20 U.S.C. § 1161t — Model programs for Centers of Excel-

Page 866 TITLE 20—EDUCATION § 1161t Editorial Notes AMENDMENTS 2014—Subsec. (b)(2)(E). Pub. L. 113–128 substituted ‘‘local boards (as defined in section 3102 of title 29)’’ for ‘‘local boards (as defined in section 2801 of title 29)’’. Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries EFFECTIVE DATE OF 2014 AMENDMENT Amendment by Pub. L. 113–128 effective on the first day of the first full program year after July 22, 2014 (July 1, 2015), see section 506 of Pub. L. 113–128, set out as an Effective Date note under section 3101 of Title 29, Labor. PART T—CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE FOR VETERAN STUDENT SUCCESS § 1161t. Model programs for Centers of Excel- lence for Veteran Student Success (a) Purpose It is the purpose of this section to encourage model programs to support veteran student suc- cess in postsecondary education by coordinating services to address the academic, financial, physical, and social needs of veteran students. (b) Grants authorized (1) In general Subject to the availability of appropriations under subsection (f), the Secretary shall award grants to institutions of higher education to develop model programs to support veteran student success in postsecondary education. (2) Grant period A grant awarded under this section shall be awarded for a period of three years. (c) Use of grants (1) Required activities An institution of higher education receiving a grant under this section shall use such grant to carry out a model program that includes— (A) establishing a Center of Excellence for Veteran Student Success on the campus of the institution to provide a single point of contact to coordinate comprehensive sup- port services for veteran students; (B) establishing a veteran student support team, including representatives from the of- fices of the institution responsible for ad- missions, registration, financial aid, vet- erans benefits, academic advising, student health, personal or mental health coun- seling, career advising, disabilities services, and any other office of the institution that provides support to veteran students on campus; (C) providing a coordinator whose primary responsibility is to coordinate the model program carried out under this section; (D) monitoring the rates of veteran stu- dent enrollment, persistence, and comple- tion; and (E) developing a plan to sustain the Center of Excellence for Veteran Student Success after the grant period. (2) Other authorized activities An institution of higher education receiving a grant under this section may use such grant to carry out any of the following activities with respect to veteran students: (A) Outreach and recruitment of such stu- dents. (B) Supportive instructional services for such students, which may include— (i) personal, academic, and career coun- seling, as an ongoing part of the program; (ii) tutoring and academic skill-building instruction assistance, as needed; and (iii) assistance with special admissions and transfer of credit from previous post- secondary education or experience. (C) Assistance in obtaining student finan- cial aid. (D) Housing support for veteran students living in institutional facilities and com- muting veteran students. (E) Cultural events, academic programs, orientation programs, and other activities designed to ease the transition to campus life for veteran students. (F) Support for veteran student organiza- tions and veteran student support groups on campus. (G) Coordination of academic advising and admissions counseling with military bases and national guard units in the area. (H) Other support services the institution determines to be necessary to ensure the success of veterans in achieving educational and career goals. (d) Application; selection (1) Application To be considered for a grant under this sec- tion, an institution of higher education shall submit to the Secretary an application at such time, in such manner, and accompanied by such information as the Secretary may re- quire. (2) Selection considerations In awarding grants under this section, the Secretary shall consider— (A) the number of veteran students en- rolled at an institution of higher education; and (B) the need for model programs to address the needs of veteran students at a wide range of institutions of higher education, in- cluding the need to provide— (i) an equitable distribution of such grants to institutions of higher education of various types and sizes; (ii) an equitable geographic distribution of such grants; and (iii) an equitable distribution of such grants among rural and urban areas. (e) Evaluation and accountability plan The Secretary shall develop an evaluation and accountability plan for model programs funded under this section to objectively measure the impact of such programs, including a measure of whether postsecondary education enrollment, persistence, and completion for veterans in- creases as a result of such programs. (f) Authorization of appropriations There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section such sums as may be nec- Page 867 TITLE 20—EDUCATION § 1161u essary for fiscal year 2009 and each of the five succeeding fiscal years. (Pub. L. 89–329, title VIII, § 873, as added Pub. L. 110–315, title VIII, § 801, Aug. 14, 2008, 122 Stat. 3428.) PART U—UNIVERSITY SUSTAINABILITY PROGRAMS § 1161u. Sustainability planning grants author- ized (a) Program authorized (1) In general From the amounts appropriated to carry out this section, the Secretary, in consultation with the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, shall make grants to eligi- ble entities to establish sustainability pro- grams to design and implement sustainability practices, including in the areas of energy management, greenhouse gas emissions reduc- tions, green building, waste management, pur- chasing, transportation, and toxics manage- ment, and other aspects of sustainability that integrate campus operations with multidisci- plinary academic programs and are applicable to the private and government sectors. (2) Period of grant The provision of payments under a grant under paragraph (1) shall extend over a period of not more than four fiscal years. (3) Definition of eligible entity For purposes of this part, the term ‘‘eligible entity’’ means— (A) an institution of higher education; or (B) a nonprofit consortium, association, alliance, or collaboration operating in part- nership with one or more institutions of higher education that received funds for the implementation of work associated with sus- tainability programs under this part. (b) Applications (1) In general To receive a grant under subsection (a)(1), an eligible entity shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time, in such form, and containing such information as the Sec- retary may reasonably require. (2) Assurances Such application shall include assurances that the eligible entity— (A) has developed a plan, including an evaluation component, for the program com- ponent established pursuant to subsection (c); (B) shall use Federal funds received from a grant under subsection (a) to supplement, not supplant, non-Federal funds that would otherwise be available for projects funded under this section; (C) shall provide, with respect to any fiscal year in which such entity receives funds from a grant under subsection (a)(1), non- Federal funds or an in-kind contribution in an amount equal to 20 percent of funds from such grant, for the purpose of carrying out the program component established pursu- ant to subsection (c); and (D) shall collaborate with business, gov- ernment, and the nonprofit sectors in the de- velopment and implementation of its sus- tainability plan. (c) Use of funds (1) Individual institutions Grants made under subsection (a) may be used by an eligible entity that is an individual institution of higher education for the fol- lowing purposes: (A) To develop and implement administra- tive and operations practices at an institu- tion of higher education that test, model, and analyze principles of sustainability. (B) To establish multidisciplinary edu- cation, research, and outreach programs at an institution of higher education that ad- dress the environmental, social, and eco- nomic dimensions of sustainability. (C) To support research and teaching ini- tiatives that focus on multidisciplinary and integrated environmental, economic, and so- cial elements. (D) To establish initiatives in the areas of energy management, greenhouse gas emis- sions reductions, green building, waste man- agement, purchasing, toxics management, transportation, and other aspects of sustain- ability. (E) To support student, faculty, and staff work at an institution of higher education to implement, research, and evaluate sus- tainable practices. (F) To expand sustainability literacy on campus. (G) To integrate sustainability curricula in all programs of instruction, particularly in business, architecture, technology, manu- facturing, engineering, and science pro- grams. (2) Partnerships Grants made under subsection (a) may be used by an eligible entity that is a nonprofit consortium, association, alliance, or collabo- ration operating in partnership with one or more institutions of higher education for the following purposes: (A) To conduct faculty, staff and adminis- trator training on the subjects of sustain- ability and institutional change. (B) To compile, evaluate, and disseminate best practices, case studies, guidelines and standards regarding sustainability. (C) To conduct efforts to engage external stakeholders such as business, alumni, and accrediting agencies in the process of build- ing support for research, education, and technology development for sustainability. (D) To conduct professional development programs for faculty in all disciplines to en- able faculty to incorporate sustainability content in their courses. (E) To create the analytical tools nec- essary for institutions of higher education to assess and measure their individual progress toward fully sustainable campus operations and fully integrating sustainability into the curriculum. (F) To develop educational benchmarks for institutions of higher education to deter-