H.R.9824 College Thriving Act
Representative Valeria Foushee (D-NC-4) introduced and sponsored the College Thriving Act with 5 cosponsors on September 25, 2024. Later that day, it was referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce. This bill aims to support first-year college students by helping them develop essential life and academic skills.
If passed, the bill creates a $1 million, five-year grant program through the Department of Education. This program would fund accredited four-year public institutions to implement "skills-for-success" courses to enhance students' ability to thrive in college.
Topics covered in the "skills-for-success" courses would focus on practical and emotional skill-building like time management, mental wellbeing, stress coping mechanisms, organizational skills, goal setting, and conflict resolution.
Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) will be given priority for the aforementioned grant awards, ensuring that institutions with a large number of first-generation students have access to these resources.
After five years, institutions will be required to submit a report on the effectiveness of the program.
The Act is supported by organizations like the American Psychological Association. Many see its focus on improving student wellbeing and success during the transition into higher education as filling in a critical gap in the American education system.
