College Affordability and Innovation Act of 2014 - Directs the Secretary of Education to award 5-year grants to up to 15 institutions of higher education (IHEs) to carry out new or existing high-quality programs designed to graduate students with certificates or degrees at significantly lower student costs and within shorter time periods than traditional programs.
Includes among those programs, those that:
Authorizes the Secretary to waive the application to grantees of specified provisions of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA) that would inhibit their operation of innovative education programs.
Directs the Secretary to:
Requires the establishment of a Commission on Higher Education Accountability Standards, composed of higher education stakeholders, to make recommendations to the Secretary on a set of minimum accountability standards IHEs' undergraduate programs must meet with respect to affordability, accessibility, and value in order to participate in the programs under title IV (Student Assistance) of the HEA.
Directs the Secretary, after considering those recommendations, to establish IHE affordablity, accessibility, and value accountability standards that, at a minimum, take into account each IHE's: (1) average or mean cost of attendance, minus grant aid; (2) percentage of enrolled students who are recipients of a Federal Pell Grant; and (3) student loan repayment rates.
Requires the Secretary to conduct an annual assessment of schools' compliance with those standards. Deems noncompliant schools to be on probation and requires them to work with the Secretary on a plan to achieve compliance within five years.
Requires schools that do not make continuous improvement toward the accountability standards 2 years, 3 years, and 4 years after being placed on probation to pay the Secretary an amount equal to 10%, 20%, and 30%, respectively, of the title IV funds they make available to undergraduate students.
Makes schools that fail to achieve compliance within five years of being placed on probation ineligible for title IV funds.
Directs the Secretary to place the amounts collected from noncompliant schools in a special fund that is to be used to award competitive grants to IHEs that meet or exceed the accountability standards. Requires grantees to use the funds to provide need-based aid to students who are eligible for Federal Pell Grants.
[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5674 Introduced in House (IH)]
113th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 5674
To provide for higher education reform.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
September 19, 2014
Mr. Himes introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Education and the Workforce
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To provide for higher education reform.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``College Affordability and Innovation
Act of 2014''.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Authorizing committees.--The term ``authorizing
committees'' means the Committee on Health, Education, Labor,
and Pensions of the Senate and the Committee on Education and
the Workforce of the House of Representatives.
(2) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of Education.
SEC. 3. PILOT PROGRAM TO PROMOTE INNOVATION IN HIGHER EDUCATION.
(a) Purpose; Definition.--
(1) Purpose.--The purpose of this section is to authorize
an evidence-based grant program to promote greater
experimentation among institutions of higher education to
increase the level of student attainment of postsecondary and
graduate certificates and degrees through innovative programs
designed to decrease the cost and time required to complete
postsecondary and graduate programs while improving the quality
and effectiveness of postsecondary education programs,
providing accelerated degree or certificate programs, and
increasing on-time graduation rates.
(2) Institution of higher education.--In this section, the
term ``institution of higher education'' has the meaning given
the term in section 102 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20
U.S.C. 1002).
(b) Incentive Grants for Innovative Programs That Improve Quality
and Affordability.--
(1) In general.--
(A) Grants.--The Secretary shall, for a 5-year
award term, award grants to not more than 15
institutions of higher education, through a competitive
process described in this section, to enable the
institutions to carry out programs designed to graduate
students with certificates or degrees at significantly
lower costs for students and within shorter time
periods than traditional programs while improving the
quality and effectiveness of the programs.
(B) Good standing requirement.--Only those
institutions of higher education that are in good
standing with the administration of their student
assistance programs under title IV of the Higher
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1070 et seq.) shall be
eligible to receive grants under subparagraph (A).
(2) Distribution of grant funds.--Grant payments shall be
awarded with an initial distribution of 20 percent of the total
grant amount, followed by a distribution of 10 percent of the
total grant amount prior to the second, third, and fourth years
of the program, and the remaining 50 percent of the total grant
amount after the program receives its final satisfactory annual
evaluation by the Secretary in accordance with subsection
(f)(1).
(3) Description of innovative programs.--The programs
described under paragraph (1) shall include those that--
(A) utilize online instruction, including distance
education (as defined in section 103 of the Higher
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1003)), or online
interaction components, or online instruction
integrated with classroom or in-person instruction;
(B) utilize direct assessment programs, as
described in section 481(b)(4) of the Higher Education
Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1088(b)(4)), either within a
comprehensive direct assessment program or integrated
within another type of academic program;
(C) utilize integration of experiential learning
and design of customized programs of study, to promote
completion or alignment with medium- and long-term
employment needs;
(D) allow students to be dually or concurrently
enrolled in the postsecondary program and a secondary
school, or a postsecondary program and a graduate
program; or
(E) utilize any other innovative, evidence-based
method of postsecondary education that provides cost-
effective, high-quality methods for instruction,
student learning, and use of available technology-based
resources, including hybrid models incorporating
elements of the program types set forth in
subparagraphs (A), (B), (C), and (D), and adaptive
learning technologies.
(c) Applications.--
(1) In general.--An institution of higher education that
desires to receive a grant under this section shall submit an
application to the Secretary at such time and in such manner as
the Secretary may require.
(2) Contents.--An application submitted under paragraph (1)
shall include--
(A) a description of the institution's quality
assurances for the programs to be offered;
(B) a description of the statutory and regulatory
requirements for which a waiver is sought under
subsection (e) and the reasons for which the waiver is
sought;
(C) a description of the programs to be offered;
(D) a description of the students eligible for the
programs offered, including any eligibility
limitations;
(E) an assurance that the institution will fully
cooperate with the ongoing evaluations of the programs
provided for in this section;
(F) a description of how the proposed program will
improve the quality of its postsecondary certificates
or degrees, reduce tuition and other costs to students,
and reduce enrollment time;
(G) a description of the data (or any other
evidence) that indicate that the programs to be offered
will likely lead to the outcomes described in
subparagraph (F);
(H) a complete listing of the institution's
performance goals and measures regarding assessments of
the quality of its postsecondary certificates or
degrees, amount of tuition and costs charged to
students, and the amount of enrollment time needed by
students to complete the postsecondary certificates or
degrees; and
(I) any other information as the Secretary may
require.
(d) Awarding of Grants.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary shall award grants under
this section to institutions of higher education for new or
existing programs.
(2) Priority.--In awarding grants under this section, the
Secretary shall give priority to an institution of higher
education that the Secretary determines--
(A) is financially responsible, as described in
section 498(c)(1) of the Higher Education Act of 1965
(20 U.S.C. 1099c(c)(1));
(B) has a proven record of graduating students from
the other programs of the institution;
(C) has a proven record of graduates from the other
programs of the institution securing full-time
employment;
(D) simultaneously addresses income-related
inequalities in remedial education, college access,
persistence rates, and graduation rates;
(E) has support services in place, such as
counseling, coaching, mentoring, and outreach, that are
designed to assist all students in obtaining
information and making decisions regarding financial
aid, and degree or certificate likelihood of
persistence and completion;
(F) will serve low-income students, adult students
aged 25 years and older, and part-time students;
(G) will support programs that are replicable at a
range of institutions of higher education if they are
demonstrated to be successful; and
(H) has presented the strongest evidence in support
of their likely outcomes, as required under subsection
(c)(2)(G).
(3) Diverse populations.--In awarding grants under this
section, the Secretary shall ensure the participation of
diverse student populations, including rural and urban
populations, and of a diverse range of institutions.
(4) Publication of grantees.--The Secretary shall make
available to the public and to the authorizing committees a
list of the institutions of higher education awarded a grant
under this section, including a listing of the specific
statutory and regulatory requirements being waived for each
institution and a description of the programs and courses to be
offered.
(e) Waivers.--
(1) In general.--Except as provided under paragraph (2),
with respect to institutions of higher education awarded grants
under this section, the Secretary may waive--
(A) subsection (a) or (b) of section 481 of the
Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1088(a) and
(b)), as such subsections relate to requirements for a
minimum number of weeks of instruction;
(B) subparagraph (A) or (B) of section 102(a)(3) of
such Act (20 U.S.C. 1002(a)(3)(A) and (B));
(C) one or more of the regulations promulgated to
carry out part F or G of title IV of such Act (20
U.S.C. 1087kk et seq. and 1088 et seq.), which inhibit
the operation of innovative education programs; and
(D) any other requirement under title IV of such
Act (20 U.S.C. 1070 et seq.) that will bias the results
of the program, including a requirement related to the
award process and disbursement of student financial aid
(such as innovative delivery systems for modular or
compressed courses or other innovative systems), or
other management procedures or processes as determined
in the negotiated rulemaking process under section 492
of such Act (20 U.S.C. 1098a), or regulations
prescribed under such title.
(2) Prohibition of waiver.--The Secretary shall not waive,
pursuant to paragraph (1), any provision under the Higher
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001 et seq.) or a regulation
promulgated to carry out such Act with respect to award rules
(other than an award rule related to an experiment in modular
or compressed schedules), grant and loan maximum award amounts,
and need analysis requirements, unless the waiver of such
provision is authorized by another provision under such Act.
(f) Evaluation and Reports.--
(1) Evaluation and accountability process.--The Secretary
shall establish an evaluation and accountability process for
the programs authorized under this section and shall administer
such process on an annual basis. Such evaluations shall
include--
(A) the extent to which the institution of higher
education has met the goals set forth in its
application to the Secretary, including the quality of
education provided by participating programs;
(B) the number and types of students participating
in the programs offered, including the progress of
participating students toward recognized certificates
or degrees;
(C) issues related to student financial assistance;
(D) the extent to which any statutory or regulatory
requirements present difficulties for students or
institutions in the participating programs; and
(E) an analysis of the program's progress with each
of its objectives, including the number and rate of
completion of participating students toward recognized
certificates or degrees, prices charged to students,
time required to complete the participating programs,
on-time completion rates of participating students, and
indicators of program quality.
(2) Review.--The Secretary shall review policies and
identify those policies that present impediments to the
development and use of innovative programs and other
nontraditional methods of expanding success and access to
education.
(3) Measures.--The Secretary shall establish measures to
assess the quality of the education provided by participating
programs under this section, including a minimum standard of
quality that participating programs shall meet.
(4) Reports.--The Secretary shall provide reports to the
authorizing committees on an annual basis regarding--
(A) the programs authorized under this section; and
(B) the number and types of students receiving
assistance under this section for instruction leading
to a recognized degree or certificate, including the
progress of such students toward recognized
certificates and the degree to which participation in
such programs leading to such certificates increased.
(5) Duties of the secretary.--In conducting the program
authorized under this section, the Secretary shall, on a
continuing basis--
(A) ensure compliance of institutions of higher
education with the requirements of this section (other
than the sections and regulations that are waived under
subsection (e));
(B) provide technical assistance;
(C) monitor fluctuations in the student population
enrolled in the participating program; and
(D) assess whether each participating program is
improving the quality of postsecondary credentials and
meeting the quality control measures set by the
Secretary.
(g) Consumer Protection for Students.--
(1) Program termination.--If a program funded under this
section terminates on its accord at any point during which the
program is receiving funds under this section, or if the
Secretary determines that the program does not meet the minimum
standard of quality as required under subsection (f)(3)--
(A) the institution of higher education
administering the program shall provide immediate
notice to students enrolled in the program and shall
prepare a teach-out plan, as described in section
487(f) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
1094(f)); and
(B) the Secretary shall--
(i) ensure that--
(I) no additional program funds are
distributed to the program; and
(II) the institution of higher
education administering the program is
in compliance with the notice and
teach-out requirements under
subparagraph (A); and
(ii) assess a fine to an institution of
higher education administering the program that
is not in compliance with the notice and teach-
out requirements under subparagraph (A).
(2) Notice and disclosure for students.--An institution of
higher education administering a participating program under
this section shall provide notice to all students before they
enroll in the participating program that such program is
receiving grant funds under this section and may be terminated,
as described in paragraph (1).
(h) Final Evaluation by Third-Party Reviewer.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary shall direct an independent
third-party evaluator to review all participating programs and
conduct a final evaluation in order to determine the evidence
of the effectiveness of each program in achieving its
objectives with regard to the quality of the education
provided, reducing the cost of the degree or certificate
program, and shortening the amount of time needed to complete
the degree or certificate program.
(2) Evaluation methodology.--The independent third-party
evaluator shall establish evaluation methodology in carrying
out the final evaluation under paragraph (1).
(3) Submission to authorizing committees.--The independent
third-party evaluator shall publicize the final evaluation and
submit such evaluation to the authorizing committees.
(4) Funding.--Not more than 1 percent of the total amount
appropriated to carry out this section may be used to carry out
this subsection.
(i) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be
appropriated to carry out this section--
(1) $260,000,000 for fiscal year 2015; and
(2) such sums as may be necessary for each succeeding
fiscal year.
SEC. 4. HIGHER EDUCATION ACCOUNTABILITY.
(a) Purpose; Definition.--
(1) In general.--The purpose of this section is to
establish minimum institutional accountability standards that
will be required of all institutions of higher education that
receive funds or whose students receive funds pursuant to title
IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1070 et seq.)
programs. The standards shall focus on affordability,
accessibility for low- and middle-income students, and value.
(2) Institution of higher education.--In this section:
(A) In general.--The term ``institution of higher
education'' means an institution of higher education
described in section 102 of the Higher Education Act of
1965 (20 U.S.C. 1002), except as provided in
subparagraphs (B) and (C).
(B) Exception.--The term ``institution of higher
education'' does not include institutions that solely
offer graduate or professional degree programs of
study.
(C) Institutions.--To the extent an institution
offers undergraduate programs of study and graduate or
professional degree programs of study, for purposes of
this section, the term ``institution of higher
education'' with respect to such institutions shall
only include the undergraduate programs of study.
(b) Commission on Higher Education Accountability Standards.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 90 days after the date of
enactment of this Act, there shall be established a Commission
on Higher Education Accountability Standards (referred to in
this section as the ``Commission'') to make recommendations on
a set of minimum accountability standards and the measures for
assessing compliance with such standards for institutions of
higher education that shall focus on affordability, access for
low- and middle-income students, and value.
(2) Composition of the commission.--
(A) In general.--Members of the Commission shall be
appointed as follows:
(i) 5 members shall be appointed by the
Majority Leader of the Senate, with the
concurrence of the Minority Leader of the
Senate on 2 of such members.
(ii) 5 members shall be appointed by the
Majority Leader of the House of
Representatives, with the concurrence of the
Minority Leader of the House of Representatives
on 2 of such members.
(iii) 5 members shall be appointed by the
Secretary, including at least 1 member from the
National Center for Education Statistics and 1
member from the Federal Student Aid Office of
the Department of Education.
(iv) In the event that any member of the
Commission has not been appointed during the
90-day period after the date of enactment of
this Act, the Secretary shall appoint the
remaining member in order to establish the
Commission.
(B) General qualifications.--Members of the
Commission shall be appointed on the basis of the
individuals'--
(i) experience, integrity, impartiality,
and good judgment; and
(ii) except with respect to the
undergraduate students, technical
qualifications and professional standing.
(C) Members of the commission.--Members appointed
under subparagraph (A) shall be comprised of the
following relevant stakeholders:
(i) 2 undergraduate student leaders from
different types of institutions of higher
education.
(ii) 2 members of national or regional
student advocacy organizations with a track
record of engagement and expertise on issues
related to college costs and student debt.
(iii) 1 consumer advocate or consumer
protection expert with demonstrated knowledge
of consumer protection issues related to
undergraduate students.
(iv) 2 representatives of faculty groups or
associations with expertise related to higher
education finance or governance.
(v) 1 State government official with
demonstrated knowledge of State budgeting and
higher education funding.
(vi) 3 administrative officers from various
types of institutions of higher education,
including at least 1 from a minority-serving
institution.
(vii) 1 higher education researcher.
(viii) 1 State postsecondary education data
system director.
(ix) 1 member from the National Center for
Education Statistics.
(x) 1 member from the Federal Student Aid
Office of the Department of Education.
(3) Recommendations.--
(A) In general.--The Commission shall make
recommendations on a set of minimum accountability
standards that institutions of higher education must
meet with respect to affordability, accessibility, and
value in order to receive funds or that the students of
such institutions may receive funds pursuant to title
IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1070
et seq.) programs. The Commission shall also recommend
measures and acceptable levels of performance on those
measures to assess compliance with the minimum
accountability standards. If the Commission cannot
issue its recommendations by consensus, it shall issue
its recommendations based on the views of a majority of
the Commission.
(B) Required measures.--The Commission shall
include, at a minimum, the following measures as part
of the minimum accountability standards it shall
recommend:
(i) Affordability.--The average or mean
cost of tuition and other costs required for
attendance after all institutional, Federal,
and State grant aid is taken into account.
(ii) Accessibility.--The percentage of the
total number of enrolled students who are
recipients of a Federal Pell Grant under
subpart 1 of part A of title IV of the Higher
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1070a et
seq.).
(iii) Value.--Student loan repayment rates.
(C) Other measures.--The Commission shall make
recommendations on additional measures to comprise the
minimum accountability standards, including the
following:
(i) Affordability.--The Commission shall
make recommendations on additional higher
education affordability measures, including the
appropriateness of the following:
(I) The cost of tuition relative to
the cost to the institution of
educating a student and the
institution's administrative costs.
(II) The percentage of
institutional aid that is awarded on
the basis of need, as opposed to merit.
(III) Annual increases in tuition
after taking into account all public
subsidies.
(ii) Accessibility.--The Commission shall
make recommendations on higher education
accessibility measures, including the
appropriateness of the following:
(I) Enrollment of low- and middle-
income, underrepresented minorities,
and adult students aged 25 and older.
(II) Whether institutional policies
on credit transfers meet industry
standards by type of receiving
institution.
(iii) Value.--The Commission shall make
recommendations on measures of higher education
value, including the appropriateness of the
following:
(I) Student progress toward
completion of a postsecondary degree or
certificate.
(II) Student completion of a
postsecondary degree or certificate,
including for transfer and part-time
students, or where applicable, transfer
rates to 4-year degree programs.
(III) Student retention rates.
(IV) Full-time employment and
graduate degree enrollment rates after
graduation.
(4) Considerations.--The Commission shall take into account
the differences in missions of institutions of higher education
and ensure that institutions are held to standards that are
appropriate for their mission.
(5) Hearings and report.--
(A) Hearings.--Not later than 6 months after the
date of the appointment of the final member of the
Commission, the Commission shall hold public field
hearings in all regions of the United States. The
Commission shall hold not fewer than 8 hearings.
(B) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date
of the appointment of the final member of the
Commission, the Commission shall prepare a report on
the recommendations under paragraph (3) and submit the
report to the Secretary and the authorizing committees.
The report shall include the following:
(i) Recommendations for minimum
accountability standards and the measures for
assessing compliance with those standards for
every institution of higher education that
receives funds or whose students receive funds
pursuant to title IV of the Higher Education
Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1070 et seq.) programs.
The standards shall focus on affordability,
access for low- and middle-income students, and
value. The Commission shall recommend standards
that are in accordance with the types of
information that institutions of higher
education are authorized to collect and report
under the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20
U.S.C. 1001 et seq.).
(ii) Recommendations for applying the
standards to institutions of higher education
with different academic missions.
(iii) Recommendations for periodic
reevaluation of the standards and their
efficacy by the Secretary.
(iv) Recommendations for sharing
institutions' performance with respect to the
standards with prospective students and
conducting complementary consumer education for
students.
(v) Recommendations for the criteria the
Secretary should use to reward institutions of
higher education that meet and exceed the
minimum accountability standards.
(vi) Recommendations to Congress on reforms
to statutory or regulatory limitations on the
collection and availability of data that would
improve the Secretary's ability to assess
institutions' compliance with minimum standards
of affordability, accessibility, and value.
(6) Securing information.--The Commission may secure
directly from any Federal department or agency such information
as the Commission considers necessary to carry out its duties
under this section. The Commission may request the head of any
State or local department or agency to furnish such information
to the Commission.
(7) Final standards.--
(A) In general.--Not later than 1 year after
receiving the report under paragraph (5), the Secretary
shall publish a final rule on institutional
accountability standards. The standards shall be
determined by the Secretary after giving due
consideration to the recommended standards provided by
the Commission. The Secretary shall set forth in
writing the reasons for any deviation from the
Commission's recommendations for any standard or
measure and shall submit the written statement to the
authorizing committees.
(B) Required measures to be included.--In carrying
out subparagraph (A), the Secretary shall include the
measures described in subsection (b)(3)(B) that the
Commission is required to include as part of its
minimum accountability standards.
(8) Assessment.--The Secretary shall annually assess
compliance with the institutional accountability standards. On
September 30 of the year following the publication of the final
rule as required under paragraph (7) and every year thereafter,
the Secretary shall publish a list of each institution of
higher education that participates in title IV of the Higher
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1070 et seq.) and the
institution's level of compliance with the accountability
standards. The list shall be made easily accessible to the
public.
(9) Implementation.--The Secretary shall establish
procedures to implement this subsection, including procedures
for effectively applying this subsection.
(10) Termination.--The Commission shall terminate 60 days
after the date on which the Commission submits the report under
paragraph (5).
(c) Incentivize Improvement for Below-Standard Institutions.--
(1) In general.--An institution of higher education that
participates in title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965
(20 U.S.C. 1070 et seq.) programs and that does not meet the
institutional accountability standards adopted under subsection
(b)--
(A) shall be deemed to be in probationary status;
and
(B) shall work with the Secretary to develop a plan
for how the institution will achieve compliance not
later than 5 years after the date of the determination
of noncompliance.
(2) Continuous improvement.--For each year following a
determination that an institution of higher education does not
meet the institutional accountability standards adopted under
subsection (b), the institution shall demonstrate to the
Secretary continuous improvement in following its plan to
achieve compliance.
(3) Failure to make continuous improvement.--
(A) In general.--
(i) 2 years out.--If an institution of
higher education does not show continuous
improvement 2 years after a determination that
it does not meet the institutional
accountability standards adopted under
subsection (b), the institution shall pay to
the Secretary an amount equal to 10 percent of
the total amount of funds made available under
title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965
(20 U.S.C. 1070 et seq.) to students in
attendance with an undergraduate enrollment
status at the institution during the prior
academic year, to be deposited into the fund
described in subparagraph (C).
(ii) 3 years out.--If an institution of
higher education does not show continuous
improvement 3 years after a determination that
it does not meet the institutional
accountability standards adopted under
subsection (b), the institution shall pay to
the Secretary an amount equal to 20 percent of
the total amount of funds made available under
title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965
(20 U.S.C. 1070 et seq.) to students in
attendance with an undergraduate enrollment
status at the institution during the prior
academic year, to be deposited into the fund
described in subparagraph (C).
(iii) 4 years out.--If an institution of
higher education does not show continuous
improvement 4 years after a determination that
it does not meet the institutional
accountability standards adopted under
subsection (b), the institution shall pay to
the Secretary an amount equal to 30 percent of
the total amount of funds made available under
title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965
(20 U.S.C. 1070 et seq.) to students in
attendance with an undergraduate enrollment
status at the institution during the prior
academic year, to be deposited into the fund
described in subparagraph (C).
(B) Waiver and payment plan.--
(i) Waiver.--The Secretary may waive a
requirement of an institution of higher
education paying the amount owed pursuant to
subparagraph (A) if the Secretary determines
such a waiver is necessary to avoid extreme
hardship for the students enrolled at such
institution.
(ii) Payment plan.--The Secretary may allow
an institution of higher education that owes an
amount under subparagraph (A) to enter into a
payment plan to pay such amount.
(C) Fund.--There shall be established a special
fund in which amounts refunded by an institution of
higher education under this paragraph shall be placed
to be used pursuant to subsection (d).
(4) Noncompliance five years out.--If an institution of
higher education fails to achieve compliance by not later than
the date that is 5 years after the date of the determination
that the institution does not meet the institutional
accountability standards, the institution--
(A) shall not be eligible to receive funds under
title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
1070 et seq.) for the academic year following the date
that is 5 years after the date of the determination;
(B) shall be required to submit a teach-out plan,
as described in section 487(f) of the Higher Education
Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1094(f)); and
(C) shall be eligible to receive funds under such
title IV when the institution is able to demonstrate
compliance with the institutional accountability
standards.
(d) Authorization of Reward Grant Program.--
(1) In general.--From amounts available in the fund
established pursuant to subsection (c)(3)(C), the Secretary
shall award grants, on a competitive basis, to institutions of
higher education that meet or exceed the institutional
accountability standards adopted under subsection (b). In
determining the criteria for awarding grants, the Secretary
shall give due consideration to the recommendations of the
Commission.
(2) Use for financial aid.--An institution of higher
education awarded a grant under paragraph (1) shall use the
grant funds for need-based aid to students who are eligible for
Federal Pell Grants under subpart 1 of part A of title IV of
the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1070a et seq.).
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Training.
Llama 3.2 · runs locally in your browser
Ask anything about this bill. The AI reads the full text to answer.
Enter to send · Shift+Enter for new line