Bills Introduced in the 117th Congress Addressing College Access and Success

Bill Icon

 

Last updated August 5, 2022

 

 

 

The bill would, among other things:

  • Require institutions of higher education to prioritize homeless and foster youth for any on-campus housing
  • Designate liaisons at each institution to assist homeless and foster youth access student support services and community resources
  • Prioritize these youth in federal work-study positions
  • Provide accessible information on college websites about the financial aid process and resources available to these underserved youth.

The bill was first introduced in 2013 and has been reintroduced in each congressional year since.

The bipartisan legislation is sponsored by Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) and cosponsored by Senators Rob Portman (R-OH) and Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) in the Senate and sponsored by Representative Katherine Clark (D-MA) and cosponsored by the late Representative Don Young (R-AK) and Representative Karen Bass (D-CA) in the House.

Numerous organizations have expressed support for the bill, as it seeks to make higher education more affordable and attainable for young people experiencing homelessness and youth involved in the foster care system.

The Senate bill is assigned to the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, while the House bill is assigned to the Committee on Education and Labor.

FSHEA seeks to improve college access, retention, and completion rates for homeless and foster youth by improving the capacity to support these students as they transition from a secondary to postsecondary education.

This bill “requires the Department of Education to provide formula grants to states for activities to improve college access, retention, and completion rates for foster and homeless youth. States that receive such grants must award subgrants to institutions of higher education to carry out these activities in partnership with child welfare agencies and organizations serving homeless youth.”

The bill is sponsored by Sen. Robert Casey (D-PA) and cosponsored by Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Tina Smith (D-MN), and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN). The identical bill in the House is sponsored by Rep. Danny K. Davis (D-IL) and cosponsored by Representatives Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) and Karen Bass (D-CA).

The Senate bill was referred to the HELP Committee, while the House bill was referred to the Education and Labor Committee. The bill is supported by numerous organizations.

This bill requires the Department of Education to create an Advisory Commission on Serving and Supporting Students with Mental Health Disabilities in colleges and universities. The commission must conduct a study and report on:

  • The services available to students with mental health issues in the college/university and the effectiveness of these services
  • The impact of providing mental health services and resources on a student’s academic performance, overall well-being, and college completion
  • The use of protected health information of these students by the institutions
  • Conclusions on the major challenges these students face
  • Recommendations for improving the overall education, retention, and graduation of these students.

The Senate bill is sponsored by Sen. Robert Casey (D-PA) and cosponsored by 8 Democratic Senators. The House bill is sponsored by Rep. David Trone (D-MD) and cosponsored by 6 Republic Representatives and 11 Democratic Representatives.

The Senate bill was referred to the HELP Committee, while the House bill was referred to the Education and Labor Committee.

The bill is supported by several mental health advocacy groups such as the American Association for Psychoanalysis, the American Group Psychotherapy Association, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, and others.

This bill “requires the Department of Education to issue guidance and recommendations for institutions of higher education to remove criminal and juvenile justice questions from their admission applications.” The guidance would advise institutions to determine whether gathering information about involvement in the legal system is necessary to make an informed decision about admission. And, if the college decides to remove the question(s), then provide recommendations on how to do so in order to achieve the intended result of increasing “educational opportunities for people with a criminal or juvenile justice history.”

Senator Brian Schatz (D-HI) is the Senate sponsor for the bill, along with 11 Democratic Senators as cosponsors. Representative Madeleine Dean (D-PA) is the House sponsor for the bill, with 3 Democratic Representatives as cosponsors.

The Senate bill was referred to the HELP Committee, while the House bill was referred to the Education and Labor Committee.

The bill is supported by Young Invincibles, R Street Institute, The Law Enforcement Action Partnership, Unluck Higher Ed, The Education Trust, and many others.

This bill establishes a grant program for institutions of higher education to increase participation, retention, and completion rates of historically underrepresented students, first-generation students, low-income students, parenting students, students with disabilities, and student veterans.

If approved, this legislation will “authorize $62 billion to be distributed by the U.S. Department of Education over the next 10 years to invest in evidence-based strategies to help college students stay engaged in their education programs and complete degrees.”

In the Senate, the bill is sponsored by Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-MN). In the House, Rep. Melanie Stansbury (D-MN) sponsors the bill and cosponsored by Reps. Joe Neguse (D-CO) and Andre Carson (D-IN).

The Senate bill was referred to the HELP Committee, while the House bill was referred to the Education and Labor Committee.

“This bill prohibits institutions of higher education that receive federal student aid from discriminating against Dreamer students (e.g., students who have been granted Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals status) based on their immigration status.”  Essentially, this bill protects Dreamer students from discrimination in eligibility, admissions, tuition, and financial aid access by:

  • Prohibiting institutions of higher education (IHEs) that receive federal funding from refusing to admit, enroll, or give in-state tuition to Dreamers who meet all requirements and qualifications
  • Making certain that Dreamer students have access to federal financial aid to ensure that their higher education will be affordable and accessible
  • Banning the distribution of identifiable or private information from Dreamers’ applications.

This legislation is sponsored by Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) and cosponsored by 19 Democratic Representatives.

The bill was referred to the House Committee on Education and Labor.