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I
117TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION H. R. 1402
To amend the Federal Pell Grant Program to support career training
opportunities for young Americans.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
FEBRUARY 26, 2021
Mr. CARTER of Texas introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Education and Labor
A BILL
To amend the Federal Pell Grant Program to support career
training opportunities for young Americans.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
1
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
2
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
3
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘More Choice for Career
4
Training Act of 2021’’.
5
SEC. 2. SUPPORTING CAREER TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES
6
FOR ALL YOUNG AMERICANS.
7
(a) AMENDMENTS.—
8
(1) BEGINNING ON THE DATE OF ENACTMENT
9
OF THIS ACT.—Section 401 of the Higher Education
10
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•HR 1402 IH
Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1070a) is amended by add-
1
ing at the end the following:
2
‘‘(k) ALTERNATIVE CERTIFICATION PROGRAM.—
3
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall devise
4
an alternative certification program to enable stu-
5
dents to use Federal Pell Grants to enroll in edu-
6
cational programs (either at eligible institutions or
7
institutions that are not eligible institutions) for
8
which students are not otherwise eligible to use Fed-
9
eral Pell Grants under this section.
10
‘‘(2) DEFINITIONS.—In this subsection:
11
‘‘(A) PROGRAM COMPLETION RATE.—The
12
term ‘program completion rate’ means the per-
13
centage of enrollees in a program who success-
14
fully complete the program requirements within
15
the standard program duration.
16
‘‘(B) JOB PLACEMENT RATE.—The term
17
‘job placement rate’ means the percentage of
18
graduates who have obtained full-time employ-
19
ment in the graduate’s field of study.
20
‘‘(3) NO
REQUIREMENT
FOR
ACCREDITATION
21
OR STATE AUTHORIZATION.—The alternative certifi-
22
cation program shall not require accreditation, State
23
authorization, minimum instructional hours, or min-
24
imum classroom time of educational programs for
25
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•HR 1402 IH
which students may use Federal Pell Grants to en-
1
roll pursuant to this subsection.
2
‘‘(4) CONTINUOUS
OPERATION;
DETERMINA-
3
TION OF ELIGIBILITY.—The Secretary shall—
4
‘‘(A) only certify an educational program
5
under the alternative certification program
6
that—
7
‘‘(i) has been in existence for not less
8
than 5 years; and
9
‘‘(ii) has an annual cost of enrollment
10
for a year that is equal to or less than the
11
maximum Federal Pell Grant award appli-
12
cable to that year;
13
‘‘(B) make an initial determination of edu-
14
cational program eligibility under the alter-
15
native certification program not later than 180
16
days after the date of application of the edu-
17
cational program; and
18
‘‘(C) re-evaluate educational program eligi-
19
bility under the alternative certification pro-
20
gram not less often than once every 5 years.
21
‘‘(5) INFORMATION TO ASSESS PROGRAM ELIGI-
22
BILITY.—
23
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Each educational pro-
24
gram applying for certification or re-certifi-
25
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•HR 1402 IH
cation under the alternative certification pro-
1
gram, the Secretary of the Treasury, and the
2
Secretary of Labor shall submit to the Sec-
3
retary all data necessary for the Secretary to
4
assess educational program eligibility under the
5
alternative certification program.
6
‘‘(B) PRIVACY.—The Secretary shall keep
7
all student data submitted under subparagraph
8
(A) private and confidential.
9
‘‘(6) DETERMINATIONS
OF
PROGRAM
ELIGI-
10
BILITY.—The Secretary shall make a determination
11
of educational program eligibility under the alter-
12
native certification program on the basis of student
13
outcomes in the educational program, including
14
based on each of the following:
15
‘‘(A) Program completion rate.
16
‘‘(B) Job placement rate within 90 days of
17
program completion.
18
‘‘(C) Job placement rate within 12 months
19
of program completion.
20
‘‘(D) Graduate median starting salary.
21
‘‘(E) Graduate median salary 5 years after
22
program completion.
23
‘‘(F) Graduate average starting salary.
24
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•HR 1402 IH
‘‘(G) Graduate average salary 5 years after
1
program completion.
2
‘‘(7) DECERTIFICATION.—The Secretary may
3
decertify an educational program under the alter-
4
native certification program if the program meets
5
any of the following:
6
‘‘(A) The program completion rate is less
7
than 70 percent.
8
‘‘(B) The job placement rate within 90
9
days of program completion is less than 50 per-
10
cent.
11
‘‘(C) The job placement rate within 12
12
months of program completion is less than 70
13
percent.
14
‘‘(D) The graduate median starting salary
15
is less than 200 percent of the Federal poverty
16
level for a one-person household.
17
‘‘(E) The graduate median salary 5 years
18
after program completion is less than 300 per-
19
cent of the Federal poverty level for a one-per-
20
son household.
21
‘‘(8) RULE
OF
CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in
22
this subsection shall be construed to extend eligi-
23
bility with respect to an educational program that is
24
certified under the alternative certification program
25
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•HR 1402 IH
under this subsection to other programs under this
1
title.’’.
2
(2) BEGINNING ON JULY 1, 2023.—Section 401
3
of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
4
1070a), as amended by section 703 of division FF
5
of Public Law 116–260, is further amended by add-
6
ing at the end the following:
7
‘‘(k) ALTERNATIVE CERTIFICATION PROGRAM.—
8
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall devise
9
an alternative certification program to enable stu-
10
dents to use Federal Pell Grants to enroll in edu-
11
cational programs (either at eligible institutions or
12
institutions that are not eligible institutions) for
13
which students are not otherwise eligible to use Fed-
14
eral Pell Grants under this section.
15
‘‘(2) DEFINITIONS.—In this subsection:
16
‘‘(A) PROGRAM COMPLETION RATE.—The
17
term ‘program completion rate’ means the per-
18
centage of enrollees in a program who success-
19
fully complete the program requirements within
20
the standard program duration.
21
‘‘(B) JOB PLACEMENT RATE.—The term
22
‘job placement rate’ means the percentage of
23
graduates who have obtained full-time employ-
24
ment in the graduate’s field of study.
25
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•HR 1402 IH
‘‘(3) NO
REQUIREMENT
FOR
ACCREDITATION
1
OR STATE AUTHORIZATION.—The alternative certifi-
2
cation program shall not require accreditation, State
3
authorization, minimum instructional hours, or min-
4
imum classroom time of educational programs for
5
which students may use Federal Pell Grants to en-
6
roll pursuant to this subsection.
7
‘‘(4) CONTINUOUS
OPERATION;
DETERMINA-
8
TION OF ELIGIBILITY.—The Secretary shall—
9
‘‘(A) only certify an educational program
10
under the alternative certification program
11
that—
12
‘‘(i) has been in existence for not less
13
than 5 years; and
14
‘‘(ii) has an annual cost of enrollment
15
for a year that is equal to or less than the
16
maximum Federal Pell Grant award appli-
17
cable to that year;
18
‘‘(B) make an initial determination of edu-
19
cational program eligibility under the alter-
20
native certification program not later than 180
21
days after the date of application of the edu-
22
cational program; and
23
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•HR 1402 IH
‘‘(C) re-evaluate educational program eligi-
1
bility under the alternative certification pro-
2
gram not less often than once every 5 years.
3
‘‘(5) INFORMATION TO ASSESS PROGRAM ELIGI-
4
BILITY.—
5
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Each educational pro-
6
gram applying for certification or re-certifi-
7
cation under the alternative certification pro-
8
gram, the Secretary of the Treasury, and the
9
Secretary of Labor shall submit to the Sec-
10
retary all data necessary for the Secretary to
11
assess educational program eligibility under the
12
alternative certification program.
13
‘‘(B) PRIVACY.—The Secretary shall keep
14
all student data submitted under subparagraph
15
(A) private and confidential.
16
‘‘(6) DETERMINATIONS
OF
PROGRAM
ELIGI-
17
BILITY.—The Secretary shall make a determination
18
of educational program eligibility under the alter-
19
native certification program on the basis of student
20
outcomes in the educational program, including
21
based on each of the following:
22
‘‘(A) Program completion rate.
23
‘‘(B) Job placement rate within 90 days of
24
program completion.
25
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•HR 1402 IH
‘‘(C) Job placement rate within 12 months
1
of program completion.
2
‘‘(D) Graduate median starting salary.
3
‘‘(E) Graduate median salary 5 years after
4
program completion.
5
‘‘(F) Graduate average starting salary.
6
‘‘(G) Graduate average salary 5 years after
7
program completion.
8
‘‘(7) DECERTIFICATION.—The Secretary may
9
decertify an educational program under the alter-
10
native certification program if the program meets
11
any of the following:
12
‘‘(A) The program completion rate is less
13
than 70 percent.
14
‘‘(B) The job placement rate within 90
15
days of program completion is less than 50 per-
16
cent.
17
‘‘(C) The job placement rate within 12
18
months of program completion is less than 70
19
percent.
20
‘‘(D) The graduate median starting salary
21
is less than 200 percent of the Federal poverty
22
level for a one-person household.
23
‘‘(E) The graduate median salary 5 years
24
after program completion is less than 300 per-
25
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•HR 1402 IH
cent of the Federal poverty level for a one-per-
1
son household.
2
‘‘(8) RULE
OF
CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in
3
this subsection shall be construed to extend eligi-
4
bility with respect to an educational program that is
5
certified under the alternative certification program
6
under this subsection to other programs under this
7
title.’’.
8
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made by
9
subsection (a)(2) shall take effect as if included in the en-
10
actment of Division FF of the Consolidated Appropria-
11
tions Act, 2021 (Public Law 116–260).
12
Æ
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