U.S. Reps. Paul Mitchell (R-MI) and Don Bacon (R-NE) last week introduced a bipartisan bill to improve access to federally funded college outreach services for disadvantaged youth experiencing homelessness or students who may be in foster care.
“We have a moral imperative to helps students from disadvantaged backgrounds,” Rep. Mitchell said on April 11. “The numbers clearly show that these students, who overwhelmingly want to obtain an education, are not receiving the support they need to achieve their goal.”
Rep. Mitchell on April 10 sponsored the Removing Barriers to Foster Youth Success in College Act, H.R. 2270, along with cosponsors Rep. Bacon and U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-CA), to update certain federal policies and practices for TRIO Programs.
The TRIO Programs are federal outreach and student services programs designed to identify and provide services for individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds, according to the U.S. Department of Education. There are eight total programs targeting low-income individuals, first-generation college students, and individuals with disabilities to progress through the academic pipeline from middle school to post-baccalaureate programs, the department says.
“Every child deserves the same sense of promise and possibility as any other youth regardless of their circumstances,” said Rep. Bacon. “We owe it to our nation’s foster youth to give them the tools to succeed when they become adults.”
Depending on the specific program, grants are awarded to institutions of higher education, public and private agencies, and organizations, including community-based organizations with experience in serving disadvantaged youth and secondary schools, among others, according to the department.
If enacted, H.R. 2270 would revise policies for two TRIO Programs, Talent Search and Upward Bound. The first is designed to identify youth having college potential and encourage them to finish high school and go to college; to publicize the availability of the programs; and to assist students in applying for financial assistance.
The Upward Bound program helps generate the skills and motivation students need to be successful in post-secondary education, according to a summary provided by the lawmakers.
Specifically, H.R. 2270 would add application requirements to Talent Search and Upward Bound programs, requiring that policies and practices be revised to remove barriers for homeless and foster youth to participate and remain in the programs, among other provisions, according to the text of the bill.
“My bill ensures that students experiencing homelessness or in the foster care system have better access to federal TRIO programs designed to help high school students entering college,” said Rep. Mitchell. “My bill will remove barriers to participation for disadvantaged students trying to access these TRIO programs, allowing them to fulfill their potential.”
Rep. Carbajal noted that as a first-generation college student, he experienced “how daunting a college campus can feel when most of your peers have spent years in college-preparatory classes or advanced summer school courses.”
“TRIO programs are critical to providing children from underserved communities the tools they need to succeed while pursuing a higher education degree,” he added.
H.R 2270 has been referred to the U.S. House Education and Labor Committee for consideration.