[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3995 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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118th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 3995
To authorize the Secretary of Education to award grants to create
evidence-based student success programs designed to increase
participation, retention, and completion rates of high-need students.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
March 20, 2024
Mr. Heinrich introduced the following bill; which was read twice and
referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To authorize the Secretary of Education to award grants to create
evidence-based student success programs designed to increase
participation, retention, and completion rates of high-need students.
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 ``Postsecondary Student Success Act of
2024''.
SEC. 2. PURPOSE.
It is the purpose of this Act to support evidence-based
participation, retention, and completion activities designed to ensure
the postsecondary success of high-need students.
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Completion rate.--The term ``completion rate'' means--
(A) the percentage of students from an initial
cohort enrolled at an entity that is a 2-year
institution who have graduated from the institution or
transferred to a 4-year institution of higher
education; or
(B) the percentage of students from an initial
cohort enrolled at an entity in the State that is a 4-
year institution who have graduated from the
institution.
(2) 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).
(3) 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).
(4) Eligible entity.--The term ``eligible entity'' means--
(A) a public institution of higher education;
(B) a partnership between a nonprofit educational
organization and an institution of higher education; or
(C) a consortium of institutions of higher
education.
(5) Eligible indian entity.--The term ``eligible Indian
entity'' means the entity responsible for the governance,
operation, or control of a Tribal College or University.
(6) Evidence-based.--The term ``evidence-based'' has the
meaning given the term in section 8101(21)(A) of the Elementary
and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801(21)(A)).
(7) Evidence tiers.--
(A) Evidence tier 1 reform or practice.--The term
``evidence tier 1 reform or practice'' means a reform
or practice that prior research suggests has promise
for the purpose of successfully improving student
achievement or attainment for high-need students.
(B) Evidence tier 2 reform or practice.--The term
``evidence tier 2 reform or practice'' means a reform
or practice described in subparagraph (A), or other
reform or practice meeting similar criteria, that
measures impact and cost effectiveness of student
success activities, and, through rigorous evaluation
(including through the use of existing administrative
data, as applicable), has been found to be successfully
implemented.
(C) Evidence tier 3 reform or practice.--The term
``evidence tier 3 reform or practice'' means a reform
or practice described in subparagraph (B), or other
reform or practice meeting similar criteria, that has
been found to produce sizable, important impacts on
student success and--
(i) determining whether such impacts can be
successfully reproduced and sustained over
time; and
(ii) identifying the conditions in which
such reform or practice is most effective.
(8) First generation college student.--The term ``first
generation college student'' has the meaning given the term in
section 402A(h) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
1070a-11(h)).
(9) High-need student.--The term ``high-need student''
means--
(A) a student from low-income background;
(B) a first generation college student;
(C) a caregiver student;
(D) a student with a disability;
(E) a student who stopped out before completing;
(F) a reentering justice-impacted student; or
(G) a military-connected student.
(10) Institution of higher education.--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).
(11) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of Education.
(12) Tribal college or university.--The term ``Tribal
College or University'' has the meaning given the term in
section 316(b)(3) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20
U.S.C. 1059c(b)(3)).
SEC. 4. RESERVATION OF FUNDS FOR ELIGIBLE INDIAN ENTITIES.
From the total amount appropriated to carry out this Act for a
fiscal year, the Secretary shall reserve 2 percent for grants to
eligible Indian entities to increase participation, retention, and
completion rates of high-need students.
SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF POSTSECONDARY STUDENT SUCCESS COMPETITIVE
GRANTS.
(a) Grant Authorization.--For each of fiscal years 2025 through
2030, the Secretary shall award, on a competitive basis, grants to
eligible entities to provide student services to increase
participation, retention, and completion rates of high-need students.
(b) Notification and Application.--An eligible entity or eligible
Indian entity desiring a grant under this Act shall submit an
application to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and
containing the information required under subsection (c).
(c) Content of Application.--An application submitted under this
section shall include the following:
(1) A plan to increase, with respect to all students
enrolled at the eligible entity or Tribal College or
University, attainment and completion rates or graduation
rates, including--
(A) a description of the evidence-based reform or
practice that would be used and whether the reform or
practice would be an evidence tier 1 reform or
practice, evidence tier 2 reform or practice, or
evidence tier 3 reform or practice; and
(B) a particular focus on serving high-need
students through student services and collaboration
among 2-year programs, 4-year programs, and workforce
systems.
(2) Annual benchmarks for student outcomes with respect to
the evidence-based reform or practice that would be used.
(3) A plan to evaluate the evidence-based reform or
practice that would be used.
(4) Rates of enrolled students who received a Federal Pell
Grant under subpart 1 of part A of title IV of the Higher
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1070a et seq.).
(5) Demographics of enrolled students, including high-need
students.
(6) A description of how the eligible entity or eligible
Indian entity will, directly or in collaboration with other
institutions of higher education or nonprofit organizations,
use the grant funds to implement one or more of the following
evidence-based reforms and practices:
(A) Providing comprehensive academic, career, and
student services, which may include mentoring,
advising, or case management services.
(B) Providing accelerated learning opportunities,
which may include dual or concurrent enrollment
programs and early college high school programs.
(C) Reforming course scheduling, or credit-awarding
policies.
(D) Improving transfer pathways between the
eligible entity, or Tribal College or University, and
other institutions of higher education.
(7) A description of how the evidence-based reform or
practice will be sustained once the grant expires.
(d) Evidence-Based Student Success Programs.--From the total amount
appropriated to carry out this Act for a fiscal year and not reserved
under section 4, the Secretary shall reserve not less than 20 percent
to award grants to eligible entities with applications that propose to
include evidence-based reforms and practices--
(1) at least 1 of which is an evidence tier 3 reform or
practice; and
(2) the rest of which are evidence tier 1 reforms or
practices or evidence tier 2 reforms or practices.
(e) Required Uses of Funds.--An eligible entity or eligible Indian
entity that receives a grant under this Act shall use the grant funds
to carry out the plans submitted under subsection (c) and for evidence-
based reforms and practices for improving participation, retention, and
completion rates of students that may include the following:
(1) Student services to support retention, completion, and
success, which may include--
(A) faculty and peer counseling;
(B) use of real-time data on student progress;
(C) improving transfer student success; and
(D) incentives for students to re-enroll or stay on
track.
(2) Direct student support services, including a
combination of--
(A) tutoring, academic supports, and enrichment
services; and
(B) emergency financial assistance.
(3) Efforts to prepare students for a career, which may
include--
(A) career coaching, career counseling and planning
services, and efforts to lower student to advisor
ratios;
(B) networking and work-based learning
opportunities to support the development of skills and
professional relationships;
(C) utilizing career pathways; and
(D) boosting experiences necessary to obtain and
succeed in high-skill, high-wage, or in-demand industry
sectors or occupations, as described in section
135(b)(3) of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical
Education Act of 2006 (20 U.S.C. 2355(b)(3)).
(4) Efforts to recruit and retain faculty and other
instructional staff.
(f) Permissive Use of Funds.--From the total amount appropriated to
carry out this Act for a fiscal year and not reserved under section 4
or subsection (d), the Secretary may set aside--
(1) not more than 5 percent for administration, capacity
building, research, evaluation, and reporting; and
(2) not more than 2 percent for technical assistance to
eligible entities and eligible Indian entities.
(g) Evaluations.--
(1) In general.--For the purpose of improving the
effectiveness of the evidence-based reforms and practices
carried out by eligible entities and eligible Indian entities
pursuant to a grant under this Act, the Secretary shall make
grants to or enter into contracts with 1 or more organizations
to--
(A) evaluate the effectiveness of such evidence-
based reforms and practices; and
(B) disseminate information on the impact of such
evidence-based reforms and practices in increasing
completion and retention activities of students, as
well as other appropriate measures.
(2) Issues to be evaluated.--The evaluations required under
paragraph (1) shall measure the effectiveness of the evidence-
based reforms and practices carried out by eligible entities
and eligible Indian entities pursuant to a grant under this
subsection in--
(A) whether such entity implemented the plans, and
carried out the activities, described in subsection
(c); and
(B) comparing the completion and retention rates of
students who participated in such reforms and practices
with the rates of students of similar backgrounds who
did not participate in such reforms and practices.
(3) Results.--Not later than 18 months after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit a final
report to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and
Pensions of the Senate and the Committee on Education and the
Workforce of the House of Representatives.
(h) Grant Limit.--An eligible entity that has branch campus may
only receive a grant under this Act for 1 campus of the entity at a
time.
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