Working toward increasing rates of college completion and reducing college costs, U.S. Sen. Todd Young (R-IN) recently proposed a bipartisan bill that aims to accelerate time to degree, align secondary and postsecondary education, and improve postsecondary credit transfer.
“Early college programs provide students with affordable opportunities to prepare for postsecondary education,” Sen. Young said. “Our bill would help create a pathway for more high school students to earn college credits, including providing access to advanced coursework, dual credits, and professional support.”
If enacted, the Fast Track To and Through College Act, S. 3952, which Sen. Young cosponsored on March 14 with bill sponsor U.S. Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-NH), would provide resources to help more students earn college credits while still in high school; apply Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, and dual-enrollment credits to their college degrees; and receive credit for introductory college courses taken during high school, according to a bill summary provided by the lawmakers.
The legislation would create a competitive grant program to help more high school students receive college credits, and allow students enrolled in early college programs to take as much as a full year of early college courses toward their postsecondary degree or credential, the summary says.
Additionally, S. 3952 would ensure that students receive credit for the classes that they take by requiring public colleges and universities to accept credit from early college programs, and expand access to the programs by allowing Pell Grants to cover dual-enrollment costs for low-income, Pell-eligible students in states receiving a fast-track grant, states the summary.
The measure has been endorsed by Advance CTE, the Association for Career and Technical Education, the National Association of Secondary School Principals, the National Urban League, the New Hampshire Learning Initiative, the Michigan Association for Computers in Learning, and AASA, The School Superintendents Association, among others.
“The bipartisan Fast Track To and Through College Act will allow more high school students to pursue advanced coursework, which in turn will allow them to earn college credits and potentially save money by decreasing their college tuition costs,” said Sen. Hassan. “I encourage my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to join me in ensuring that our students have the opportunities that they need to thrive.”