,i  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #afeb  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,march #h1 #bjai ,ms4
 ,frankel 7for herself and ,mr4         
,bilirakis7 introduced the following    
bill2 which was referred to the         
,committee on ,education and ,labor  ,a 
,,bill  ,to reauthorize and improve a   
grant program to assist institutions of 
higher education in establishing1       
maintaining1 improving1 and operating   
,veteran ,student ,centers4  #a4 ,short 
title ,this ,act may be cited as the    
,veteran ,education ,empowerment ,act4  
#b4 ,findings ,congress finds the       
following3  7#a7 ,over #a1jjj1jjj       
veterans attend institutions of higher  
education each year4  7#b7 ,veterans    
face unique challenges in transitioning 
from the battlefield to the classroom   
and eventually to the workforce1        
including3 age differences1 family      
obligations1 significant time away from 
academic life1 and service-related      
disabilities4  7#c7 ,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 college4  7#d7        
,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           
experience4  7#e7 ,veteran ,student     
,centers are recognized as an           
institutional best practice by ,student 
,veterans of ,america4  7#f7 ,the       
,american ,council on ,education1 which 
represents more than #a1gjj institutions
 of higher education across the ,united 
,states1 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 many colleges'    
efforts to serve their veteran students4
  7#g7 ,the ,department of ,education   
included as one of its #h ,keys to      
,veterans' ,success that colleges and   
universities should coordinate and      
centralize campus efforts for all       
veterans1 together with the creation of 
a designated space for them4  7#h7      
,budget constraints often make it       
difficult or impossible for institutions
 of higher education to dedicate space  
to veteran offices1 lounges1 or student 
centers4  7#i7 ,the #aajth ,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 #aife 
7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #aafat74 ,congress also  
chose to appropriate funding for this   
program for fiscal year #bjae under the 
,consolidated and ,further ,continuing  
,appropriations ,act1 #bjae 7,public    
,law #aac-bce74  7#aj7 ,according to the

 ,department of ,education1 federally   
funded ,veteran ,student ,centers and   
staff have generated improved           
recruitment1 retention1 and graduation  
rates1 have helped veteran students feel
 better connected across campus1 and    
have directly contributed to veteran    
students' successful academic outcomes4 
#c4 ,grant program to establish1        
maintain1 and improve ,veteran ,student 
,centers ,part ,t of title ,,viii of the
 ,higher ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj  
,u4,s4,c4 #aafat7 is amended to read as 
follows3  ,t ,grants for ,veteran       
,student ,centers  #hgc4 ,grants for    
,veteran ,student ,centers  7a7 ,grants 
authorized ,subject to the availability 
of appropriations under subsection 7h71 
the ,secretary shall award grants to    
institutions of higher education or     
consortia of institutions of higher     
education to assist in the              
establishment1 maintenance1 improvement1
 and operation of ,veteran ,student     
,centers4  7b7 ,eligibility  7#a7       

,application ,an institution or         
consortium seeking a grant under        
subsection 7a7 shall submit to the      
,secretary an application at such time1 
in such manner1 and containing such     
information as the ,secretary may       
require4  7#b7 ,criteria ,the ,secretary
 may award a grant under subsection 7a7 
to an institution or a consortium if the
 institution or consortium meets each of
 the following criteria3  7,a7 ,the     
institution or consortium enrolls in    
undergraduate or graduate courses-- 7i7 
a significant number of veteran         
students1 members of the ,armed ,forces 
serving on active duty1 or members of a 
reserve component of the ,armed ,forces2
 or  7ii7 a significant percentage of   
veteran students1 members of the ,armed 
,forces serving on active duty1 or      
members of a reserve component of the   
,armed ,forces1  as measured by         
comparing1 for the most recent academic 
year for which data are available1 the  
number or percentage of veteran         

students1 members of the ,armed ,forces 
serving on active duty1 and members of a
 reserve component of the ,armed ,forces
 who are enrolled in undergraduate or   
graduate courses at the institution or  
consortium1 with the average number or  
percentage of veteran students1 members 
of the ,armed ,forces serving on active 
duty1 and members of a reserve component
 of the ,armed ,forces who were enrolled
 in undergraduate or graduate courses at
 comparable institutions or consortia of
 institutions4  7,b7 ,the institution or
 consortium presents a sustainability   
plan to demonstrate that the ,veteran   
,student ,center will be maintained and 
will continue to operate after the grant
 period has ended4  7#c7 ,selection     
criteria ,in awarding grants under      
subsection 7a71 the ,secretary shall    
provide priority consideration to       
institutions or consortia that meet one 
or more of the following criteria3 7,a7 
,the institution or consortium is       
located in a region or community that   

has a significant population of         
veterans4  7,b7 ,the institution or     
consortium carries out programs or      
activities that assist veterans in the  
local community1 and the spouses or     
partners and children of veteran        
students4  7,c7 ,the institution or     
consortium partners in its              
veteran-specific programming with       
nonprofit veteran service organizations1
 local workforce development            
organizations1 or other institutions of 
higher education4  7,d7 ,the institution
 or consortium commits to hiring a staff
 at the ,veteran ,student ,center that  
includes veterans 7including veteran    
student volunteers and veteran students 
participating in a ,federal work-study  
program under part ,c of title ,,iv1 a  
work-study program administered by the  
,secretary of ,veteran ,affairs1 or a   
,state work-study program74  7,e7 ,the  
institution or consortium commits to    
using a portion of the grant received   
under this section to develop or        

maintain a veteran student retention    
program carried out by the ,veteran     
,student ,center4  7,f7 ,the institution
 or consortium commits to providing     
mental health counseling to its veteran 
students 7and the spouses or partners   
and children of such students74  7c7    
,use of funds  7#a7 ,in general ,an     
institution or consortium that is       
awarded a grant under subsection 7a7    
shall use such grant to establish1      
maintain1 improve1 or operate a ,veteran
 ,student ,center4  7#b7 ,other         
allowable uses ,an institution or       
consortium receiving a grant under      
subsection 7a7 may use a portion of such
 grant to carry out supportive          
instruction services for veteran        
students1 including-- 7,a7 assistance   
with special admissions and transfer of 
credit from previous postsecondary      
education or experience2 and  7,b7 any  
other support services the institution  
or consortium determines to be necessary
 to ensure the success of veteran       

students in achieving education and     
career goals4  7d7 ,amounts awarded     
7#a7 ,duration ,each grant awarded under
 subsection 7a7 shall be for a #d-year  
period4  7#b7 ,total amount of grant and
 schedule ,each grant awarded under     
subsection 7a7 may not exceed a total of
 #ejj1jjj4 ,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 appropriate4  7e7 ,report    
,from the amounts appropriated to carry 
out this section1 and not later than #c 
years after the date on which the first 
grant is awarded under subsection 7a71  
the ,secretary shall submit to ,congress
 a report on the grant program          
established under subsection 7a71       
including--  7#a7 the number of grants  
awarded2  7#b7 the institutions of      
higher education and consortia that have
 received grants2  7#c7 with respect to 
each such institution of higher         

education and consortium-- 7,a7 the     
amounts awarded2  7,b7 how such         
institution or consortium used such     
amounts2  7,c7 a description of the     
demographics of veteran students 7and   
spouses or partners and children of such
 students7 to whom services were offered
 as a result of the award2  7,d7 the    
number of veteran students 7and spouses 
or partners and children of such        
students7 to whom services were offered 
as a result of the award1 and a         
description of the services that were   
offered and provided2 and  7,e7 data    
enumerating whether the use of the      
amounts awarded helped veteran students 
at the institution or consortium toward 
completion of a degree1 certificate1 or 
credential2  7#d7 best practices for    
veteran student success1 identified by  
reviewing data provided by institutions 
and consortia that received a grant     
under this section2 and  7#e7 a         
determination by the ,secretary with    
respect to whether the grant program    

under this section should be extended or
 expanded4  7f7 ,department of          
,education best practices website       
,subject to the availability of         
appropriations under subsection 7h7 and 
not later than #c years after the date  
on which the first grant is awarded     
under subsection 7a71 the ,secretary    
shall develop and implement a website   
for ,veteran ,student ,centers at       
institutions of higher education1 which 
details best practices for serving      
veteran students at institutions of     
higher education4  7g7 ,definitions ,in 
this section3  7#a7 ,institution of     
higher education ,the term institution  
of higher education has the meaning     
given the term in section #aja4  7#b7   
,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 veterans1     
members of the ,armed ,forces serving on
 active duty1 or members of a reserve   

component of the ,armed ,forces with the
 following3  7,a7 ,a lounge or meeting  
space for such veteran students 7and the
 spouses or partners and children of    
such students71 and veterans in the     
community4  7,b7 ,a centralized office  
for veteran student services that--  7i7
 is a single point of contact to        
coordinate comprehensive support        
services for veteran students2  7ii7 is 
staffed by trained employees and        
volunteers1 which includes veterans and 
at least one full-time employee or      
volunteer who is trained as a veterans' 
benefits counselor2  7iii7 provides     
veteran students with assistance        
relating to-- 7,i7 transitioning from   
the military to student life2  7,,ii7   
transitioning from the military to the  
civilian workforce2  7,,iii7 networking 
with other veteran students and veterans
 in the community2  7,,iv7 understanding
 and obtaining benefits provided by the 
institution of higher education1        
,federal ,government1 and ,state for    

which such students may be eligible2    
7,v7 understanding how to succeed in the
 institution of higher education1       
including by understanding academic     
policies1 the course selection process1 
and institutional policies and practices
 related to the transfer of academic    
credits2 and  7,,vi7 understanding      
disability-related rights and           
protections under the ,americans with   
,disabilities ,act of #aiij 7#db        
,u4,s4,c4 #abaja et seq47 and section   
#ejd of the ,rehabilitation ,act of     
#aigc 7#bi ,u4,s4,c4 #gid72 and  7iv7   
provides comprehensive academic and     
tutoring services for veteran students1 
including peer-to-peer tutoring and     
academic mentorship4  7h7 ,authorization
 of appropriations ,there are authorized
 to be appropriated to carry out this   
part such sums as may be necessary for  
fiscal year #bjbj and each succeeding   
fiscal year4  4