No official summary available for this bill.
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6358 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 6358
To reauthorize and improve a grant program to assist institutions of
higher education in establishing, maintaining, improving, and operating
Student Veteran Centers.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
December 2, 2025
Ms. Lois Frankel of Florida (for herself, Mr. Bilirakis, Mr. Bacon, Mr.
Bell, Mr. Bishop, Ms. Budzinski, Mr. Carbajal, Ms. Castor of Florida,
Ms. Chu, Ms. Dean of Pennsylvania, Mrs. Dingell, Mr. Evans of
Pennsylvania, Mr. Fields, Mr. Fitzpatrick, Ms. Garcia of Texas, Ms.
Norton, Ms. Kelly of Illinois, Mr. Krishnamoorthi, Mr. Levin, Mr. Lieu,
Mr. Lynch, Ms. McBride, Ms. Meng, Ms. Moore of Wisconsin, Mr. Moulton,
Mr. Nunn of Iowa, Mr. Peters, Ms. Pingree, Ms. Salinas, Ms. Sewell, Ms.
Tlaib, Mr. Vargas, Mr. Whitesides, and Ms. Wilson of Florida)
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on
Education and Workforce
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To reauthorize and improve a grant program to assist institutions of
higher education in establishing, maintaining, improving, and operating
Student Veteran Centers.
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 ``Veteran Education Empowerment Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) Almost 1,000,000 veterans attend institutions of higher
education each year.
(2) Veterans face unique challenges in transitioning from
the battlefield to the classroom and eventually to the
workforce, including age differences, family obligations,
significant time away from academic life, and service-related
disabilities.
(3) Studies have found that student veterans can feel
lonely and vulnerable on campus and that connecting student
veterans can effectively ease this isolation by bringing
together new student veterans with those who have already
successfully navigated the first few semesters of college.
(4) Student Veteran Centers are recognized as an
institutional best practice by Student Veterans of America.
(5) The Department of Education included as one of its 8
Keys to Veterans' Success that colleges and universities should
``coordinate and centralize campus efforts for all veterans,
together with the creation of a designated space for them''.
(6) Budget constraints often make it difficult or
impossible for institutions of higher education to dedicate
space to veteran offices, lounges, or student centers.
(7) The 110th Congress authorized the funding of Student
Veteran Centers through the Centers of Excellence for Veteran
Student Success under part T of title VIII of the Higher
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1161t). Congress has
appropriated funding for this program in subsequent years.
SEC. 3. GRANT PROGRAM TO ESTABLISH, MAINTAIN, AND IMPROVE STUDENT
VETERAN CENTERS.
Part T of title VIII of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
1161t) is amended to read as follows:
``PART T--GRANTS FOR STUDENT VETERAN CENTERS
``SEC. 873. GRANTS FOR STUDENT VETERAN CENTERS.
``(a) Grants Authorized.--Subject to the availability of
appropriations under subsection (h), the Secretary shall award grants
to institutions of higher education or consortia of institutions of
higher education to assist in the establishment, maintenance,
improvement, and operation of Student Veteran Centers.
``(b) Eligibility.--
``(1) Application.--An institution or consortium seeking a
grant under subsection (a) shall submit to the Secretary an
application at such time, in such manner, and containing such
information as the Secretary may require.
``(2) Criteria.--The Secretary may award a grant under
subsection (a) to an institution or a consortium if the
institution or consortium meets each of the following criteria:
``(A) The institution or consortium enrolls in
undergraduate or graduate courses--
``(i) a significant number of student
veterans, members of the Armed Forces serving
on active duty, or members of a reserve
component of the Armed Forces; or
``(ii) a significant percentage of student
veterans, members of the Armed Forces serving
on active duty, or members of a reserve
component of the Armed Forces,
as measured by comparing, for the most recent academic
year for which data are available, the number or
percentage of student veterans, members of the Armed
Forces serving on active duty, and members of a reserve
component of the Armed Forces who are enrolled in
undergraduate or graduate courses at the institution or
consortium, with the average number or percentage of
student veterans, members of the Armed Forces serving
on active duty, and members of a reserve component of
the Armed Forces who were enrolled in undergraduate or
graduate courses at comparable institutions or
consortia of institutions.
``(B) The institution or consortium presents a
sustainability plan to demonstrate that the Student
Veteran Center will be maintained and will continue to
operate after the grant period has ended.
``(3) Selection criteria.--In awarding grants under
subsection (a), the Secretary shall provide the following:
``(A) Priority consideration to institutions or
consortia that meet one or more of the following
criteria:
``(i) The institution or consortium is
located in a region or community that has a
significant population of veterans.
``(ii) The institution or consortium
considers the need to serve student veterans at
a wide range of institutions of higher
education, including the need to provide
equitable distribution of grants to
institutions of various sizes, geographic
locations, and institutions in urban and rural
areas.
``(iii) The institution or consortium
carries out programs or activities that assist
veterans in the local community, and the
spouses or partners and children of student
veterans.
``(iv) The institution or consortium
partners in its veteran-specific programming
with nonprofit veteran service organizations,
local workforce development organizations, or
other institutions of higher education.
``(v) The institution or consortium commits
to hiring a staff at the Student Veteran Center
that includes veterans (including student
veteran volunteers and student veterans
participating in a Federal work-study program
under part C of title IV, a work-study program
administered by the Secretary of Veteran
Affairs, or a State work-study program).
``(vi) The institution or consortium
commits to providing an orientation for student
veterans that--
``(I) is separate from the new
student orientation provided by the
institution or consortium; and
``(II) provides student veterans
with information on the benefits and
resources available to such students at
or through the institution or
consortium.
``(vii) The institution or consortium
commits to using a portion of the grant
received under this section to develop or
maintain a student veteran retention program
carried out by the Student Veteran Center.
``(viii) The institution or consortium
commits to providing mental health counseling
to its student veterans (and the spouses or
partners and children of such students).
``(B) Equitable distribution of such grants to
institutions or consortia of various sizes, geographic
locations, and in urban and rural areas.
``(c) Use of Funds.--
``(1) In general.--An institution or consortium that is
awarded a grant under subsection (a) shall use such grant to
establish, maintain, improve, or operate a Student Veteran
Center.
``(2) Other allowable uses.--An institution or consortium
receiving a grant under subsection (a) may use a portion of
such grant to carry out supportive instruction services for
student veterans, including--
``(A) assistance with special admissions and
transfer of credit from previous postsecondary
education or experience; and
``(B) any other support services the institution or
consortium determines to be necessary to ensure the
success of student veterans in achieving education and
career goals.
``(d) Amounts Awarded.--
``(1) Duration.--Each grant awarded under subsection (a)
shall be for a 4-year period.
``(2) Total amount of grant and schedule.--Each grant
awarded under subsection (a) may not exceed a total of
$500,000. 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 appropriate.
``(e) Report.--From the amounts appropriated to carry out this
section, and not later than 3 years after the date on which the first
grant is awarded under subsection (a), the Secretary shall submit to
Congress a report on the grant program established under subsection
(a), including--
``(1) the number of grants awarded;
``(2) the institutions of higher education and consortia
that have received grants;
``(3) with respect to each such institution of higher
education and consortium--
``(A) the amounts awarded;
``(B) how such institution or consortium used such
amounts;
``(C) a description of the demographics of student
veterans (and spouses or partners and children of such
students) to whom services were offered as a result of
the award, including students who are women and belong
to minority groups;
``(D) the number of student veterans (and spouses
or partners and children of such students) to whom
services were offered as a result of the award, and a
description of the services that were offered and
provided; and
``(E) data enumerating whether the use of the
amounts awarded helped student veterans at the
institution or consortium toward completion of a
degree, certificate, or credential;
``(4) best practices for student veteran success,
identified by reviewing data provided by institutions and
consortia that received a grant under this section; and
``(5) a determination by the Secretary with respect to
whether the grant program under this section should be extended
or expanded.
``(f) Department of Education Best Practices Website.--Subject to
the availability of appropriations under subsection (h) and not later
than 3 years after the date on which the first grant is awarded under
subsection (a), the Secretary shall develop and implement a website for
Student Veteran Centers at institutions of higher education, which
details best practices for serving student veterans at institutions of
higher education.
``(g) Definitions.--In this section:
``(1) Institution of higher education.--The term
`institution of higher education' has the meaning given the
term in section 101.
``(2) Student veteran center.--The term `Student Veteran
Center' means a dedicated space on a campus of an institution
of higher education that provides students who are veterans,
members of the Armed Forces serving on active duty, or members
of a reserve component of the Armed Forces with the following:
``(A) A lounge or meeting space for such student
veterans (and the spouses or partners and children of
such students), and veterans in the community.
``(B) A centralized office for student veteran
services that--
``(i) is a single point of contact to
coordinate comprehensive support services for
student veterans;
``(ii) is staffed by trained employees and
volunteers, which includes veterans and at
least one full-time employee or volunteer who
is trained as a veterans' benefits counselor;
``(iii) provides student veterans with
assistance relating to--
``(I) transitioning from the
military to student life;
``(II) transitioning from the
military to the civilian workforce;
``(III) networking with other
student veterans and veterans in the
community;
``(IV) understanding and obtaining
benefits provided by the institution of
higher education, Federal Government,
and State for which such students may
be eligible;
``(V) understanding how to succeed
in the institution of higher education,
including by understanding academic
policies, the course selection process,
and institutional policies and
practices related to the transfer of
academic credits; and
``(VI) understanding disability-
related rights and protections under
the Americans with Disabilities Act of
1990 (42 U.S.C. 12101 et seq.) and
section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act
of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 794); and
``(iv) provides comprehensive academic and
tutoring services for student veterans,
including peer-to-peer tutoring and academic
mentorship.
``(h) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be
appropriated to carry out this part such sums as may be necessary for
fiscal year 2026 and each of the 7 succeeding fiscal years.''.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.
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