20 U.S.C. § 6438: Transition services

§6438 Transition Services

Title 20 › CHAPTER 70 — STRENGTHENING AND IMPROVEMENT OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS › SUBCHAPTER I — IMPROVING THE ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT OF THE DISADVANTAGED › Part D — Prevention and Intervention Programs for Children and Youth Who Are Neglected, Delinquent, or At-Risk › subpart 1 — state agency programs › § 6438

Last updated Sep 22, 2026|Official source

Summary

State agencies must set aside 15% to 30% of their yearly funds under this program to pay for projects that help students move between state-run institutions (including ones run by the Department of the Interior) and local school districts or Bureau of Indian Education schools, or to help youth offenders age 20 or younger who already have a high school diploma or equivalent get into college or career and technical training. Projects can include programs that let youth who have been convicted or are jailed take or audit college classes on campus or where they are held, partnerships between colleges and employers that prepare students for work and further schooling, and key supports like personal, career, and academic counseling, help getting placed in a college program, assistance with student financial aid, and job placement services. The state agency may run these projects itself or hire local school districts, other public agencies, or private nonprofit groups to run them. A school that gets this money may teach neglected or delinquent students together with other students who have similar needs when that is appropriate.

Title 20, §6438

Education, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Transition services

Each State agency shall reserve not less than 15 percent and not more than 30 percent of the amount such agency receives under this subpart for any fiscal year to support—

(1)projects that facilitate the transition of children and youth between State-operated institutions, or institutions in the State operated by the Secretary of the Interior, and schools served by local educational agencies or schools operated or funded by the Bureau of Indian Education; or

(2)the successful reentry of youth offenders, who are age 20 or younger and have received a regular high school diploma or its recognized equivalent, into postsecondary education, or career and technical training programs, through strategies designed to expose the youth to, and prepare the youth for, postsecondary education, or career and technical training programs, such as—

(A)preplacement programs that allow adjudicated or incarcerated youth to audit or attend courses on college, university, or community college campuses, or through programs provided in institutional settings;

(B)worksite schools, in which institutions of higher education and private or public employers partner to create programs to help students make a successful transition to postsecondary education and employment; and

(C)essential support services to ensure the success of the youth, such as—

(i)personal, career and technical, and academic, counseling;

(ii)placement services designed to place the youth in a university, college, or junior college program;

(iii)information concerning, and assistance in obtaining, available student financial aid;

(iv)counseling services; and

(v)job placement services.

(b)Conduct of projects

A project supported under this section may be conducted directly by the State agency, or through a contract or other arrangement with one or more local educational agencies, other public agencies, or private nonprofit organizations.

(c)Rule of construction

Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit a school that receives funds under subsection (a) from serving neglected and delinquent children and youth simultaneously with students with similar educational needs, in the same educational settings where appropriate.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Prior Provisions

A prior section 6438, Pub. L. 89–10, title I, § 1418, as added Pub. L. 103–382, title I, § 101, Oct. 20, 1994, 108 Stat. 3597, related to transition services, prior to the general amendment of this subchapter by Pub. L. 107–110.

Amendments

2015—Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 114–95, § 1401(6)(A), added par. (1) and struck out former par. (1) which read as follows: “projects that facilitate the transition of children and youth from State-operated institutions to schools served by local educational agencies; or”. Subsec. (a)(2). Pub. L. 114–95, § 1401(6)(B), substituted “regular high school diploma” for “secondary school diploma” in introductory provisions and substituted “career” for “vocational” wherever appearing.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 2015 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 114–95 effective Dec. 10, 2015, except with respect to certain noncompetitive programs and competitive programs, see section 5 of Pub. L. 114–95, set out as a note under section 6301 of this title.