Title: America’s College Promise Act of 2019
Policy area: Education

Summary:
America's College Promise Act of 2019
This bill provides funding and establishes grants for states, Native American tribes, historically black colleges and universities, tribal colleges and universities, and minority-serving institutions.
Specifically, the bill requires the Department of Education to award grants to eligible states and Native American tribes to pay the federal share (75% of the average resident community college tuition and fees per student) of a program that provides funds to community colleges for waiving resident tuition and fees.
The bill also requires each state to ensure that a participating institution offers academic credits that are fully transferable to a four-year institution.
In addition, the bill establishes a grant program to encourage certain minority group students to enroll in and complete baccalaureate programs by requiring a university that receives grant funding to waive or significantly reduce tuition and fees for such students.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4212 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>






116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 4212

To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to establish State and Indian 
 tribe grants for community colleges and grants for Historically Black 
   Colleges and Universities, Tribal Colleges and Universities, and 
         Minority-Serving Institutions, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            August 27, 2019

Mr. Levin of Michigan (for himself, Ms. Dean, Mrs. Davis of California, 
  Mr. Norcross, Mr. Moulton, and Ms. Mucarsel-Powell) introduced the 
 following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and 
                                 Labor

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to establish State and Indian 
 tribe grants for community colleges and grants for Historically Black 
   Colleges and Universities, Tribal Colleges and Universities, and 
         Minority-Serving Institutions, 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 ``America's College Promise Act of 
2019''.

SEC. 2. PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.

    Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1070 et 
seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:

     ``PART J--AMERICA'S COLLEGE PROMISE FEDERAL-STATE PARTNERSHIP

   ``Subpart 1--State and Indian Tribe Grants for Community Colleges

``SEC. 499A. IN GENERAL.

    ``From amounts appropriated under section 499G for any fiscal year, 
the Secretary shall award grants to eligible States and Indian tribes 
to pay the Federal share of expenditures needed to carry out the 
activities and services described in section 499E.

``SEC. 499B. FEDERAL SHARE; NON-FEDERAL SHARE.

    ``(a) Federal Share.--
            ``(1) Formula.--Subject to paragraph (2), the Federal share 
        of a grant under this subpart shall be based on a formula, 
        determined by the Secretary, that--
                    ``(A) accounts for the State or Indian tribe's 
                share of eligible students;
                    ``(B) accounts for the ratio between a State or 
                Indian tribe's funding per full-time equivalent (FTE) 
                student at public colleges and universities and the 
                average net price at State public four-year colleges 
                and universities, in such a way as to reward States 
                that keep net prices for students low while maintaining 
                their investment in higher education; and
                    ``(C) provides, for each eligible student in the 
                State or Indian tribe, a per-student amount that is at 
                least 75 percent of--
                            ``(i) for the 2020-2021 award year, the 
                        average resident community college tuition and 
                        fees per student in all States for the most 
                        recent year for which data are available; and
                            ``(ii) for each subsequent award year, the 
                        amount determined under this clause for the 
                        preceding award year, increased by the lesser 
                        of--
                                    ``(I) a percentage equal to the 
                                estimated percentage increase in the 
                                Consumer Price Index (as determined by 
                                the Secretary) since the date of such 
                                determination; or
                                    ``(II) 3 percent.
            ``(2) Exception for certain indian tribes.--In any case in 
        which not less than 75 percent of the students at the community 
        colleges operated or controlled by an Indian tribe are low-
        income students, the amount of the Federal share for such 
        Indian tribe shall be not less than 95 percent of the total 
        amount needed to waive tuition and fees for all eligible 
        students enrolled in such community colleges.
    ``(b) State or Tribal Share.--
            ``(1) Formula.--
                    ``(A) In general.--The State or tribal share of a 
                grant under this subpart for each fiscal year shall be 
                the amount needed to pay 25 percent of the average 
                community college resident tuition and fees per student 
                in all States in the 2020-2021 award year for all 
                eligible students in the State or Indian tribe, 
                respectively, for such fiscal year, except as provided 
                in subparagraph (B).
                    ``(B) Exception for certain indian tribes.--In the 
                case of an Indian tribe described in subsection (a)(2), 
                the amount of such Indian tribe's tribal share shall 
                not exceed 5 percent of the total amount needed to 
                waive tuition and fees for all eligible students 
                enrolled in such community colleges.
            ``(2) Need-based aid.--A State or Indian tribe may include, 
        as part of the State or tribal share, any need-based financial 
        aid that--
                    ``(A) is provided from State or tribal funds to an 
                eligible student; and
                    ``(B) may be used by such student to pay costs of 
                attendance other than tuition and fees.
            ``(3) No in-kind contributions.--A State or Indian tribe 
        shall not include in-kind contributions for purposes of the 
        State or tribal share described in paragraph (1).
    ``(c) Determining Number of Eligible Students.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Secretary of Education shall develop 
        and implement a process for accurately estimating the number of 
        eligible students in a State or Indian tribe for purposes of 
        subsection (a) and (b).
            ``(2) Initial determination.--For the first year for which 
        grants are awarded under this subpart, the number of eligible 
        students in a State or Indian tribe shall be considered to be 
        equal to the number of eligible students that were in the State 
        or tribe for the 2020-2021 school year.
    ``(d) Adjustment of Grant Amount.--Not later than 180 days after 
the date on which a State or Indian tribe receives a grant under this 
subpart, the Secretary shall--
            ``(1) in consultation with the State or tribe concerned, 
        determine whether the actual number of eligible students in the 
        State or Tribe for the year covered by the grant is greater 
        than the estimated number of such students that was used to 
        determine the amount of the grant; and
            ``(2) if it is determined under paragraph (1) that the 
        actual number of eligible students in the State or Tribe is 
        higher than such estimate, issue a supplementary grant payment 
        to the State or tribe in an amount that ensures that the total 
        amount of the grant funds received by the State or tribe under 
        this subpart for the year covered by the grant accurately 
        reflects the higher number of eligible students.

``SEC. 499C. APPLICATIONS.

    ``(a) Submission.--In order to receive a grant under this subpart, 
a State or tribe shall submit an application to the Secretary at such 
time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary 
may require.
    ``(b) Contents.--Each application under subsection (a) shall 
include, at a minimum--
            ``(1) an estimate of the number of eligible students in the 
        State or Indian tribe and the cost of waiving community college 
        resident tuition and fees for all eligible students for each 
        fiscal year covered by the grant;
            ``(2) an assurance that all community colleges in the State 
        or under the jurisdiction of the Indian tribe, respectively, 
        will waive resident tuition and fees for eligible students in 
        accordance with section 499D(a);
            ``(3) a description of the promising and evidence-based 
        institutional reforms and innovative practices to improve 
        student outcomes, including completion or transfer rates, that 
        have been or will be adopted by the participating community 
        colleges, such as--
                    ``(A) providing comprehensive academic and student 
                support services, including mentoring and advising, 
                especially for low-income, first-generation, adult, and 
                other underrepresented students;
                    ``(B) the provision of direct support services such 
                as--
                            ``(i) childcare, transportation, emergency 
                        financial assistance, and mental health and 
                        substance use disorder treatment;
                            ``(ii) assistance in obtaining health 
                        insurance coverage;
                            ``(iii) assistance securing affordable 
                        housing;
                            ``(iv) efforts to address food insecurity 
                        and campus hunger; and
                            ``(v) efforts to facilitate student 
                        participation in means-tested Federal benefit 
                        programs (as defined in section 479(d));
                    ``(C) providing accelerated learning opportunities, 
                such as dual or concurrent enrollment programs, 
                including early college high school programs;
                    ``(D) strengthening remedial education, especially 
                for low-income, first-generation, adult and other 
                underrepresented students;
                    ``(E) implementing course redesigns of high-
                enrollment courses to improve student outcomes and 
                reduce cost; or
                    ``(F) utilizing career pathways or degree pathways;
            ``(4) a description of how the State or Indian tribe will 
        ensure that programs leading to a recognized postsecondary 
        credential meet the quality criteria established by the State 
        under section 123(a) of the Workforce Innovation and 
        Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3153(a)) or other quality criteria 
        determined appropriate by the State or Indian tribe;
            ``(5) an assurance that all participating community 
        colleges in the State or under the authority of the Indian 
        tribe have entered into program participation agreements under 
        section 487;
            ``(6) an assurance that the State or Indian tribe will, to 
        the extent practicable, assist eligible students in obtaining 
        information about and accessing means-tested Federal benefit 
        programs (as defined in section 479(d)) for which such students 
        may be eligible;
            ``(7) an assurance that, for each year of the grant, the 
        State or Indian tribe will notify each eligible student of the 
        student's remaining eligibility for assistance under this 
        subpart; and
            ``(8) if the application is submitted by a State--
                    ``(A) an assurance that the State will, to the 
                extent practicable, consider changes to State law that 
                will enable more community college students to be 
                eligible for means-tested Federal benefit programs (as 
                defined in section 479(d));
                    ``(B) an assurance that the State will meet the 
                requirements of section 499D(b)(1) relating to the 
                alignment of secondary and postsecondary education; and
                    ``(C) an assurance that the State will meet the 
                requirements of section 499D(b)(2) relating to the 
                improvement of transfer pathways between institutions 
                of higher education.

``SEC. 499D. PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS.

    ``(a) General Requirements for States and Indian Tribes.--As a 
condition of receiving a grant under this subpart a State or Indian 
tribe shall meet the following requirements:
            ``(1) For each year of the grant the total amount of 
        community college resident tuition and fees charged to an 
        eligible student in the State or Indian tribe shall be $0.
            ``(2) For each year of the grant no amount of financial 
        assistance for which an eligible student qualifies may be 
        applied to such tuition or fees.
    ``(b) State Requirements.--As a condition of receiving a grant 
under this subpart a State shall meet the following requirements:
            ``(1) Alignment of k-12 and higher education.--
                    ``(A) In general.--The State shall--
                            ``(i) submit a plan to align the 
                        requirements for receiving a regular high 
                        school diploma from a public high school with 
                        the requirements for entering credit-bearing 
                        coursework at a participating community 
                        college; and
                            ``(ii) not later than three years after the 
                        date on which the State first receives a grant 
                        under this subpart, certify to the Secretary 
                        that such alignment has been achieved.
                    ``(B) Failure to certify.--If a State does not 
                provide the certification required under subparagraph 
                (A) by the date specified in such subparagraph, the 
                State shall submit to the Secretary, at such time and 
                in such manner as the Secretary may require--
                            ``(i) a written explanation for the delay 
                        in making the certification; and
                            ``(ii) a plan that will enable the State to 
                        make the certification by not later than 5 
                        years after the date on which the State first 
                        received a grant under this subpart.
            ``(2) Transfer pathways.--
                    ``(A) In general.--Not later than 3 years after the 
                date on which a State first receives a grant under this 
                subpart, such State shall certify to the Secretary that 
                each public institution of higher education 
                participating in any program under this title has 
                entered into an articulation agreement (as defined in 
                section 486A(a)) held in common with the other public 
                institutions of higher education located in such State 
                that are participating in any such program. Such 
                articulation agreement shall, at a minimum, include--
                            ``(i) a common general education core 
                        curriculum consisting of not less than 30 
                        credit hours or the equivalent coursework, 
                        which are fully transferrable to any such 
                        public institution of higher education in the 
                        State toward meeting specific degree or 
                        certificate requirements;
                            ``(ii) common course numbering for 
                        substantially similar courses in such common 
                        general education core curriculum; and
                            ``(iii) a guarantee that an associate 
                        degree in an academic major in the arts or 
                        sciences that is awarded by such a public 
                        institution of higher education in the State on 
                        or after the date that is not later than 3 
                        years after the date on which the State first 
                        receives a grant under this subpart shall be 
                        fully transferrable to, and credited as, the 
                        first 2 years of a related baccalaureate 
                        program at a public institution of higher 
                        education in such State.
                    ``(B) Failure to certify.--If a State does not 
                provide the certification required under subparagraph 
                (A) by the date specified in such subparagraph, the 
                State shall submit to the Secretary, at such time and 
                in such manner as the Secretary may require--
                            ``(i) a written explanation for the delay 
                        in making the certification; and
                            ``(ii) a plan that will enable the State to 
                        make the certification by not later than 5 
                        years after the date on which the State first 
                        received a grant under this subpart.
            ``(3) Applicability.--The Secretary may not apply the 
        requirements under this subsection to an Indian tribe.

``SEC. 499E. ALLOWABLE USES OF FUNDS.

    ``(a) In General.--Except as provided in subsection (b), a State or 
Indian tribe shall use a grant under this subpart only to provide funds 
to participating community colleges to enable such community colleges 
to waive resident tuition and fees for eligible students as required 
under section 499D(a).
    ``(b) Additional Uses.--If a State or Indian tribe demonstrates to 
the Secretary that it has grant funds remaining after meeting the 
demand for activities described in subsection (a), the State or Indian 
tribe may use those funds to carry out one or more of the following:
            ``(1) Expanding the scope and capacity of high-quality 
        academic and occupational skills training programs at community 
        colleges.
            ``(2) Improving postsecondary education readiness in the 
        State or Indian tribe, through outreach and early intervention.
            ``(3) Expanding access to dual or concurrent enrollment 
        programs, including early college high school programs.
            ``(4) Improving affordability at 4-year public institutions 
        of higher education.
    ``(c) Use of Funds for Administrative Purposes.--A State or Indian 
tribe that receives a grant under this subpart may not use any funds 
provided under this subpart for administrative purposes relating to the 
grant under this subpart.
    ``(d) Maintenance of Effort.--A State or Indian tribe receiving a 
grant under this subpart is entitled to receive its full allotment of 
funds under this subpart for a fiscal year only if, for each year of 
the grant, the State or Indian tribe provides--
            ``(1) financial support for public higher education at a 
        level equal to or exceeding the average amount provided per 
        full-time equivalent student for public institutions of higher 
        education for the three consecutive preceding fiscal years. In 
        making the calculation under this subsection, the State or 
        Indian tribe shall--
                    ``(A) exclude capital expenses and research and 
                development costs; and
                    ``(B) include need-based financial aid for students 
                who attend public institutions of higher education; and
            ``(2) financial support for operational expenses for 
        public, four-year colleges and universities at a level equal to 
        or exceeding the average amount provided for the three 
        consecutive proceeding State or Indian tribe fiscal years.
    ``(e) Annual Report.--A State or Indian tribe receiving a grant 
under this subpart shall submit an annual report to the Secretary 
describing the uses of grant funds under this subpart, the progress 
made in fulfilling the requirements of the grant, and rates of 
graduation, transfer and attainment of recognized postsecondary 
credentials at participating community colleges, and including any 
other information as the Secretary may require.
    ``(f) Reporting by Secretary.--The Secretary annually shall--
            ``(1) compile and analyze the information described in 
        subsection (e); and
            ``(2) prepare and submit a report to the Committee on 
        Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate and the 
        Committee on Education and Labor of the House of 
        Representatives containing the analysis described in paragraph 
        (1) and an identification of State and Indian tribe best 
        practices for achieving the purpose of this subpart.
    ``(g) Technical Assistance.--The Secretary shall provide technical 
assistance to eligible States and Indian tribes concerning best 
practices regarding the promising and evidence-based institutional 
reforms and innovative practices to improve student outcomes and shall 
disseminate such best practices among the States and Indian tribes.
    ``(h) Continuation of Funding.--
            ``(1) In general.--A State or Indian tribe receiving a 
        grant under this subpart for a fiscal year may continue to 
        receive funding under this subpart for future fiscal years 
        conditioned on the availability of budget authority and on 
        meeting the requirements of the grant, as determined by the 
        Secretary.
            ``(2) Discontinuation.--The Secretary may discontinue 
        funding of the Federal share of a grant under this subpart if 
        the State or Indian tribe has violated the terms of the grant 
        or is not making adequate progress in implementing the reforms 
        described in the application submitted under section 499C.

``SEC. 499F. DEFINITIONS.

    ``In this subpart:
            ``(1) Career pathway.--The term `career pathway' has the 
        meaning given the term in section 3 of the Workforce Innovation 
        and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3102).
            ``(2) Community college.--The term `community college' 
        means a public institution of higher education at which the 
        highest degree that is predominantly awarded to students is an 
        associate's degree, including 2-year tribally controlled 
        colleges under section 316 and public 2-year State institutions 
        of higher education.
            ``(3) Dual or concurrent enrollment program.--The term 
        `dual or concurrent enrollment program' has the meaning given 
        the term in section 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary 
        Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).
            ``(4) Early college high school.--The term `early college 
        high school' has the meaning given the term in section 8101 of 
        the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
        7801).
            ``(5) Eligible student.--
                    ``(A) Definition.--The term `eligible student' 
                means a student who--
                            ``(i) attends the community college on not 
                        less than a half-time basis;
                            ``(ii) is maintaining satisfactory progress 
                        (as defined in section 484(c)) in the student's 
                        course of study;
                            ``(iii) is enrolled in an eligible program 
                        (as defined in section 481(b)); and
                            ``(iv) either--
                                    ``(I) qualifies for in-State 
                                resident community college tuition, as 
                                determined by the State or Indian 
                                tribe; or
                                    ``(II) would qualify for such in-
                                State resident community college 
                                tuition, but for the immigration status 
                                of such student.
                    ``(B) Special rule.--An otherwise eligible student 
                shall lose eligibility 3 calendar years after first 
                receiving benefits under this subpart.
            ``(6) Indian tribe.--The term `Indian tribe' has the 
        meaning given the term in section 102 of the Federally 
        Recognized Indian Tribe List Act of 1994 (25 U.S.C. 479a).
            ``(7) Institution of higher education.--The term 
        `institution of higher education' has the meaning given the 
        term in section 101.
            ``(8) Recognized postsecondary credential.--The term 
        `recognized postsecondary credential' has the meaning as 
        described in section 3 of the Workforce Innovation and 
        Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3102).
            ``(9) State.--The term `State' has the meaning given the 
        term in section 103.

``SEC. 499G. APPROPRIATIONS.

    ``(a) Authorization and Appropriations.--For the purpose of making 
grants under this subpart there are authorized to be appropriated, and 
there are appropriated--
            ``(1) $1,569,700,000 for fiscal year 2020;
            ``(2) $3,472,880,000 for fiscal year 2021;
            ``(3) $4,431,950,000 for fiscal year 2022;
            ``(4) $6,204,030,000 for fiscal year 2023;
            ``(5) $8,119,870,000 for fiscal year 2024;
            ``(6) $9,297,430,000 for fiscal year 2025;
            ``(7) $11,708,890,000 for fiscal year 2026;
            ``(8) $14,971,330,000 for fiscal year 2027;
            ``(9) $15,619,910,000 for fiscal year 2028; and
            ``(10) $16,296,080,000 for fiscal year 2029 and each 
        succeeding fiscal year.
    ``(b) Availability.--Funds appropriated under subsection (a) shall 
remain available to the Secretary until expended.
    ``(c) Insufficient Funds.--If the amount appropriated under 
subsection (a) for a fiscal year is not sufficient to award each 
participating State and Indian tribe a grant under this subpart that is 
equal to the minimum amount of the Federal share described in section 
499A, the Secretary may ratably reduce the amount of each such grant or 
take other actions necessary to ensure an equitable distribution of 
such amount.''.

SEC. 3. PATHWAYS TO STUDENT SUCCESS FOR HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES AND 
              UNIVERSITIES, TRIBAL COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES, AND 
              MINORITY-SERVING INSTITUTIONS.

    Part J of title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
1070 et seq.), as added by section 2, is further amended by adding at 
the end the following:

 ``Subpart 2--Grants to Historically Black Colleges and Universities, 
  Tribal Colleges and Universities, and Minority-Serving Institutions

``SEC. 499H. PATHWAYS TO STUDENT SUCCESS FOR HISTORICALLY BLACK 
              COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES.

    ``(a) In General.--From amounts appropriated under section 499L(a) 
for any fiscal year, the Secretary shall award grants to participating 
4-year historically black colleges or universities that meet the 
requirements of subsection (b) to--
            ``(1) encourage students to enroll and successfully 
        complete a bachelor's degree at participating institutions;
            ``(2) provide incentives to community college students to 
        transfer to participating institutions through strong transfer 
        pathways to complete a bachelor's degree program; and
            ``(3) support participating institutions to better serve 
        new and existing students by engaging in reforms and 
        innovations designed to improve completion rates and other 
        student outcomes.
    ``(b) Eligibility.--To be eligible to receive a grant under the 
program under this section, an institution shall be a historically 
black college or university that--
            ``(1) has a student body of which not less than 35 percent 
        are low-income students;
            ``(2) commits to maintaining or adopting and implementing 
        promising and evidence-based institutional reforms and 
        innovative practices to improve the completion rates and other 
        student outcomes, such as--
                    ``(A) providing comprehensive academic and student 
                support services, including mentoring and advising, 
                especially for low-income, first-generation, adult, and 
                other underrepresented students;
                    ``(B) providing direct support services such as--
                            ``(i) childcare, transportation, emergency 
                        financial assistance, and mental health and 
                        substance use disorder treatment;
                            ``(ii) assistance in obtaining health 
                        insurance coverage;
                            ``(iii) assistance securing affordable 
                        housing;
                            ``(iv) efforts to address food insecurity 
                        and campus hunger; and
                            ``(v) efforts to facilitate student 
                        participation in means-tested Federal benefit 
                        programs (as defined in section 479(d));
                    ``(C) providing accelerated learning opportunities 
                and degree pathways, such as dual enrollment and 
                pathways to graduate and professional degree programs;
                    ``(D) partnering with employers, industry, not-for-
                profit associations, and other groups to provide 
                opportunities to advance learning outside the 
                classroom, including work-based learning opportunities 
                such as internships or apprenticeships or programs 
                designed to improve inter-cultural development and 
                personal growth, such as foreign exchange and study 
                abroad programs;
                    ``(E) strengthening remedial education, especially 
                for low-income students, first generation college 
                students, adult students, and other underrepresented 
                students; or
                    ``(F) implementing course redesigns of high-
                enrollment courses to improve student outcomes and 
                reduce cost;
            ``(3) sets performance goals for improving student outcomes 
        for the duration of the grant; and
            ``(4) if receiving a grant for transfer students, has 
        articulation agreements with community colleges at the 
        national, State, or local level to ensure that community 
        college credits can fully transfer to the participating 
        institution.
    ``(c) Grant Amount.--
            ``(1) Initial amount.--For the first year that an eligible 
        institution participates in the grant program under this 
        section and subject to paragraph (3), such eligible institution 
        shall receive a grant in an amount based on the product of--
                    ``(A) the actual cost of tuition and fees at the 
                eligible institution in such year (referred to in this 
                section as the per-student rebate); and
                    ``(B) the number of eligible students enrolled in 
                the eligible institution for the preceding year.
            ``(2) Subsequent increases.--For each succeeding year after 
        the first year of the grant program under this section, each 
        participating eligible institution shall receive a grant in the 
        amount determined under paragraph (1) for such year, except 
        that in no case shall the amount of the per-student rebate for 
        an eligible institution increase by more than 3 percent as 
        compared to the amount of such rebate for the preceding year.
            ``(3) Limitations.--
                    ``(A) Maximum per-student rebate.--No eligible 
                institution participating in the grant program under 
                this section shall receive a per-student rebate amount 
                for any year that is greater than the national average 
                of annual tuition and fees at public 4-year 
                institutions of higher education for such year, as 
                determined by the Secretary.
                    ``(B) First-year tuition and fees.--During the 
                first year of participation in the grant program under 
                this section, no eligible institution may increase 
                tuition and fees at a rate greater than any annual 
                increase at the eligible institution in the previous 5 
                years.
    ``(d) Application.--An eligible institution that desires a grant 
under this section shall submit an application to the Secretary at such 
time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary 
may require.
    ``(e) Use of Funds.--Funds awarded under this section to a 
participating eligible institution shall be used to waive or 
significantly reduce tuition and fees for eligible students in an 
amount of not more than up to the annual per-student rebate amount for 
each student, for not more than the first 60 credits an eligible 
student enrolls in the participating eligible institution.

``SEC. 499I. PATHWAYS TO STUDENT SUCCESS FOR TRIBAL COLLEGES AND 
              UNIVERSITIES.

    ``(a) In General.--From amounts appropriated under section 499L(a) 
for any fiscal year, the Secretary shall award grants to participating 
4-year Tribal Colleges or Universities that meet the requirements of 
subsection (b) to--
            ``(1) encourage students to enroll and successfully 
        complete a bachelor's degree at participating institutions;
            ``(2) provide incentives to community college students to 
        transfer to participating institutions through strong transfer 
        pathways to complete a bachelor's degree program; and
            ``(3) support participating institutions to better serve 
        new and existing students by engaging in reforms and 
        innovations designed to improve completion rates and other 
        student outcomes.
    ``(b) Eligibility.--To be eligible to receive a grant under the 
program under this section, an institution shall be a Tribal College or 
University that--
            ``(1) has a student body of which not less than 35 percent 
        are low-income students;
            ``(2) commits to maintaining or adopting and implementing 
        promising and evidence-based institutional reforms and 
        innovative practices to improve the completion rates and other 
        student outcomes, such as--
                    ``(A) providing comprehensive academic and student 
                support services, including mentoring and advising, 
                especially for low-income, first-generation, adult, and 
                other underrepresented students;
                    ``(B) providing direct support services such as--
                            ``(i) childcare, transportation, emergency 
                        financial assistance, and mental health and 
                        substance use disorder treatment;
                            ``(ii) assistance in obtaining health 
                        insurance coverage;
                            ``(iii) assistance securing affordable 
                        housing;
                            ``(iv) efforts to address food insecurity 
                        and campus hunger; and
                            ``(v) efforts to facilitate student 
                        participation in means-tested Federal benefit 
                        programs (as defined in section 479(d));
                    ``(C) providing accelerated learning opportunities 
                and degree pathways, such as dual enrollment and 
                pathways to graduate and professional degree programs;
                    ``(D) partnering with employers, industry, not-for-
                profit associations, and other groups to provide 
                opportunities to advance learning outside the 
                classroom, including work-based learning opportunities 
                such as internships or apprenticeships or programs 
                designed to improve inter-cultural development and 
                personal growth, such as foreign exchange and study 
                abroad programs;
                    ``(E) strengthening remedial education, especially 
                for low-income students, first generation college 
                students, adult students, and other underrepresented 
                students; or
                    ``(F) implementing course redesigns of high-
                enrollment courses to improve student outcomes and 
                reduce cost;
            ``(3) sets performance goals for improving student outcomes 
        for the duration of the grant; and
            ``(4) if receiving a grant for transfer students, has 
        articulation agreements with community colleges at the 
        national, State, or local level to ensure that community 
        college credits can fully transfer to the participating 
        institution.
    ``(c) Grant Amount.--
            ``(1) Initial amount.--For the first year that an eligible 
        institution participates in the grant program under this 
        section and subject to paragraph (3), such eligible institution 
        shall receive a grant in an amount based on the product of--
                    ``(A) the actual cost of tuition and fees at the 
                eligible institution in such year (referred to in this 
                section as the per-student rebate); and
                    ``(B) the number of eligible students enrolled in 
                the eligible institution for the preceding year.
            ``(2) Subsequent increases.--For each succeeding year after 
        the first year of the grant program under this section, each 
        participating eligible institution shall receive a grant in the 
        amount determined under paragraph (1) for such year, except 
        that in no case shall the amount of the per-student rebate for 
        an eligible institution increase by more than 3 percent as 
        compared to the amount of such rebate for the preceding year.
            ``(3) Limitations.--
                    ``(A) Maximum per-student rebate.--No eligible 
                institution participating in the grant program under 
                this section shall receive a per-student rebate amount 
                for any year that is greater than the national average 
                of annual tuition and fees at public 4-year 
                institutions of higher education for such year, as 
                determined by the Secretary.
                    ``(B) First-year tuition and fees.--During the 
                first year of participation in the grant program under 
                this section, no eligible institution may increase 
                tuition and fees at a rate greater than any annual 
                increase at the eligible institution in the previous 5 
                years.
    ``(d) Application.--An eligible institution that desires a grant 
under this section shall submit an application to the Secretary at such 
time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary 
may require.
    ``(e) Use of Funds.--Funds awarded under this section to a 
participating eligible institution shall be used to waive or 
significantly reduce tuition and fees for eligible students in an 
amount of not more than up to the annual per-student rebate amount for 
each student, for not more than the first 60 credits an eligible 
student enrolls in the participating eligible institution.

``SEC. 499J. PATHWAYS TO STUDENT SUCCESS FOR HISPANIC-SERVING 
              INSTITUTIONS, ASIAN AMERICAN AND NATIVE AMERICAN PACIFIC 
              ISLANDER-SERVING INSTITUTIONS, ALASKA NATIVE-SERVING 
              INSTITUTIONS, NATIVE HAWAIIAN-SERVING INSTITUTIONS, 
              PREDOMINANTLY BLACK INSTITUTIONS, AND NATIVE AMERICAN-
              SERVING NONTRIBAL INSTITUTIONS.

    ``(a) In General.--From amounts appropriated under section 499L(a) 
for any fiscal year, the Secretary shall award grants to participating 
4-year minority-serving institutions to--
            ``(1) encourage students to enroll and successfully 
        complete a bachelor's degree at participating institutions;
            ``(2) provide incentives to community college students to 
        transfer to participating institutions through strong transfer 
        pathways to complete a bachelor's degree program; and
            ``(3) support participating institutions to better serve 
        new and existing students by engaging in reforms and 
        innovations designed to improve completion rates and other 
        student outcomes.
    ``(b) Institutional Eligibility.--To be eligible to participate and 
receive a grant under this section, an institution shall be a minority-
serving institution that--
            ``(1) has a student body of which not less than 35 percent 
        are low-income students;
            ``(2) commits to maintaining or adopting and implementing 
        promising and evidence-based institutional reforms and 
        innovative practices to improve the completion rates and other 
        student outcomes, such as--
                    ``(A) providing comprehensive academic and student 
                support services, including mentoring and advising, 
                especially for low-income, first-generation, adult, and 
                other underrepresented students;
                    ``(B) providing direct support services such as--
                            ``(i) childcare, transportation, emergency 
                        financial assistance, and mental health and 
                        substance use disorder treatment;
                            ``(ii) assistance in obtaining health 
                        insurance coverage;
                            ``(iii) assistance securing affordable 
                        housing;
                            ``(iv) efforts to address food insecurity 
                        and campus hunger; and
                            ``(v) efforts to facilitate student 
                        participation in means-tested Federal benefit 
                        programs (as defined in section 479(d));
                    ``(C) providing accelerated learning opportunities 
                and degree pathways, such as dual enrollment and 
                pathways to graduate and professional degree programs;
                    ``(D) partnering with employers, industry, not-for-
                profit associations, and other groups to provide 
                opportunities to advance learning outside the 
                classroom, including work-based learning opportunities 
                such as internships or apprenticeships or programs 
                designed to improve inter-cultural development and 
                personal growth, such as foreign exchange and study 
                abroad programs;
                    ``(E) strengthening remedial education, especially 
                for low-income students, first generation college 
                students, adult students, and other underrepresented 
                students; and
                    ``(F) implementing course redesigns of high-
                enrollment courses to improve student outcomes and 
                reduce cost;
            ``(3) sets performance goals for improving student outcomes 
        for the duration of the grant; and
            ``(4) if receiving a grant for transfer students, has 
        articulation agreements with community colleges at the 
        national, State, or local levels to ensure that community 
        college credits can fully transfer to the participating 
        institution.
    ``(c) Grant Amount.--
            ``(1) Initial amount.--For the first year that an eligible 
        institution participates in the grant program under this 
        section and subject to paragraph (3), such participating 
        eligible institution shall receive a grant in an amount based 
        on the product of--
                    ``(A) the actual cost of tuition and fees at the 
                eligible institution in such year (referred to in this 
                section as the per-student rebate); and
                    ``(B) the number of eligible students enrolled in 
                the eligible institution for the preceding year.
            ``(2) Subsequent increases.--For each succeeding year after 
        the first year of the grant program under this section, each 
        participating eligible institution shall receive a grant in the 
        amount determined under paragraph (1) for such year, except 
        that in no case shall the amount of the per-student rebate 
        increase by more than 3 percent as compared to the amount of 
        such rebate for the preceding year.
            ``(3) Limitations.--
                    ``(A) Maximum per-student rebate.--No eligible 
                institution participating in the grant program under 
                this section shall receive a per-student rebate amount 
                for a grant year greater than the national average of 
                public four-year institutional tuition and fees, as 
                determined by the Secretary.
                    ``(B) First-year tuition and fees.--During the 
                first year of participation in the grant program under 
                this section, no eligible institution may increase 
                tuition and fees at a rate greater than any annual 
                increase made by the institution in the previous 5 
                years.
    ``(d) Application.--An eligible institution shall submit an 
application to the Secretary at such time, in such a manner, and 
containing such information as determined by the Secretary.
    ``(e) Use of Funds.--Funds awarded under this section to a 
participating eligible institution shall be used to waive or 
significantly reduce tuition and fees for eligible students in an 
amount of not more than up to the annual per-student rebate amount for 
each student, for not more than the first 60 credits an eligible 
student enrolls in the participating eligible institution.

``SEC. 499K. DEFINITIONS.

    ``In this subpart:
            ``(1) Eligible student.--
                    ``(A) Definition.--The term `eligible student' 
                means a student, regardless of age, who--
                            ``(i)(I) enrolls in a historically black 
                        college or university, Tribal College or 
                        University, or minority-serving institution; or
                            ``(II) transfers from a community college 
                        into a historically black college or 
                        university, Tribal College or University, or 
                        minority-serving institution;
                            ``(ii) attends the historically black 
                        college or university, Tribal College or 
                        University, or minority-serving institution, on 
                        at least a half-time basis;
                            ``(iii) maintains satisfactory academic 
                        progress; and
                            ``(iv) is a low-income student.
                    ``(B) Special rules.--
                            ``(i) First 3 years.--An otherwise eligible 
                        student shall lose eligibility 3 calendar years 
                        after first receiving benefits under this 
                        title.
                            ``(ii) Special rule for certain students.--
                        Notwithstanding subparagraph (A)(i), an 
                        otherwise eligible student whose parent or 
                        guardian was denied a Federal Direct PLUS loan 
                        under part D after November 1, 2011, and before 
                        March 29, 2015, and who subsequently withdrew 
                        from a historically black college or 
                        university, Tribal College or University, or 
                        minority-serving institution, and has not yet 
                        completed a program of study at such 
                        historically black college or university or 
                        minority-serving institution, shall be eligible 
                        to participate under sections 499H, 499I, or 
                        499J in order to complete such program of 
                        study, subject to all other requirements of 
                        sections 499H, 499I, or 499J (as the case may 
                        be).
            ``(2) Historically black college or university.--The term 
        `historically black college or university' means a part B 
        institution described in section 322(2).
            ``(3) Low-income student.--The term `low-income student'--
                    ``(A) shall include any student eligible for a 
                Federal Pell Grant under section 401; and
                    ``(B) may include a student ineligible for a 
                Federal Pell Grant under section 401 who is determined 
                by the institution to be a low-income student based on 
                an analysis of the student's ability to afford the cost 
                of attendance at the institution.
            ``(4) Minority-serving institution.--The term `minority-
        serving institution' means any public or not-for-profit 
        institution of higher education--
                    ``(A) described in paragraph (2) and paragraphs (4) 
                through (7) of section 371(a); and
                    ``(B) designated as a minority-serving institution 
                by the Secretary.
            ``(5) Tribal college or university.--The term `Tribal 
        College or University' has the meaning given the term in 
        section 316.

``SEC. 499L. APPROPRIATIONS.

    ``(a) Authorization and Appropriations for HBCU, TCU, and MSI 
Grants.--For the purpose of carrying out sections 499H, 499I, and 499J 
there are authorized to be appropriated, and there are appropriated--
            ``(1) $63,250,000 for fiscal year 2020;
            ``(2) $206,990,000 for fiscal year 2021;
            ``(3) $1,232,760,000 for fiscal year 2022;
            ``(4) $1,282,210,000 for fiscal year 2023;
            ``(5) $1,333,950,000 for fiscal year 2024;
            ``(6) $1,386,850,000 for fiscal year 2025;
            ``(7) $1,408,700,000 for fiscal year 2026;
            ``(8) $1,501,850,000 for fiscal year 2027;
            ``(9) $1,562,800,000 for fiscal year 2028; and
            ``(10) $1,626,040,000 for fiscal year 2029 and each 
        succeeding fiscal year.
    ``(b) Availability.--Funds appropriated under subsection (a) are to 
remain available to the Secretary until expended.
    ``(c) Insufficient Funds.--If the amount appropriated under 
subsection (a) for a fiscal year is not sufficient to award each 
participating institution in the grant programs under sections 499H, 
499I, and 499J a grant under this part equal to 100 percent of the 
grant amount determined under section 499H(c), 499I(c), or 499J(c), as 
appropriate, the Secretary may ratably reduce the amount of each such 
grant or take other actions necessary to ensure an equitable 
distribution of such amount.''.
                                 <all>