,,ii  #aagth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #bgee  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,september #ae1
 #bjba,mr4 ,heinrich introduced the     
following bill2 which was read twice and
 referred to the ,committee on ,health1 
,education1 ,labor1 and ,pensions  ,a   
,,bill  ,to authorize the ,secretary of 
,education to award grants to ,states to
 empower public institutions of higher  
education in the ,states to provide     
student support services to students    
from low-income backgrounds1            
historically underrepresented students1 
first-generation college enrollees1     
parenting students1 students with       
disabilities1 and student veterans4  #a4
 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as
 the ,college ,completion ,fund ,act of 
#bjba4  #b4 ,higher education college   
completion fund program  7a7 ,purpose   
,it is the purpose of this ,act to      
support completion and retention        
activities designed to ensure the       
postsecondary success of students from  

low-income backgrounds1 historically    
underrepresented students1              
first-generation college enrollees1     
parenting students1 students with       
disabilities1 and student veterans in   
public institutions of higher education 
serving a significant number of such    
students4  7b7 ,definitions ,in this    
,act3 7#a7 ,completion rate ,the term   
completion rate means-- 7,a7 the        
percentage of students from an initial  
cohort enrolled at a public institution 
of higher education in the ,state that  
is a #b-year institution who have       
graduated from the institution or       
transferred to a #d-year institution of 
higher education2 or  7,b7 the          
percentage of students from an initial  
cohort enrolled at a public institution 
of higher education in the ,state that  
is a #d-year institution who have       
graduated from the institution4  7#b7   
,eligible indian entity ,the term       
eligible ,indian entity means the entity
 responsible for the governance1        

operation1 or control of a ,tribal      
,college or ,university4  7#c7          
,institution of higher education ,the   
term institution of higher education has
 the meaning given the term in section  
#aja of the ,higher ,education ,act of  
#aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajja74  7#d7      
,secretary ,the term ,secretary means   
the ,secretary of ,education4  7#e7     
,state service provider ,the term ,state
 service provider means a nonprofit     
organization that receives ,federal     
funding or ,state funding to provide    
services commensurate with guidelines   
for those services and is in good       
standing with regard to such funding4   
7#f7 ,tribal ,college or ,university    
,the term ,tribal ,college or           
,university has the meaning given the   
term in section #caf7;b77#c7 of the     
,higher ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj   
,u4,s4,c4 #ajei;c7b77#c774  7c7         
,authorization of completion fund  7#a7 
,reservation of funds for eligible      
indian entities ,from the total amount  

appropriated to carry out this section  
for a fiscal year1 the ,secretary shall 
reserve #b percent for grants to        
eligible ,indian entities to increase   
participation and completion rates of   
students from low-income backgrounds1   
historically underrepresented students1 
first-generation college enrollees1     
parenting students1 students with       
disabilities1 and student veterans4     
7#b7 ,grant authorization ,the          
,secretary shall make grants1 from      
allotments under paragraph 7#c71 to     
,states to enable the ,states to        
distribute funds to participating public
 institutions of higher education in the
 ,state to provide student support      
services to increase participation1     
retention1 and completion rates of      
students from low-income backgrounds1   
historically underrepresented students1 
first-generation college enrollees1     
parenting students1 students with       
disabilities1 and student veterans4     
7#c7 ,determination of allotment  7,a7  

,amount of allotment ,from the total    
amount appropriated to carry out this   
section for a fiscal year and not       
reserved under paragraph 7#a71 the      
,secretary shall allot to each ,state   
having an application approved under    
this section an amount1 subject to      
subparagraph 7,b71 that shall be equal  
to the sum of-- 7i7 the amount that     
bears the same relation to #ej percent  
of the amount appropriated and not      
reserved for such fiscal year as the    
number of residents in the ,state aged  
#e through #ag who are living below the 
poverty line applicable to the          
resident's family size 7as determined   
under section #fgc7b7 of the ,community 
,services ,block ,grant ,act 7#db       
,u4,s4,c4 #iijb7b777 bears to the total 
number of such residents in all ,states2
 and  7ii7 the amount that bears the    
same relation to #ej percent of the     
amount appropriated and not reserved for
 such fiscal year as the number of      
residents in the ,state aged #ae through

 #dd who are living below the poverty   
line applicable to the individual's     
family size 7as determined under section
 #fgc7b7 of the ,community ,services    
,block ,grant ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4       
#iijb7b777 bears to the total number of 
such residents in all ,states4  7,b7    
,minimum amount ,the allotment for each 
,state under this section for a fiscal  
year shall not be an amount that is less
 than #a4j percent of the total amount  
appropriated to carry out this section  
for the fiscal year and not reserved    
under paragraph 7#a74  7#d7 ,set asides 
7,a7 ,evidence-based student success    
programs ,each ,state that receives a   
grant under this section shall set aside
 not less than #bj percent of grant     
funds for evidence-based student success
 programs1 which are programs designed  
to improve persistence1 credit          
accumulation1 completion1 or career     
success1 carried out by an institution  
and that-- 7i7 meet-- 7,i7 the          
requirements for evaluation as described

 in subsection 7a77#b77;,b7 of section  
#dfaa of the ,elementary and ,secondary 
,education ,act1 as amended 7#bj        
,u4,s4,c4 #gbfa7;a77#b77;,b772 or       
7,,ii7 the requirements for evaluation  
as described in subsection 7a77#b77;,c7 
of section #dfaa of the ,elementary and 
,secondary ,education ,act1 as amended  
7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #gbfa7;a77#b77;,c772 and 
7ii7 provide students with a program    
advisor to each eligible student        
participating in such program who       
provides comprehensive academic and     
personal advising to the eligible       
student1 including monitoring of        
academic progress of the eligible       
student1 and may provide each eligible  
student with financial incentives1 such 
as tuition assistance1 transportation   
assistance or a gas card1 free tutoring 
and career services 7which can include  
benefit counseling7 to eligible students
 in order to create a community with    
eligible student participating in such  
program4  7,b7 ,permissive ,each ,state 

that receives a grant under this section
 may set aside-- 7i7 not more than #e   
percent of grant funds for              
administration1 capacity building1      
research1 evaluation1 and reporting2 and
  7ii7 not more than #b percent of grant
 funds for technical assistance to      
,state service providers4  7d7 ,state   
strategic plans  7#a7 ,in general ,a    
,state that desires to receive a grant  
under this section shall submit an      
application to the ,secretary at such   
time1 in such manner1 and containing    
such information as the ,secretary may  
require1 including a ,state strategic   
plan4  7#b7 ,development of state       
strategic plan ,each ,state strategic   
plan shall be developed with input from 
each of the following3 7,a7 #b-year     
public institutions of higher education 
in the ,state4  7,b7 #d-year public     
institutions of higher education in the 
,state4  7,c7 ,the ,state workforce     
development board established under     
section #aja of the ,workforce          

,innovation and ,opportunity ,act 7#bi  
,u4,s4,c4 #caaa74  7,d7 ,a ,tribal      
,college or ,university with a campus   
located in the ,state4  7,e7 ,state     
service providers4  7,f7 ,the ,state    
department with jurisdiction over       
children1 youth1 and family services4   
7#c7 ,content of state strategic plan   
,each ,state strategic plan shall       
include the following3 7,a7 ,information
 on the state of the public institutions
 of higher education in the ,state1     
including the following3 7i7 ,a         
description of the distribution of funds
 to be provided from the grant to       
participating public institutions of    
higher education in the ,state4  7ii7 ,a
 strategy for adopting a diverse        
portfolio of promising and              
evidence-based practices4  7iii7 ,annual
 benchmarks for student outcomes4  7iv7 
,information about the evaluation of    
interventions proposed to be funded by  
the grant4  7v7 ,a description of the   
,state's plan for an equity audit of    

higher education financing4  7vi7 ,rates
 of enrolled students who received a    
,federal ,pell ,grant under subpart #a  
of part ,a of title ,,iv of the ,higher 
,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 
#ajgj;a et seq474  7vii7 ,demographics  
of enrolled students1 including students
 from low-income backgrounds1           
historically underrepresented students1 
first-generation college enrollees1     
parenting students1 students with       
disabilities1 and student veterans4     
7,b7 ,a plan to increase student        
attainment and completion rates or      
graduation rates of all students        
enrolled at public institutions of      
higher education in the ,state1 with a  
particular focus on students from       
students from low-income backgrounds1   
historically underrepresented students1 
first-generation college enrollees1     
parenting students1 students with       
disabilities1 and student veterans      
through student support services1       
cross-agency engagement1 and            

collaboration among #b-year programs1   
#d-year programs1 and workforce systems4
  7e7 ,institutional participation  7#a7
 ,eligibility ,a public institution of  
higher education that desires to receive
 assistance under a grant made under    
this section shall submit to the ,state 
in which the institution is located a   
notification that the institution       
desires to opt into participation under 
this section4  7#b7 ,development of     
strategic plan ,a ,state that desires to
 receive a grant under this section     
shall solicit input from public         
institutions of higher education in the 
,state in the development of the ,state 
strategic plan4  7#c7 ,institutional    
support ,a ,state that receives a grant 
under this section shall not limit      
student support services to students    
enrolled at public institutions of      
higher education in the ,state that     
participated in the development of the  
,state strategic plan1 but shall provide
 student support services to students   

enrolled in participating public        
institutions of higher education in the 
,state4  7f7 ,use of funds ,a ,state    
that receives a grant under this section
 shall distribute funds to participating
 institutions of higher education in the
 ,state for evidence-based and promising
 practices in improving retention and   
completion rates1 including the         
following3 7#a7 ,student support        
services to support retention1          
completion1 and success1 including--    
7,a7 faculty and peer counseling2  7,b7 
use of real-time data on student        
progress2 and  7,c7 incentives for      
students to stay on track4  7#b7 ,direct
 student support services1 including--  
7,a7 transportation accessibility2  7,b7
 room and board or assistance to address
 housing instability2  7,c7 addressing  
food instability2  7,d7 remedial        
education2  7,e7 tutoring1 academic     
supports1 and enrichment services2 and  
7,f7 emergency financial assistance4    
7#c7 ,access to health care and mental  

health services on or near campus4  7#d7
 ,support helping students enroll in    
public benefits4  7#e7 ,issues with     
respect to dependents of students1      
including-- 7,a7 high-quality daycare   
and prekindergarten access during       
traditional school hours2  7,b7         
childcare access during non-traditional 
hours2 and  7,c7 prenatal and early     
childhood education classes4  7#f7      
,development of soft skills4  7#g7      
,career coaching1 career counseling and 
planning services1 and efforts to lower 
student to advisor ratios1 including--  
7,a7 networking and work-based learning 
opportunities to support the development
 of skills and relationships2 and  7,b7 
boosting experiences necessary to obtain
 and succeed in high-quality jobs4  7#h7
 ,reforms to developmental education1   
including-- 7,a7 utilizing career       
pathways2 and  7,b7 improving transfer  
student success4  7#i7 ,efforts to      
recruit1 retain1 and develop diverse    
faculty and other instructional staff4  

7g7 ,evaluation and reporting  7#a7     
,designation of independent agency ,the 
,state department with jurisdiction over
 higher education in each ,state that   
receives a grant under this section     
shall designate an independent agency to
 compile and evaluate data linked to    
institutional programs and student      
outcomes funded with grant funds4  7#b7 
,compilation of information ,each       
independent agency designated under     
paragraph 7#a7 shall compile            
longitudinal data tracking student      
participant outcomes1 including the     
following3 7,a7 ,graduation rates1      
disaggregated by age 7#be-years of age  
and younger1 and older than #be-years of
 age71 gender1 income1 race and         
ethnicity1 and first-generation college 
status-- 7i7 at #ajj percent of the     
normal time for graduation2  7ii7 at    
#aej percent of the normal time for     
graduation2 and  7iii7 at #bjj percent  
of the normal time for graduation4  7,b7
 ,transfer out rates1 disaggregated by  

age 7#be-years of age and younger1 and  
older than #be-years of age71 gender1   
income1 race and ethnicity1 and         
first-generation college status4  7,c7  
,withdrawal rates1 including rates of   
students who withdraw to seek employment
 in a related field of study4  7,d7 ,the
 percentage of students who continue    
enrollment at the institution after the 
first year of enrollment4  7,e7 ,the    
median time to degree completion4  7,f7 
,career outcomes and employment data1   
which may include earnings1 within #a   
year of completion1 within #c years of  
completion1 and within #e years of      
completion4  7,g7 ,career outcomes and  
employment data for student participants
 who did not complete the program in    
which the student was enrolled within #a
 year of leaving the program1 within #c 
years of leaving the program1 and within
 #e years of leaving the program4  7#c7 
,techniques ,each independent agency    
designated under paragraph 7#a7 shall   
evaluate the academic outcomes using    

quasi-experimental techniques4  7#d7    
,report ,each independent agency        
designated under paragraph 7#a7 shall   
submit to the ,state department with    
jurisdiction over higher education a    
report that includes findings of the    
data compiled under paragraph 7#b74     
7#e7 ,report to ,congress ,each ,state  
department with jurisdiction over higher
 education that receives a report under 
paragraph 7#d7 shall submit the report  
to the ,department of ,education and the
 authorizing committees1 as defined in  
section #ajc of the ,higher ,education  
,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajjc71 at 
such time and in such matter as the     
,secretary of ,education determines     
appropriate4  7#f7 ,exclusions ,each    
independent agency designated under     
paragraph 7#a7 shall not track data with
 respect to individuals who transfer1   
move1 or seek employment outside of the 
,state4  7h7 ,maintaining net ,state    
operating support for higher education  
7#a7 ,in general ,a ,state that receives

 a grant under this section shall       
maintain net ,state operating support   
for higher education for each fiscal    
year for which the ,state receives a    
grant under this section at a level that
 is not less than the level that is     
equal to the average of such net ,state 
operating support for higher education  
for the #c fiscal years preceding such  
fiscal year4  7#b7 ,waivers  7,a7 ,in   
general ,the ,secretary may grant a     
waiver to a ,state from the requirement 
under paragraph 7#a7 for a fiscal year  
if the ,state demonstrates that-- 7i7   
the net ,state operating support for    
higher education for such fiscal year as
 a percentage of total revenue available
 to the ,state that will fund higher    
education for such fiscal year is not   
less than such percentage for the       
previous fiscal year2 and  7ii7         
unexpected or uncontrollable            
circumstances prevent the ,state from   
maintaining such ,state support4  7,b7  
,no reduction for subsequent fiscal year

 ,if the ,secretary grants a ,state a   
waiver under subparagraph 7,a7 for a    
fiscal year1 a determination of the     
required level of net ,state operating  
support for higher education for        
subsequent fiscal years shall exclude   
the fiscal year for which the waiver was
 granted4  7i7 ,authorization of        
appropriations ,there are authorized to 
be appropriated to carry out this       
section #fb1jjj1jjj1jjj for the period  
of fiscal years #bjbb through #bjca4