Overview

Title

To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to improve the financial aid process for homeless and foster care youth.

ELI5 AI

The bill wants to make it easier for kids who don't have homes or who are in foster care to get money to go to college, by making sure schools help them and give them a place to stay. It also wants these kids to get extra help finding college jobs and pay the same school fees as if they lived nearby.

Summary AI

The bill, S. 4270, aims to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to make it easier for homeless and foster care youth to access financial aid for college. It includes changes such as defining terms like "homeless youth" and "foster care youth," requiring colleges to appoint staff to help these students, and ensuring they have access to housing and support services. The bill also emphasizes the removal of barriers to participation in educational programs and mandates prioritized access to work-study jobs for these youth. Additionally, it ensures that states offer in-state tuition rates for homeless and foster care youth and calls for federal support and guidance for implementing these changes.

Published

2024-05-07
Congress: 118
Session: 2
Chamber: SENATE
Status: Introduced in Senate
Date: 2024-05-07
Package ID: BILLS-118s4270is

Bill Statistics

Size

Sections:
17
Words:
4,275
Pages:
21
Sentences:
45

Language

Nouns: 1,206
Verbs: 341
Adjectives: 224
Adverbs: 23
Numbers: 242
Entities: 170

Complexity

Average Token Length:
4.10
Average Sentence Length:
95.00
Token Entropy:
5.06
Readability (ARI):
48.74

AnalysisAI

The bill titled "To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to improve the financial aid process for homeless and foster care youth" aims to provide better support for homeless and foster care youth in accessing higher education. Proposed as the "Higher Education Access and Success for Homeless and Foster Youth Act of 2024," it seeks to make significant changes in existing educational policies to enhance educational accessibility and support services for these vulnerable groups.

General Summary of the Bill

This legislative proposal makes several amendments to the Higher Education Act of 1965. It specifically defines terms such as "foster care youth" and "homeless youth" to provide clarity in implementing support measures. The bill introduces several key measures including:

  • Improving the financial aid process for homeless and foster care youth.
  • Adjusting federal programs like TRIO, Upward Bound, and Talent Search to explicitly include and better serve homeless and foster youth.
  • Mandating educational institutions to provide liaisons and access to resources for these students.
  • Guaranteeing in-state tuition rates for eligible homeless and foster youth at public colleges and universities.

Summary of Significant Issues

One of the critical issues identified is the lack of detailed criteria for certain mandates. For instance, the bill directs institutions to remove barriers for homeless and foster youth but does not clearly define what these barriers might be, leading to potential inconsistencies in implementation. Additionally, there are concerns about the increased administrative burdens and costs associated with designating liaisons and setting up additional resources at educational institutions, particularly smaller ones.

Another significant issue is the reliance on legal references and terms that could cause confusion among those implementing the changes or benefitting from them. This complexity might hinder the accessibility and effectiveness of the support intended by the bill.

Impact on the Public

Broadly, the bill's implementation could lead to more accessible higher education opportunities for homeless and foster care youth. Such access can provide long-term benefits, including improving educational outcomes and future earning potential for these individuals. Enhancing support systems at educational institutions can create a more inclusive and equitable environment, potentially encouraging more at-risk students to pursue and complete higher education.

However, the complexity of the legislative language and potential lack of clarity or support for institutions could limit the practical impact, possibly causing delays or variations in how benefits are delivered.

Impact on Stakeholders

Homeless and Foster Youth: These individuals stand to benefit significantly from the bill. Access to financial aid, housing, and support services can alleviate some of the major barriers to higher education. However, the effectiveness of these benefits depends on how consistently institutions implement the proposed changes.

Educational Institutions: Schools might face increased administrative and financial burdens in complying with the new mandates, especially smaller institutions that may lack resources. The bill does not clearly outline funding to support these changes, which may lead to challenges in providing the intended support without additional financial aid.

Government Agencies and Policymakers: There is an opportunity for government entities to demonstrate leadership in addressing educational inequities. However, the bill lacks some specifics regarding funding and the monitoring of compliance, which may impact its effectiveness and oversight.

In conclusion, while the bill aims to address significant gaps in educational support for foster care and homeless youth, addressing its current ambiguities and ensuring appropriate resources are critical to maximizing its impact and ensuring equitable educational opportunities for these vulnerable populations.

Issues

  • The bill makes significant amendments to existing legislation in Sections 2 and 16 without providing any explanation or context for why these changes are necessary, which could obscure the legislative intent and rationale behind the changes. This lack of transparency can lead to confusion among stakeholders and the public about the purpose and impact of the amendments.

  • Section 14, concerning in-state tuition rates for homeless and foster youth, references an act that appears to not have been enacted yet (the Higher Education Access and Success for Homeless and Foster Youth Act of 2024). This could cause timing or eligibility issues if there are delays or changes in the passage of that act, potentially affecting eligible students' access to education finance options.

  • Sections 6, 7, and 8 mandate a description of outreach activities and assurances to remove barriers for homeless and foster youth but lack specific criteria or guidelines on what constitutes a 'barrier' or effective outreach. This could lead to inconsistencies in implementation and potentially ineffective program delivery.

  • Section 4 requires universities to designate liaisons and access housing for homeless and foster youth, which might lead to increased administrative costs or burdens, especially for smaller institutions. Furthermore, the bill does not outline how compliance will be monitored or enforced, nor whether there will be any additional funding provided to support these mandates.

  • Section 12 prioritizes homeless and foster youth in Federal work-study programs but lacks clarity on how prioritization will be implemented, measured, or enforced. Without clear guidelines, there might be inconsistencies in the application of this policy, potentially disadvantaging intended beneficiaries.

  • Section 15 involves secretarial support and guidance without specifying a budget or funding source, leading to unclear financial implications and potential wastefulness. In addition, the frequency of reporting to Congress might be too infrequent to effectively address ongoing or evolving needs, which could undermine the effectiveness of oversight and program improvements.

  • The use of complex legal references throughout the bill, particularly in Sections 13 and 16, might be difficult for the general public and even some stakeholders to understand. This could lead to misunderstandings and challenges in implementation, highlighting a need for clearer language and accessible information dissemination.

Sections

Sections are presented as they are annotated in the original legislative text. Any missing headers, numbers, or non-consecutive order is due to the original text.

1. Short title Read Opens in new tab

Summary AI

The first section of the document specifies that the law can be referred to as the "Higher Education Access and Success for Homeless and Foster Youth Act of 2024."

2. Definitions Read Opens in new tab

Summary AI

The text outlines amendments to the Higher Education Act of 1965, adding definitions for "foster care youth," who are under state or tribal care, and "homeless youth" and "unaccompanied youth" as defined by the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. It also makes a technical correction by removing certain subsections.

3. Student loan ombudsman assistance for homeless and foster youth Read Opens in new tab

Summary AI

The amendment to the Higher Education Act of 1965 aims to improve support for homeless and foster youth by requiring a Student Loan Ombudsman to quickly handle complaints about a student's independence. The Ombudsman must work with experts like child welfare agencies and local liaisons for homeless youth to address these issues.

4. Liaisons and Access to Housing for Homeless and Foster Youth Read Opens in new tab

Summary AI

The section amends the Higher Education Act to require colleges to help homeless and foster youth access housing and support services. It mandates that colleges designate a staff member to assist these students, prioritize their access to campus housing, and provide relevant information on their websites to help them secure financial aid and housing resources.

5. Serving homeless and foster youth in Federal TRIO programs Read Opens in new tab

Summary AI

The amendment to Section 402A of the Higher Education Act of 1965 requires applicants for federal TRIO program funds to specifically identify and reach out to homeless and foster youth, ensuring they have access to services like mentoring and tutoring. It also adds homeless and foster youth to the groups that receive these services under subsection (f)(2).

6. Serving homeless and foster youth in talent search Read Opens in new tab

Summary AI

The section amends the Higher Education Act to ensure projects serving homeless and foster youth review policies to eliminate participation barriers, describe outreach activities, and provide reports on these youth at the project's end.

7. Serving homeless and foster youth in upward bound Read Opens in new tab

Summary AI

The text describes amendments to the Higher Education Act of 1965, focusing on improving access to the Upward Bound program for homeless and foster youth. These changes require entities running the program to remove barriers for these groups, describe outreach activities, and submit a report on their participation at the project's end.

8. Serving homeless and foster youth in student support services Read Opens in new tab

Summary AI

The text outlines amendments to the Higher Education Act of 1965 to better support homeless and foster youth in student services. It mandates that projects review and update policies to eliminate obstacles, detail outreach plans in their applications, and submit a report on their efforts with these groups at the project's end.

9. Serving homeless and foster youth in educational opportunity centers Read Opens in new tab

Summary AI

Section 9 of the bill modifies the Higher Education Act to better serve homeless and foster youth in educational centers by ensuring project policies remove barriers to their participation, requiring outreach plans to these youth, and mandating a final report about their involvement.

10. Reports and evaluations Read Opens in new tab

Summary AI

The section mandates that any group running a project under certain sections of the Higher Education Act must submit a report at the end of their project. This report should include the number of homeless and foster youth helped and describe effective strategies used.

11. Serving homeless and foster youth in gaining early awareness and readiness for undergraduate programs Read Opens in new tab

Summary AI

The section amends the Higher Education Act to better support homeless and foster youth in preparing for college. It requires projects to remove participation barriers for these youth, report on outreach activities, and facilitate their participation through partnerships and supportive policies.

12. Priority for Federal work-study programs for homeless and foster youth Read Opens in new tab

Summary AI

The amendment to the Higher Education Act of 1965 requires that federal work-study programs give priority to hiring students who are experiencing homelessness or who are in foster care.

13. Data transparency on the number of pending requests for determination by homeless youth Read Opens in new tab

Summary AI

The amendment to Section 483 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 requires institutions to report the number of requests from homeless youth that are still pending because a decision has not been made about their status, ensuring there's transparency about how many cases are left undetermined.

14. In-State tuition rates for homeless and foster youth Read Opens in new tab

Summary AI

The amendment to the Higher Education Act of 1965 ensures that homeless and foster youth are charged the same in-state tuition rates as residents when attending public colleges and universities in their state. This change takes effect in the first full award year following the passage of the Higher Education Access and Success for Homeless and Foster Youth Act of 2024.

15. Secretarial support and guidance for homeless and foster youth Read Opens in new tab

Summary AI

The section outlines new requirements for the Secretary to provide guidance and professional development to help institutions and financial aid administrators support homeless and foster youth. It mandates the issuance of revised guidance within 120 days and annual training programs, as well as a report to Congress every five years on effective strategies used by institutions.

124. Secretarial support and guidance for homeless and foster youth Read Opens in new tab

Summary AI

The section outlines that the Secretary must provide updated guidance and training to support homeless and foster youth in higher education. Within 120 days of the Act's enactment, the Secretary is required to revise guidance for aid administrators, conduct annual professional development sessions, and report effective strategies used by educational institutions and staff to Congress.

16. Effective date Read Opens in new tab

Summary AI

The amendments in the text will become effective as if they were part of the original FAFSA Simplification Act and in line with certain updates provided by later acts, meaning those changes are considered part of the original law from the start.