Service for School Act of 2005 - Authorizes the Secretary of Education to provide tuition assistance to undergraduate students attending eligible institutions of higher education in exchange for a commitment to perform national service.
[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4459 Introduced in House (IH)]
109th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 4459
To provide tuition assistance to undergraduate students in exchange for
the performance of National service.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
December 7, 2005
Mr. Ford introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Education and the Workforce
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To provide tuition assistance to undergraduate students in exchange for
the performance of National service.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SEC. 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Service for School Act of 2005''.
SECTION 2. PURPOSE.
The purpose of this Act is to provide Federal tuition assistance to
undergraduate students attending eligible institutions in exchange for
a commitment to perform National service.
SEC. 3. TUITION ASSISTANCE AUTHORIZED.
(a) Service for School Tuition Assistance Authorized.--The
Secretary is authorized to pay, in accordance with subsection (b), to
each Service for School participant for each academic year during which
such participant is in attendance at an eligible institution as an
undergraduate, tuition assistance in an amount not more than the amount
such participant elects to receive in the Service for School agreement.
The authority to pay tuition assistance under this Act shall be
effective for any fiscal year only to such extent or in such amounts as
are provided in appropriations Acts.
(b) Distribution of Tuition Assistance to Students.--Tuition
assistance payments under this Act shall be made in accordance with
regulations promulgated by the Secretary for such purpose and in such
manner as will best accomplish the purpose of this Act.
SEC. 4. APPLICATION; ELIGIBILITY.
(a) Application.--The Secretary shall from time to time set dates
by which eligible individuals shall file applications for tuition
assistance under this Act. Each eligible individual desiring to be a
Service for School participant for any year shall file an application
with the Secretary containing such information and assurances as the
Secretary may deem necessary to carry out the purpose of this Act.
(b) Eligibility.--An individual shall be eligible to apply for
tuition assistance under this Act if the individual--
(1) is enrolled or accepted for enrollment in an
educational program at an eligible institution, as defined in
section 10, for which such institution awards an associate's or
a bachelors' degree; and
(2) enters into a Service for School agreement with the
Secretary under section 6.
SEC. 5. PARTICIPANT SELECTION.
(a) Selection.--Each academic year, the Secretary shall select
Service for School participants from the applications received from
eligible individuals under section 4.
(b) Priority.--The Secretary shall give priority to those eligible
individuals who demonstrate the greatest financial need.
SEC. 6. SERVICE FOR SCHOOL AGREEMENT.
(a) Agreement Terms.--The Service for School agreement shall--
(1) require that any participant that receives tuition
assistance under this Act shall complete--
(A) one calendar year of full-time National service
for each academic year during which the participant
received the maximum amount of tuition assistance under
section 7;
(B) two calendar years of part-time National
service for each academic year during which the
participant received the maximum amount of tuition
assistance under section 7; or
(C) in the case of an academic year during which
the participant received less than the maximum amount
of tuition assistance under section 7, National service
for a period equivalent to the amount of tuition
assistance received for such academic year, as
determined by the Secretary;
(2) include the amount of tuition assistance requested by
the eligible individual for that academic year, not to exceed
the maximum amount of tuition assistance under section 7;
(3) require that a participant begin to perform such
National service no later than 12 months after the date of
graduation (or permanent departure) from an eligible
institution;
(4) require that a participant complete such National
service not later than 10 years after the date of graduation
(or permanent departure) from an eligible institution;
(5) provide that a participant shall not be considered to
have permanently departed from an institution if the
participant, in a manner and under the terms established by and
with the approval of the Secretary, transfers to another
eligible institution, or postpones or interrupts enrollment at
an eligible institution for not more than 12 months;
(6) provide that a participant may appeal to the Secretary
for an extension of the time requirements under paragraphs (3)
and (4), and that the Secretary may waive such requirements for
exceptional circumstances or hardship;
(7) provide that, in the event that a participant fails to
abide by the terms of the agreement, the participant shall
repay any Federal tuition assistance received by the
participant for which the participant did not perform the
required National service, as determined by the Secretary; and
(8) provide that such Service for School agreement shall be
null and void if the eligible individual is not selected by the
Secretary to be a Service for School participant for academic
year for which the application is submitted.
(b) Duration of Agreement; Renewal.--A Service for School agreement
shall be made for only one academic year of tuition assistance at a
time. Such agreement shall be renewable on an annual basis if the
participant remains eligible. A participant may revise annually the
amount of tuition assistance requested (in accordance with subsection
(a)(2)).
SEC. 7. TUITION ASSISTANCE.
(a) Maximum Amount of Tuition Assistance.--For each academic year,
a Service for School participant shall be eligible to receive tuition
assistance in an amount not to exceed the lesser of--
(1) the average total tuition and fees for full-time
students for a complete academic year at four-year public
colleges and universities, as determined annually by the
College Board, for the most recent academic year for which data
is available; or
(2) such participant's cost of attendance, as defined under
section 472 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
1087ll).
(b) Election of Reduced Tuition Assistance.--A Service for School
participant may elect to receive less than the maximum amount of
tuition assistance in exchange for a reduced requirement to perform
National service (in accordance with section 6(a)(1)(C)).
(c) Form of Tuition Assistance.--The tuition assistance provided to
a Service for School participant under this Act shall be in the form of
grants, remissions of expenses, or such other form as the Secretary
considers appropriate.
SEC. 8. COLLECTION AND WAIVER AUTHORITY.
(a) Collection by the Secretary.--The Secretary shall have the
authority to collect amounts owed by a Service for School participant
under section 6(a)(7). The Secretary may, for the purpose of collection
of such amounts, exercise the authorities conferred on the Secretary by
sections 467 and 468 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
1087gg and 1087hh) with respect to the collection of defaulted loans
under part E of title IV of such Act. Amounts collected under this
subsection shall remain available to the Secretary for making tuition
assistance payments under this Act during the succeeding fiscal year.
(b) Waiver for Exceptional Circumstances.--The Secretary may waive
the National service performance requirement under section 6(a)(1), and
the repayment requirement under section 6(a)(7), if exceptional
circumstances such as illness or death prevent a Service for School
participant from meeting such requirements.
SEC. 9. REGULATIONS.
The Secretary is authorized to issue such regulations as may be
necessary to carry out the provisions of this Act, including any
regulations necessary to verify completion by the participants of the
terms of the Service for School agreement under section 6.
SEC. 10. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) National service.--The term ``National service'' means
service in--
(A) the Armed Forces (as defined under 10 U.S.C.
101), including service on active duty and service in
the National Guard or a reserve component of the Armed
Forces;
(B) the Peace Corps;
(C) any AmeriCorps-sponsored program, including
City Year and Teach for America;
(D) any Citizen Corps program;
(E) any USA Freedom Corps program; or
(F) any program specifically authorized as such by
the Secretary for the purpose of this Act.
(2) Eligible institution.--The term ``eligible
institution'' means an institution of higher education as
defined in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20
U.S.C. 1001).
(3) Full-time national service.--The term ``full-time
National service'' means the performance of National service
for not less than 40 hours per week, including active duty in
the Armed Forces.
(4) Part-time national service.--The term ``part-time
National service'' means the performance of National service
for less than 40 hours per week, but not less than 40 hours per
month, including service in the National Guard and in a reserve
component of the Armed Forces.
(5) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of Education.
(6) State.--The term ``State'' means each of the several
States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto
Rico, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands,
American Samoa, Guam, the United States Virgin Islands, and any
other territory or possession of the United States.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Select Education.
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