Overview
Title
To provide for the basic needs of students at institutions of higher education.
ELI5 AI
The BASIC Act is a plan to help college students get things they need, like food and places to live. It sets aside lots of money to give schools grants so they can find smart ways to help students, especially those who might have trouble getting by on their own.
Summary AI
S. 5091, also known as the "Basic Assistance for Students In College Act" or the "BASIC Act," aims to support the essential needs of college students in the U.S. The bill introduces measures for securely sharing data between federal agencies to identify students in need of federally funded assistance programs. It also establishes grants for colleges to research, plan, and implement strategies to address issues like food insecurity, housing instability, and other basic needs for students. Additionally, the legislation emphasizes collaboration with community organizations and government agencies to maximize student support and outlines specific funding allocations for program implementation.
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AnalysisAI
Summary of the Bill
The bill, titled the "Basic Assistance for Students In College Act" or "BASIC Act," aims to support college students by meeting their fundamental needs such as food, housing, and healthcare. Introduced in the U.S. Senate, the proposed legislation focuses on data sharing among federal agencies to identify students eligible for government aid and provides grants to colleges and universities to help support students' basic needs. Specifically, the bill addresses data sharing between various federal departments to streamline aid distribution and establishes grants for planning and implementing support infrastructures at educational institutions. It emphasizes aid distribution equity, especially benefiting community colleges and minority-serving institutions.
Significant Issues
A major concern with this bill is the vague terminology used in Section 2, which could result in an overly broad mandate involving numerous federal and state agencies. This vagueness also gives considerable discretion to the Secretary, potentially leading to favoritism or unfocused fund allocation. Additionally, the bill's provisions for data sharing lack specific mechanisms to secure data privacy, posing risks of data breaches.
Furthermore, the requirements for ongoing non-Federal funding for implementation grants may disadvantage institutions with fewer financial resources, skewing benefits toward wealthier entities. The allocation of a significant portion of funds to implementation grants without clearly defined success metrics also raises concerns about potential inefficient spending.
Broad Public Impact
This legislation, if passed, could substantially affect students' lives by potentially reducing food and housing insecurity, thus promoting better academic outcomes. It represents a step towards addressing the economic barriers that many students face in higher education. By identifying and assisting eligible students through a cross-agency data-sharing initiative, the act promises more efficient use of existing resources.
However, the bill's vagueness regarding specific programs and data security measures could lead to concerns about privacy violations and resource misallocation. If not addressed, inefficiencies in how institutions apply for and use grants could limit the intended positive impacts.
Impact on Specific Stakeholders
For students, particularly those from low-income backgrounds or minority-serving institutions, this bill could provide much-needed relief and support. Access to basic needs through coordinated federal programs can decrease the financial burden and stress that many students face, potentially improving college retention and graduation rates.
Educational institutions might receive more resources to support their student populations, but the required matching funds for ongoing support after grant periods may burden less wealthy schools, possibly resulting in inequality. Community colleges, HBCUs, and other minority-serving institutions stand to gain prioritization in funding, aligning with the bill's goals of equitable distribution. However, the stipulation that reserves 25% of funds for them might fail to capture nuanced needs across different institution types, leading to an imbalance in fund allocation.
In conclusion, while this bill has the potential to positively impact college students' lives significantly, close attention is required to address its vague components and ensure equitable and efficient distribution of funds. Balancing the needs of diverse institutions and safeguarding student privacy will be crucial to the bill's successful implementation.
Financial Assessment
The "Basic Assistance for Students In College Act" (BASIC Act) includes several financial allocations aimed at supporting college students' basic needs. Here's a detailed look at the key financial aspects of the bill, along with how they relate to identified issues.
Financial Allocations and Spending
Authorization of Appropriations: The bill authorizes up to $1 billion for each fiscal year from 2025 to 2031 to carry out programs aimed at addressing students' basic needs. Of this, $40 million is set aside for planning grants, while a substantial $960 million is intended for implementation grants. These funds are directed toward developing and executing strategies to support students facing issues like food insecurity and housing instability.
Grant Amounts and Duration:
Planning Grants: Each planning grant is capped at $75,000, covering a period of up to 2 years. This funding is designated for research and planning activities that try to assess basic needs insecurity and develop appropriate strategies for addressing these issues.
Implementation Grants: These grants can be as much as $1 million for every 5-year period. They are meant for institutions that are ready to implement strategies or need further resources to support students.
Relation to Identified Issues
Potential Inefficiencies and Accountability: The substantial allocation of $960 million to implementation grants lacks clearly defined success metrics or accountability measures. This raises concerns about the potential for inefficient use of funds, as outcomes may not be systematically tracked or evaluated. The absence of these performance indicators could make it challenging to ensure that the substantial investments lead to meaningful and effective support for students.
Equitable Distribution and Financial Resource Disparities: While the bill reserves 25% of the grant funds for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribal Colleges, and other minority-serving institutions, this could inadvertently favor these over other universities without assessing the specific needs of each institution. Moreover, the requirement for an ongoing, non-Federal funding mechanism to support activities could disadvantage less financially robust institutions. Wealthier institutions might have more success in securing external funding, resulting in potential inequality in how grants are distributed.
Adequacy of Planning Grant Funding: The financial constraints with planning grants—limited to $75,000 over two years—have raised concerns about their adequacy for conducting comprehensive research and planning. This could lead to ineffective use of funds, as institutions might struggle to gather detailed data or develop well-rounded strategies within the financial limits imposed.
In conclusion, while the BASIC Act commits significant financial resources to support students' basic needs, it prompts questions about the efficient and equitable distribution of these funds. The reliance on substantial funding without equally strong accountability metrics could pose challenges in gauging the success and impact of the initiatives supported by the bill.
Issues
The bill's vague terminology in Section 2, such as 'any other applicable Federal or State agency' and 'any other federally funded program determined by the Secretary to be appropriate', could lead to an overly broad or unclear scope of agencies involved and give too much discretion to the Secretary, potentially leading to favoritism or unfocused spending.
There is a lack of specific mechanisms for securing data sharing in Section 2, which raises significant concerns about data privacy and protection, especially considering the involvement of multiple secretaries and federal agencies.
The disaggregation of data by numerous categories as mandated in Section 2 could lead to complex data collection processes and privacy concerns related to sensitive information.
The definition of 'basic needs' in Section 3 is broadly defined, which might lead to interpretative discrepancies regarding what should be covered under grants, potentially resulting in inconsistent application or misuse of funds.
The language and complexity of the bill in Sections 2 and 3 are dense and jargon-heavy, which may make it difficult for stakeholders, particularly smaller or less-resourced institutions, to comprehend quickly, potentially leading to misunderstandings and inefficiencies during policy implementation.
The requirement in Section 3 for an ongoing non-Federal funding mechanism for implementation grants could disadvantage institutions with fewer financial resources, favoring wealthier institutions and leading to inequality in grant distribution.
The allocation of such a large portion of funds ($960,000,000) to implementation grants in Section 3 without clearly defined success metrics might lead to inefficient spending and lack of accountability.
The stipulation in Section 3 that 25% of the grant funds are reserved for HBCUs, Tribal Colleges, and minority-serving institutions might inadvertently favor these institutions over others without assessing specific needs, potentially leading to unequal distribution of resources.
The duration and amount for planning grants in Section 3 (not more than $75,000 for a period of not more than 2 years) may be insufficient for conducting comprehensive research and planning, potentially leading to an ineffective use of funds.
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
This section gives the official name of the law as the “Basic Assistance for Students In College Act” or simply the “BASIC Act”.
2. Data sharing Read Opens in new tab
Summary AI
The section outlines a plan for federal agencies to share data securely to identify college students who might qualify for various government aid programs, like food assistance and healthcare benefits, and to aid colleges in enrolling eligible students into these programs. It also mandates providing students with information about these benefits, consulting with relevant agencies to design communications about eligibility, and reporting to Congress on students facing food and housing insecurities, broken down by different demographics.
3. Grants to support the basic needs of students Read Opens in new tab
Summary AI
The section of the bill introduces a program to provide grants to colleges and universities to help support students' basic needs, such as food, housing, and healthcare. It describes the types of institutions eligible for these grants, the activities that the grants should support, and how the program will prioritize and distribute funding to ensure a fair allocation of resources.
Money References
- — “(A) AMOUNT.—The amount of a grant under this subsection shall be not more than $75,000.
- “(3) GRANT AMOUNTS; DURATION.— “(A) AMOUNT.—The amount of a grant under this subsection shall be not more than $1,000,000 for each 5-year period. “
- “(f) Authorization of appropriations.—There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $1,000,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2025 through 2031, of which— “(1) $40,000,000 is authorized to be appropriated to provide planning grants under subsection (b); and “(2) $960,000,000 is authorized to be appropriated to provide implementation grants under subsection (c).”. ---
899. Grants to support the basic needs of students Read Opens in new tab
Summary AI
In this section, the bill outlines grants to help colleges support students' basic needs like food, housing, and healthcare. It describes planning and implementation grants to reduce basic needs insecurity, defines key terms like community college and eligible institution, and sets priorities for funding. The section allocates funds specifically for community colleges, historically Black colleges and universities, and other minority-serving institutions, while setting limits on how much of the grants can be used for personnel expenses.
Money References
- (A) AMOUNT.—The amount of a grant under this subsection shall be not more than $75,000.
- (A) AMOUNT.—The amount of a grant under this subsection shall be not more than $1,000,000 for each 5-year period.
- (f) Authorization of appropriations.—There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $1,000,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2025 through 2031, of which— (1) $40,000,000 is authorized to be appropriated to provide planning grants under subsection (b); and (2) $960,000,000 is authorized to be appropriated to provide implementation grants under subsection (c). ---