
centers. 
(9) The 110th Congress authorized the funding 
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). Congress also chose to appro-
priate funding for this program for fiscal year 2015 
under the Consolidated and Further Continuing Ap-
propriations Act, 2015 (Public Law 113–235). 
(10) According to the Department of Edu-
cation, federally funded Veteran Student Centers 
and staff have generated improved recruitment, re-
tention, and graduation rates, have helped veteran 
students feel better connected across campus, and 
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have directly contributed to veteran students’ suc-
cessful academic outcomes. 
SEC. 3. GRANT PROGRAM TO ESTABLISH, MAINTAIN, AND 
IMPROVE VETERAN STUDENT CENTERS. 
Part T of title VIII of the Higher Education Act of 
1965 (20 U.S.C. 1161t) is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘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 (h), 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. 
‘‘(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: 
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‘‘(A) The institution or consortium enrolls 
in undergraduate or graduate courses— 
‘‘(i) a significant number of veteran 
students, members of the Armed Forces 
serving on active duty, or members of a re-
serve component of the Armed Forces; or 
‘‘(ii) a significant percentage of vet-
eran students, members of the Armed 
Forces serving on active duty, or members 
of a reserve component of the Armed 
Forces, 
as measured by comparing, for the most recent aca-
demic year for which data are available, the number 
or percentage of veteran students, members of the 
Armed Forces serving on active duty, and members 
of a reserve component of the Armed Forces who are 
enrolled in undergraduate or graduate courses at the 
institution or consortium, with the average number 
or percentage of veteran students, members of the 
Armed Forces serving on active duty, and members 
of a reserve component of the Armed Forces who 
were enrolled in undergraduate or graduate courses 
at comparable institutions or consortia of institu-
tions. 
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‘‘(B) The institution or consortium pre-
sents a sustainability plan to demonstrate that 
the Veteran Student Center will be maintained 
and will continue to operate after the grant pe-
riod has ended. 
‘‘(3) 
SELECTION
CRITERIA.—In 
awarding 
grants under subsection (a), the Secretary shall pro-
vide priority consideration to institutions or con-
sortia that meet one or more of the following cri-
teria: 
‘‘(A) The institution or consortium is lo-
cated in a region or community that has a sig-
nificant population of veterans. 
‘‘(B) The institution or consortium carries 
out programs or activities that assist veterans 
in the local community, and the spouses or 
partners and children of veteran students. 
‘‘(C) The institution or consortium part-
ners in its veteran-specific programming with 
nonprofit veteran service organizations, local 
workforce development organizations, or other 
institutions of higher education. 
‘‘(D) The institution or consortium com-
mits to hiring a staff at the Veteran Student 
Center that includes veterans (including veteran 
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student volunteers and veteran students partici-
pating in a Federal work-study program under 
part C of title IV, a work-study program ad-
ministered by the Secretary of Veteran Affairs, 
or a State work-study program). 
‘‘(E) The institution or consortium com-
mits to using a portion of the grant received 
under this section to develop or maintain a vet-
eran student retention program carried out by 
the Veteran Student Center. 
‘‘(F) The institution or consortium com-
mits to providing mental health counseling to 
its veteran students (and the spouses or part-
ners and children of such students). 
‘‘(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 grant to carry out sup-
portive instruction services for veteran students, in-
cluding— 
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‘‘(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 
to ensure the success of veteran students 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 
amount 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; 
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‘‘(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; 
‘‘(B) how such institution or consortium 
used such amounts; 
‘‘(C) a description of the demographics of 
veteran students (and spouses or partners and 
children of such students) to whom services 
were offered as a result of the award; 
‘‘(D) the number of veteran students (and 
spouses or partners and children of such stu-
dents) to whom services were offered as a result 
of the award, and a description of the services 
that were offered and provided; and 
‘‘(E) 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 
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‘‘(5) a determination by the Secretary with re-
spect to whether the grant program under this sec-
tion should be extended or expanded. 
‘‘(f) DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION BEST PRACTICES 
WEBSITE.—Subject to the availability of appropriations 
under subsection (h) and not later than 3 years after the 
date on which the first grant is awarded under subsection 
(a), the Secretary shall develop and implement a website 
for Veteran Student Centers at institutions of higher edu-
cation, which details best practices for serving veteran stu-
dents at institutions of higher education. 
‘‘(g) 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, members of 
the Armed Forces serving on active duty, or mem-
bers of a reserve component of the Armed Forces 
with the following: 
‘‘(A) A lounge or meeting space for such 
veteran students (and the spouses or partners 
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and children of such students), and veterans in 
the community. 
‘‘(B) A centralized office for veteran stu-
dent services 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-
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-
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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 disability-re-
lated rights and protections 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. 
‘‘(h) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this part 
such sums as may be necessary for fiscal year 2020 and 
each succeeding fiscal year.’’. 
Æ 
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