PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.
Congressional Research Service
Version 00 · Introduced in House · Feb 18, 2025
College Thriving Act
This bill requires the Department of Education (ED) to award competitive grants to eligible institutions of higher education (IHEs) to carry out skills-for-success courses for all enrolled first-year students (including transfer students). Skills-for-success course means a course that (1) has a low student-to-teacher ratio, (2) is not graded or is pass-fail, and (3) provides skills for success in college in specified topics (e.g., time management skills, coping with stress, and goal setting).
In awarding grants, ED must give priority to IHEs where at least 50% of all students enrolled in the most recent academic year were eligible to receive a Federal Pell Grant.
People & committees
Rep. Foushee, Valerie P. [D-NC-4] · D–NC
Legislative record
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Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Primary sources
Text links open the official source. We also preserved the text version used in the PlainBill explanation below.
No related bills are listed in this snapshot. This does not establish whether the proposal has appeared in earlier Congresses.
Source last updated: Feb 4, 2026. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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PlainBill explanation
Based on the full Introduced in House · 2025-02-18 text. This explanation has not received human editorial review. This overview describes the proposal’s major provisions; it does not establish what its real-world effects would be.
The proposed College Thriving Act would create competitive federal grants for colleges to develop and offer courses that help students handle college life. The courses would serve first-year students, including transfer students, and cover practical skills, mental wellbeing, and relationships. Colleges with at least 50 percent Pell Grant-eligible students would receive priority. The bill would authorize $50 million for the program; that authorization would not itself provide the funding.
This Act may be cited as the College Thriving Act.
the Secretary of Education shall award grants, on a competitive basis, to eligible institutions to carry out skills-for-success courses for all first-year students enrolled at such institutions.
the Secretary shall give priority to eligible institutions in which at least 50 percent of all students enrolled during the most recent academic year were eligible to receive a Federal Pell Grant
a course offered by an eligible institution for first-year students (including transfer students)
(ii) Mental wellbeing. (iii) Time management skills. (iv) Planning and organization skills. (v) Coping with stress and setbacks. (vi) Managing conflict and difference. (vii) Goal setting. (viii) Building and maintaining healthy interpersonal relationships. (ix) Self-care and compassion.
There are authorized to be appropriated $50,000,000 to carry out this Act
The Secretary of Education would administer competitive grants. Institutional eligibility would depend on two referenced provisions of the Higher Education Act, whose definitions are not reproduced in the bundle.
From the amounts available under section 5, the Secretary of Education shall award grants, on a competitive basis, to eligible institutions
The term eligible institution has the meaning given the term institution of higher education in section 101(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001(a)) and section 102(a)(1)(B) of such Act (20 U.S.C.1002(a)(1)(B)).
Grant priority would go to institutions where at least half of students enrolled in the most recent academic year were eligible for a Federal Pell Grant for the corresponding award year. The Secretary would also provide application assistance upon request, prioritizing those same institutions.
the Secretary shall give priority to eligible institutions in which at least 50 percent of all students enrolled during the most recent academic year were eligible to receive a Federal Pell Grant under section 401 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1070a) for the award year applicable to such academic year.
The Secretary shall, upon request, provide technical assistance to eligible institutions in applying for a grant under this Act. In providing such technical assistance, the Secretary shall prioritize eligible institutions described in subsection (b).
Each grant would last five years. Applicants would have to describe their planned course and activities, request a specific amount, and justify it. The Secretary would set application timing and other requirements and determine the amount needed to carry out the funded activities.
A grant awarded to an eligible institution under this Act shall be for a 5-year grant period.
shall be awarded in such an amount as determined necessary by the Secretary for the institution to carry out the activities described in section 3.
an eligible institution shall submit an application at such time, and in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may require
(1) description of— (A) the skills-for-success course that the institution will develop and implement with the grant; and (B) the activities the institution will carry out under each phase described in section 3(b); and (2) a request for a specific grant amount, and a justification for such amount.
During the first grant year, recipients would have to develop the course and prepare to offer it. Permitted preparation activities include training instructors, securing course approvals, arranging registration and classroom space, and developing an evaluation model.
During the first year of the grant period, the eligible institution shall use such grant to develop the skills-for-success course and carry out the necessary preparation activities, which may include—
(B) identifying and training instructional staff; (C) obtaining support from faculty, staff, or institution administration for the curricular adaptation; (D) developing infrastructure for implementation, including obtaining necessary course and syllabus approvals; (E) determining how student registration will be handled; (F) establishing a course evaluation model; and (G) designating appropriate classroom space.
During the second year, recipients would have to test the course and methods for evaluating it. The evaluation would examine student behavior and other impacts, with observation and feedback from instructors, students, and campus community leaders given as examples.
During the second year of the grant period, the eligible institution shall use such grant to implement— (A) a pilot skills-for-success course; and (B) a pilot of methods for evaluating the course that includes an evaluation of the impact of such course on student behavior and other impacts, such as observation and solicitation of feedback from course instructors, students, and identified campus community leaders.
During years three through five, recipients would have to fully implement and evaluate the course. It would have to be available to each first-year student at the beginning of their first term, to the extent practicable. Course improvements and evaluation methods would draw on the pilot in year three and the preceding year's evaluation in years four and five.
During the third, fourth, and fifth years of the grant program, the eligible institution shall use such grant to— (A) fully implement the skills-for-success course that— (i) is made available for each first-year student enrolled at the institution, at the beginning of such students’ first term of enrollment at such institution, to the extent practicable
(ii) incorporates the improvements identified— (I) in the case of the third year of the grant program, during the pilot skills-for-success course; or (II) in the case of the fourth and fifth years of the grant program, during the evaluation of the course during the preceding grant year
(B) evaluate the full implementation of such course using the methods identified as being most effective for such an evaluation— (i) in the case of the third year of the grant program, during the pilot skills-for-success course; or (ii) in the case of the fourth and fifth years of the grant program, during the preceding grant year.
At the end of the five-year grant, each recipient would have to report to the Secretary on the pilot evaluation, subsequent course evaluations, and how grant funds were used each year.
Each eligible institution that receives a grant under this Act shall submit to the Secretary a report upon the completion of the 5-year grant period, which shall include— (1) an evaluation of the pilot skills-for-success course, and each of the evaluations completed pursuant to subsection (b)(3)(B); and (2) a description of how such grant was used during each year of the grant period.
A qualifying course would serve first-year students, expressly including transfer students, at the beginning of their first term at the institution. It would have to have a low student-to-teacher ratio and either no grades or pass-fail grading.
The term skills-for-success course means a course offered by an eligible institution for first-year students (including transfer students) at the beginning of such students’ first term of enrollment at such institution that— (A) has a low student-to-teacher ratio; (B) is not graded or is pass-fail
Required course topics would include connecting with campus advisers or resources such as mental health counselors; mental wellbeing; managing time; planning and organization; coping with stress and setbacks; managing conflict and differences; setting goals; healthy relationships; and self-care and compassion.
(C) provides skills for success in college, and includes each of the following topics: (i) Development of connections with campus partners (academic advisors) or engagement with campus resources (campus mental health counselors). (ii) Mental wellbeing. (iii) Time management skills. (iv) Planning and organization skills. (v) Coping with stress and setbacks. (vi) Managing conflict and difference. (vii) Goal setting. (viii) Building and maintaining healthy interpersonal relationships. (ix) Self-care and compassion.
The bill would authorize Congress to provide $50 million for the program, with appropriated funds remaining available until spent. This is permission for funding through an appropriation, rather than an appropriation itself.
There are authorized to be appropriated $50,000,000 to carry out this Act, which shall remain available until expended.
The supplied February 4, 2026 source snapshot records introduction in the House and referral to the House Committee on Education and Workforce on February 18, 2025. It does not establish what happened after those actions.
Source snapshot updated 2026-02-04T04:26:29Z. 2025-02-18: Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce. 2025-02-18: Introduced in House
A closer look
Reviewed version: Introduced in House · 2025-02-18. These findings describe provisions and who may benefit; they are not judgments of waste, corruption, or motive.
This review covers the supplied bill text. “None identified” does not rule out provisions in later versions or accompanying reports and disclosures.
Provisions outside the bill’s main subject, or policy changes attached to appropriations.
None identified in the reviewed text
No unrelated provision was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. This conclusion is limited to that version and does not establish the contents of other versions or accompanying materials.
Spending directed to particular recipients or places outside ordinary competitive or formula-based allocation.
None identified in the reviewed text
No earmark was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. This conclusion is limited to that version; formal earmark status cannot be conclusively assessed without accompanying disclosure and legislative materials.
Narrow exceptions, exemptions, or preferential treatment that warrant a closer look.
Findings to examine
The supplied introduced text contains an express institutional preference within the proposed grant program. This classification describes preferential treatment, without judging its justification.
Institutions where at least 50 percent of students in the most recent academic year were Pell Grant-eligible would receive priority for competitive grants and application assistance. This gives a defined subset of otherwise eligible institutions preferential treatment within the bill's main program.
the Secretary shall give priority to eligible institutions in which at least 50 percent of all students enrolled during the most recent academic year were eligible to receive a Federal Pell Grant under section 401 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1070a) for the award year applicable to such academic year.
The Secretary shall, upon request, provide technical assistance to eligible institutions in applying for a grant under this Act. In providing such technical assistance, the Secretary shall prioritize eligible institutions described in subsection (b).
Full text preserved for this analysis. Legislative record snapshot: Feb 4, 2026. How PlainBill uses AI