Bill > HR7117

This bill, titled the "Fast Track To and Through College Act," aims to increase college completion rates and reduce college costs by making it easier for students to earn college credit while still in high school and to transfer that credit seamlessly to college. It proposes to achieve this by creating competitive grants for "eligible entities" – partnerships between state education agencies, higher education systems, and local school districts – to develop and implement "early college fast track pathways." These pathways involve advanced coursework, such as Advanced Placement (AP) or dual enrollment programs, designed to count as a full year of college credit and satisfy high school graduation requirements. The bill also introduces an "early high school graduation fast track pathway" which offers scholarships to students who graduate high school early and do not require remedial college courses. Key provisions include requiring states to establish statewide articulation agreements for credit transfer, allowing high school students participating in these pathways to receive Federal Pell Grants (a form of federal financial aid for students from low-income backgrounds) without it counting against their overall Pell Grant eligibility period, and ensuring that funds are used to supplement, not replace, existing state and local funding for these programs. The bill also mandates an evaluation of its impact on student outcomes, including college enrollment, credit transfer, and degree attainment.

Education

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/7117/all-info