Title: Veteran Education Empowerment Act
Policy area: Education

Summary:
Veteran Education Empowerment Act
This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to make grants to institutions of higher education (IHEs) or consortia of IHEs for the establishment, maintenance, improvement, and operation of veteran student centers. A veteran student center is a dedicated space on a campus that provides students who are veterans or members of the Armed Forces with: (1) a lounge or meeting space for themselves, their spouses or partners, and veterans in the community; (2) a centralized office for veteran services that serves as a single point of contact to coordinate veterans support services; and (3) comprehensive academic and tutoring services to veterans.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3272 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3272

   To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a grant 
 program to provide Veteran Student Centers at institutions of higher 
 education to assist veterans in the pursuit of higher education, and 
                          for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 17, 2017

Ms. Frankel of Florida (for herself, Mr. Takano, Mr. Bilirakis, and Mr. 
 Rutherford) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                     Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a grant 
 program to provide Veteran Student Centers at institutions of higher 
 education to assist veterans in the pursuit of higher education, and 
                          for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives 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 makes the following findings:
            (1) More than 1,000,000 veterans attended institutions of 
        higher education in 2014.
            (2) Veterans face unique challenges in transitioning from 
        the battlefield to the classroom and eventually to the 
        workforce, often including age differences, family obligations, 
        significant time away from academic life, and service-connected 
        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 together new veteran students with 
        those who have already successfully navigated the first few 
        semesters of college.
            (4) The unemployment rate for post-9/11 veterans far 
        outpaces both the overall non-veteran unemployment rate and the 
        unemployment rate for non-veterans entering the workforce for 
        the first time.
            (5) According to Mission United--a United Way program that 
        helps veterans re-acclimate to civilian life--it is often 
        ``essential'' for veteran students to be mentored by ``another 
        veteran who understands their mindset and experience''.
            (6) Veteran Student Centers are recognized as an 
        institutional best practice by Student Veterans of America.
            (7) 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 promising way for colleges and universities to 
        better serve veterans on campus'' and a ``critical'' component 
        of the efforts of many institutions of higher education to 
        serve veteran students.
            (8) 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''.
            (9) Budget constraints often make it difficult or 
        impossible for institutions of higher education to dedicate 
        space for offices, lounges, or student centers for veteran 
        students.
            (10) According to the Department of Education, federally 
        funded Veteran Student Centers and staff have generated 
        improved recruitment, retention, and graduation rates, have 
        helped veteran students feel better connected across campus, 
        and have directly contributed to student veterans' successful 
        academic outcomes.

SEC. 3. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS GRANT PROGRAM FOR VETERAN 
              STUDENT CENTERS AT INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION.

    (a) Grants Authorized.--Subject to the availability of 
appropriations for such purpose, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs 
shall make grants to institutions of higher education or consortia of 
institutions of higher education for the establishment, maintenance, 
improvement, and operation of Veteran Student Centers.
    (b) Eligibility.--To be eligible to receive a grant under this 
section, an institution of higher education or consortium of such 
institutions shall--
            (1) enroll in undergraduate or graduate courses--
                    (A) a significant number of veteran students, 
                members of the Armed Forces serving on active duty, and 
                members of a reserve component of the Armed Forces; or
                    (B) a significant percentage of veteran students;
            (2) present to the Secretary a sustainability plan to 
        demonstrate that its Veteran Student Center will be maintained 
        and will continue to operate after the institution or 
        consortium no longer receives grant funds; and
            (3) submit to the Secretary an application at such time, in 
        such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary 
        may require.
    (c) Additional Criteria.--In awarding grants under subsection (a), 
the Secretary--
            (1) shall take into consideration representing a broad 
        spectrum of sectors and sizes, including institutions or 
        consortia from urban, suburban, and rural regions of the United 
        States; and
            (2) may provide a preference for institutions or consortia 
        that--
                    (A) are located in a region or community that has a 
                significant population of veterans;
                    (B) carry out programs or activities that assist 
                veterans in the local community and the spouses of 
                veteran students;
                    (C) with respect to veteran-specific programming 
                partner with nonprofit veteran service organizations, 
                local workforce development organizations, or 
                institutions of higher education;
                    (D) commit to hiring a staff at the Veteran Student 
                Center that includes veterans (including veteran 
                student volunteers and veteran students participating 
                in a work-study program of the Department of Veteran 
                Affairs or another Federal agency or a State work-study 
                program);
                    (E) commit to using a portion of the grant received 
                under this section to develop an early-warning veteran 
                student retention program carried out by the Veteran 
                Student Center; and
                    (F) commit to providing mental health counseling to 
                its veteran students and their spouses.
    (d) Significant Percentage of Veteran Students.--For purposes of 
this section, in calculating whether a course has a significant 
percentage of veteran students, the Secretary shall compare the overall 
enrollment of the institution or consortium to the number, for the most 
recent academic year for which data are available, 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.
    (e) Use of Funds.--An institution or consortium that is awarded a 
grant under subsection (a)--
            (1) shall use such grant to establish, maintain, improve, 
        or operate a Veteran Student Center; and
            (2) may use a portion of such funds to carry out supportive 
        instruction services for student veterans, including--
                    (A) assistance with special admissions and transfer 
                of credit from previous postsecondary education or 
                experience; and
                    (B) any other support services the institution or 
                consortium determines to be necessary to ensure the 
                success of veterans on campus in achieving education 
                and career goals.
    (f) Amounts Awarded.--
            (1) Duration.--Each grant awarded under subsection (a) 
        shall be for a four-year period.
            (2) Total amount of grant and schedule.--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.
    (g) Report.--Not later than 3 years after the date on which the 
first grant is awarded under subsection (a), the Secretary shall submit 
to the Committees on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and House of 
Representatives a report on the grant program established under 
subsection (a). Such report shall include--
            (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;
                    (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 completion 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 section; and
            (5) a determination by the Secretary with respect to 
        whether the grant program under this section should be extended 
        or expanded.
    (h) Termination.--The authority of the Secretary to carry out the 
grant program established under subsection (a) shall terminate on the 
date that is four years after the date on which the first grant is 
awarded under subsection (a).
    (i) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated for fiscal year 2018 and each of the four subsequent 
fiscal years such sums as may be necessary to carry out this Act.
    (j) Department of Veterans Affairs Best Practices Website.--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 services at institutions of higher 
education that includes details on best practices for serving veteran 
students at institutions of higher education.
    (k) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) 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) 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 services 
                that--
                            (i) is a single point of contact to 
                        coordinate 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 volunteer who 
                        is trained as a veterans' benefits counselor;
                            (iii) provides veteran students with 
                        assistance relating to--
                                    (I) transitioning from the Armed 
                                Forces to student life;
                                    (II) transitioning from the Armed 
                                Forces to the civilian workforce;
                                    (III) networking with other veteran 
                                students and veterans in the community;
                                    (IV) understanding and obtaining 
                                benefits provided by the institution of 
                                higher education, Federal Government, 
                                and State for which such students may 
                                be eligible;
                                    (V) understanding how to succeed in 
                                the institution of higher education, 
                                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 
                                disability-related 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 academic 
                        mentorship.
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