article: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ``Supporting Education for Returning Veterans Act of 2008''. SEC. 2. GRANT PROGRAM FOR SUPPORT OF VETERANS AT INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION. Title VII of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1133 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following: ``PART F--PROGRAM FOR SUPPORT OF VETERANS AT INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION ``SEC. 781. GRANT PROGRAM FOR SUPPORT OF VETERANS AT INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION. ``(a) Grants Authorized.-- ``(1) In general.--Subject to the availability of appropriations, the Secretary is authorized to award grants to institutions of higher education to enable the institutions of higher education to establish programs that support veterans who are students at such institutions by providing and coordinating services that address the academic, financial, physical, and social needs of such veterans. ``(2) Grant period.--A grant awarded under this section shall be awarded for a period of 3 years. ``(b) Selection of Grant Recipients.-- ``(1) Application.--An institution of higher education seeking a grant under this section shall submit to the Secretary an application in such form, at such time, and containing such information as the Secretary may require. ``(2) Approval.--The Secretary shall, in consultation with the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, approve or disapprove each application submitted by an institution of higher education under paragraph (1). In determining whether to approve or disapprove an application, the Secretary shall consider the following: ``(A) The number of veterans enrolled as students at the institution of higher education. ``(B) The needs of such veterans at such institution. ``(C) The ability of such institution to sustain a Center of Excellence for Veteran Student Success described in subsection (c)(2)(A) after the completion of the grant period described in subsection (a)(2). ``(D) The equitable distribution of grants under this section among various types and sizes of institutions of higher education. ``(E) The equitable geographic distribution of grants under this section. ``(F) The equitable distribution of grants under this section among rural and urban areas. ``(c) Use of Grant Funds.-- ``(1) Program required.--Each institution of higher education receiving a grant under this section shall use the grant to establish a program that supports each veteran who is a student at such institution by providing and coordinating services that address the academic, financial, physical, and social needs of such veteran. ``(2) Required program activities.--Each program established under paragraph (1) shall include the following: ``(A) Establishing a Center of Excellence for Veteran Student Success on the campus of the institution of higher education that provides a single point of contact to coordinate comprehensive support services for veterans who are students, including the following: ``(i) Admissions. ``(ii) Registration. ``(iii) Financial aid. ``(iv) Veterans benefits. ``(v) Academic advising. ``(vi) Student health. ``(vii) Personal or mental health counseling. ``(viii) Career advising. ``(ix) Disabilities services. ``(B) Establishing a support team for veterans who are students, including representatives from the student veteran association and veteran service office of such institution of higher education, if any. ``(C) Providing a full-time or part-time coordinator whose primary responsibility is to coordinate the program. ``(D) With respect to such veterans, monitoring the rates of enrollment, persistence, and completion of programs of education at such institution. ``(3) Optional program activities.--With respect to veterans who are students at an institution of higher education receiving a grant under this section, a program established under paragraph (1) by such institution may include the following: ``(A) Outreach to, and recruitment of, veterans. ``(B) Supportive instructional services for veterans, which may include-- ``(i) personal, academic, and career counseling, 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 postsecondary education or experience. ``(C) Assistance in obtaining student financial aid. ``(D) Housing support. ``(E) Providing classes that are limited to veterans to help them fulfill general education requirements. ``(F) Providing activities designed to ease the transition of veterans to life on the campus of such institution. ``(G) Support for veteran student organizations and veteran student support groups on campus. ``(H) Coordination of academic advising and admissions counseling with military bases and National Guard and Reserve units in the area. ``(I) Such other support services as the institution considers necessary to ensure the success of veterans in achieving the veterans' educational and career goals. ``(d) Evaluation and Accountability Plan.--The Secretary shall develop an evaluation and accountability plan for programs established under subsection (c)(1) to measure the impact of such programs, including an objective measure of whether the rates of enrollment, persistence, and completion of programs of education at institutions of higher education by veterans increase as a result of such programs.''.
summary: Supporting Education for Returning Veterans Act of 2008 - Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to authorize the Secretary of Education to award three-year grants to institutions of higher education to establish programs that support veterans who are students by providing and coordinating services that address their academic, financial, physical, and social needs. Requires each grantee to establish a campus Center of Excellence for Veteran Student Success that provides a single point of contact for the coordination of comprehensive support services for students who are veterans. Requires the Secretary to develop an evaluation and accountability plan for measuring the effect such programs have on veterans' success in postsecondary education.