Reps. Adams, Foushee Introduce the College Thriving Act to Promote Skills For Success College Courses

WASHINGTON, DC (September 26, 2024) - Today, Congresswoman Valerie Foushee (NC-04) and Congresswoman Alma Adams (NC-12), introduced H.R. 9824, the College Thriving Act of 2024, legislation to create a Department of Education grant for colleges and universities to design and implement a skills-for-success course for first year college students.

"Opportunities for practical and emotional skill-building in a student's first year of college leads to a more positive transition to college life, and an increase in campus engagement and academic success in their later years," said Congresswoman Valerie Foushee (NC-04). "The College Thriving Act will provide institutions, including Historically Black Colleges and Universities, with critical funding to establish skills-for-success courses to better help students achieve their goals. I thank Congresswoman Adams for joining me in introducing this bill, and I look forward to moving it through the House and onward."

"College should be a place discover who you are as a person, and the first year of college can be an overwhelming transition for many who are on their own for the first time. I'm joining with my fellow North Carolina Congresswoman Valerie Foushee to introduce the College Thriving Act, to help young people make the critical adjustment to college life and succeed in the years ahead," said Rep. Alma S. Adams, Ph.D. (NC-12). "This small investment will be especially helpful to students who, like me, may be the first in their family to attend college and need additional support as they begin their higher education journey. I want all our young people to have that opportunity, to become happier, healthier, wealthier, more productive college graduates."

Specifically, the College Thriving Act of 2024 will:

• Create a $1 million three-phase, five-year grant program through the Department of Education for accredited four-year public institutions of higher education to design, pilot, and fully implement a skills-for-success course for incoming first year students.
• The skills-for-success course topics would include time management, mental wellbeing, engaging with campus partners and resources, goal setting, coping with stress, organizational skills, and navigating interpersonal relationships and conflict.
• Require schools to submit a report at the completion of the five years on the success and other findings of the pilot and implemented course.
• Additionally, when evaluating grant applications, the Department of Education will prioritize HBCUs for grant awards to the greatest extent possible.

The College Thriving Act is endorsed by: American Psychological Association and North Carolina Psychological Association.

The full bill text of the College Thriving Act is available here.

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Congresswoman Alma S. Adams, Ph.D. represents North Carolina's 12th Congressional District (Charlotte, Mecklenburg County, Cabarrus County) and serves on the House Committee on Agriculture, and the House Committee on Education & the Workforce, where she serves as ranking member of the Workforce Protections Subcommittee.