Sec. 203. Grants to address student basic needs
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Title VIII of the Higher Education Act of 1965 ( 20 U.S.C. 1161a ) is amended by adding at the end the following: In this section: The term community college means a public institution of higher education at which the highest degree that is predominantly awarded to students is an associate degree, including a 2-year Tribal College or University (as defined in section 316). The term eligible institution means an institution of higher education as defined in section 101 or 102(a)(1)(B).
The term food insecurity means limited or uncertain availability of nutritionally adequate and safe foods, or the ability to acquire such foods in a socially acceptable manner. The most extreme form is often accompanied by physiological sensations of hunger. The term housing insecurity means limited or uncertain availability of, or access to, stable, safe, adequate, and affordable housing and neighborhoods. This shall include living in emergency or transitional shelters, motels, hotels, trailer parks, cars, parks, public spaces, or abandoned buildings, and those sharing the housing of other persons due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or a similar reason.
The Secretary shall award planning and coordination grants, on a competitive basis, to eligible institutions to enable the eligible institutions to conduct research and planning to reduce incidences of student food insecurity and housing insecurity, and to coordinate a response to these challenges, by carrying out the activities described in paragraph (2). An eligible institution receiving a grant under this subsection shall use grant funds to carry out the following: Establish a student food and housing security steering committee that will be responsible for creating and approving the strategy described in subparagraph (C), and that will be comprised of relevant campus stakeholders, including— students who have experienced food insecurity or housing insecurity; student government representatives; institutional staff representing the areas of student financial aid, housing, dining, student affairs, academic advising, equity support services, accessibility services, campus security, legal services, and health and well-being services (including counseling or psychological services); faculty; relevant administrators, including local human services administrators; and community-based organizations.
Conduct research regarding— the level of student food insecurity and housing insecurity at the institution, disaggregated by race and ethnicity, income quintile, status as a first-generation college student (as defined in section 402A(h)), Federal Pell Grant eligibility status, disability status, status as a student parent, sex (including sexual orientation and gender identity), or other subgroup as determined by the institution; the presence of institutional barriers and current institutional interventions to address such barriers; the presence of administrative barriers for students in applying, certifying eligibility, and renewing applications for means-tested benefits, and interventions to address such barriers; the resources available to address student food insecurity and housing insecurity, both on campus and off campus; and opportunities for coordination and collaboration between the institution and government or community-based organizations, including— the local or State office that administers benefits through the supplemental nutrition assistance program
(SNAP)and SNAP employment and training programs under the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 ( 7 U.S.C. 2011 et seq.) or the temporary assistance for needy families program
(TANF)and subsidized programs that meet the work requirements under part A of title IV of the Social Security Act ( 42 U.S.C. 601 et seq.); organizations that participate in the Federal work-study program under part C of title IV; or low-income housing assistance organizations, including those assisting with tenant-based assistance under section 8(o) of the United States Housing Act of 1937 ( 42 U.S.C. 1437f(o) ), and public housing, as defined in section 3(b)(1) of such Act ( 42 U.S.C. 1437a(b)(1) ). Create a strategy that describes how the institution will— seek to address student food insecurity and housing insecurity through on-campus and off-campus providers; and incorporate the research conducted under subparagraph (B), including with respect to the subgroups identified under clause
(i)of subparagraph (B), into the strategy. Implement the strategy described in subparagraph (C), including by— conducting outreach to students to reduce stigma, educate, and encourage students to participate in programs and receive services (including programs and services provided through grant funding) to reduce student food insecurity and housing insecurity; educating students about public assistance programs (including State and local public assistance programs, and the supplemental nutrition assistance program under the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 ( 7 U.S.C. 2011 et seq.), Federal housing assistance programs, and other income-based Federal assistance programs), supporting students’ applications for those programs, and providing case management and training for students to maximize the public assistance that students receive to reduce student food insecurity and housing insecurity; coordinating and collaborating with government or community-based organizations, such as the local office that administers benefits through the supplemental nutrition assistance program under the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008 ( 7 U.S.C. 2011 et seq.) or a low-income housing assistance organization; hiring and training personnel to build infrastructure and implement programming to reduce student food insecurity and housing insecurity at the eligible institution; and carrying out other matters determined appropriate by the Secretary. A grant under this subsection shall be in an amount not to exceed $5,000,000. A grant under this subsection shall be for a period of not more than 5 years. The Secretary shall prepare and submit to Congress a report that describes— the impact of the grant under this subsection on reducing student food insecurity and housing insecurity, disaggregated by race and ethnicity, income quintile, status as a first-generation college student (as defined in section 402A(h)), Federal Pell Grant eligibility status, disability status, status as a student parent, sex (including sexual orientation and gender identity), and other subgroup as determined by the institution; best practices for reducing student food insecurity and housing insecurity, including by identifying institutional and administrative barriers and intervening to address such barriers; the obstacles faced by grant recipients; State or Federal policy barriers to reducing student food insecurity and housing insecurity at institutions of higher education; and information on postsecondary outcomes at the institutions receiving a grant under this section, including— the postsecondary attainment rates of students, including the units of postsecondary study completed as a percentage of such units attempted; the transfer rates of students from community colleges to 4-year institutions of higher education; the retention rates of students, either in the institution of higher education at which the student was first enrolled or in another institution; and the persistence rates of such students in higher education. The Secretary shall disseminate to eligible institutions and relevant government and community-based organizations information about best practices, as described in paragraph (4)(B). In awarding grants under subsection (b), the Secretary shall reserve an amount equal to not less than 33 percent of the total amount available for grants under those subsections for grant awards to community colleges. In awarding grants under subsection (b), the Secretary shall give priority to the following: Eligible institutions with respect to which not less than 25 percent of enrolled students are students that are eligible to receive a Federal Pell Grant under subpart 1 of part A of title IV. Eligible institutions that are described in section 371(a). In awarding grants under subsection (b), the Secretary shall ensure an equitable distribution of grant awards to eligible institutions in States based on State population. There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $1,000,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2022 through 2032. .
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Sec. 203
Grants to address student basic needs
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