Fast Track To and Through College Act

The Fast Track To and Through College Act creates new pathways for high school students to earn college credit while still in high school, directly affecting students who are historically underrepresented, first-generation college students, and those from low-income backgrounds. The bill provides federal grants to states to develop statewide systems that align high school and college coursework, create universal articulation agreements for credit transfer between institutions, and ensure students can earn college credit without cost. It allows eligible high school students in these pathways to receive Federal Pell Grants, waiving the usual 12-semester cap on Pell Grant eligibility for their first two semesters of college. States must track participation and outcomes by student subgroups to ensure equitable access and improve college completion rates, while maintaining or increasing funding for advanced coursework. The legislation requires states to develop policies ensuring students who graduate high school early can transition to college without remedial coursework, with credit transfer agreements guaranteeing that college credit earned in high school counts toward degrees.