H.R. 6358

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6358 Introduced in House (IH)]

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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.''.
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