Education (Higher Education)

in committee · United States · Senate Jun 11, 2025

S 2026: Court Legal Access and Student Support Act of 2025

This bill prohibits colleges and universities from requiring students to waive their right to sue in court through enrollment agreements. It blocks institutions from including forced arbitration clauses or other restrictions (like limiting choice of law, jury trials, or court locations) in contracts with students. The law amends the Higher Education Act to ensure students can pursue legal claims against schools directly in court, rather than through private dispute resolution. It applies to all enrollment agreements between students and institutions of higher education, effective one year after enactment.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationProtects student legal rights against institutions by blocking forced arbitration, ensuring access to courts for disputes under higher education policy.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Higher Education

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in committee · United States · Senate Jun 23, 2025

S 2140: Haskell Indian Nations University Improvement Act

The Haskell Indian Nations University Improvement Act would transform Haskell Indian Nations University from a Bureau of Indian Education institution into a federally chartered corporation with its own independent board of trustees. This change would allow the university to operate independently from the Bureau of Indian Education, accept private donations as a tax-exempt organization, and develop its own policies to better serve its students. The bill aims to address longstanding challenges with facility maintenance, program management, and funding dependency that have affected the university's ability to provide quality education to its approximately 900 enrolled students representing 140 tribes. The new board would be composed of 15 voting members (all enrolled in Indian Tribes) and 1 student member, with the goal of improving the university's educational mission and campus environment.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationTransforms university governance to enable private donations and independent policy-making, enhancing higher education access and funding opportunities for a tribal institution.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Higher Education

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in committee · United States · House Dec 18, 2025

HR 6886: Reverse Transfer Efficiency Act of 2025

HR 6886, the Reverse Transfer Efficiency Act of 2025, simplifies the process for college students who transfer between institutions to earn a recognized postsecondary credential (like an associate degree) using previously earned credits. It amends federal education law to allow students to send their course records to a prior college for credential completion, provided they give written consent. The key change adds a new provision (M) to the law, removing barriers that previously prevented institutions from sharing these records without explicit student permission. This directly affects transfer students, particularly those moving from community colleges to four-year schools, by making it easier to complete lower-level credentials they started earlier. The bill focuses on administrative efficiency, not funding or program changes.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationRemoves barriers for students to earn associate degrees via transfer credits, expanding postsecondary access and credential completion opportunities.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Higher Education Student Financial Aid

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in committee · United States · House Dec 12, 2025

HR 6686: No Cost Educational Resources Act of 2025

This bill creates grants to help colleges adopt free digital textbooks (open educational resources) in science, technology, engineering, and math courses. It directly affects institutions of higher education, requiring them to collaborate with librarians and STEM faculty to implement these courses. Key provisions include prioritizing schools with many low-income or minority students, mandating plans for faculty collaboration, and requiring annual reports on cost savings for students compared to traditional textbooks. The law defines "open educational reading materials" as free, downloadable digital texts and tracks how many STEM courses transition to using them.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill creates grants for free digital textbooks in STEM, prioritizing low-income/minority institutions, reducing student costs and improving access. Directly funds educational resources for higher education.90% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyFunds free digital textbooks in STEM courses, promoting digital equity and reducing costs for students, especially low-income/ minority groups, advancing educational technology access.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Curriculum Higher Education Libraries

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in committee · United States · Senate Dec 4, 2025

S 3359: Fast Track To and Through College Act

This bill creates two pathways to help high school students earn college credit while in high school and graduate early. The "early college fast track pathway" allows students to take college-level courses (like AP, IB, or dual enrollment) that count toward a degree, while the "early high school graduation pathway" lets students graduate in 3 years without needing remedial college courses and provides a scholarship for college. States would receive federal grants to implement these pathways, requiring them to align high school curriculum with college requirements, create statewide credit transfer agreements, and ensure credit transfer between institutions. The bill also changes Pell Grant rules to allow eligible high school students in these pathways to receive Pell Grants without counting toward the usual 12-semester limit. It requires states to track participation and outcomes, particularly for historically underrepresented students.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationProvides federal grants for dual enrollment pathways, early graduation with scholarships, and eliminates remedial courses - expanding college access and strengthening K-12 to higher education transitions.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Curriculum Higher Education Student Financial Aid

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in committee · United States · Senate Mar 11, 2026

S 3747: Home School Graduation Recognition Act

This bill amends the Higher Education Act to recognize home-schooled students as high school graduates for federal student aid eligibility. It changes the definition in Section 484(d) to state that a student completing secondary education in a home school setting treated as a home or private school under state law is considered a high school graduate. This directly affects home-schooled students seeking federal financial aid for college. The key provision is a new definition that removes prior barriers to eligibility based on educational setting, aligning federal recognition with state-level home school classifications.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationExpands federal aid access for home-schooled students by recognizing them as high school graduates, removing barriers to higher education funding.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Higher Education K-12 Education Student Financial Aid

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in committee · United States · House May 1, 2025

HR 3153: Understanding the True Cost of College Act of 2025

The Understanding the True Cost of College Act of 2025 requires colleges and universities to provide students with a standardized financial aid offer that clearly explains college costs, grants, scholarships, and loans in plain language. The form must display direct and indirect costs of attendance, net price after grants/scholarships, and detailed loan terms including repayment options and interest rates. It mandates institutions to disclose information about private loan alternatives, Federal education benefits for veterans, and provide links to repayment calculators. All institutions receiving federal financial aid must use this standardized form starting after the Secretary of Education finalizes the required format.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationRequires transparent financial aid disclosure to improve student access to higher education by clarifying costs and loan terms.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Higher Education K-12 Education Student Financial Aid

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in committee · United States · House Jan 7, 2026

HR 6973: COURSE Credit Act

The COURSE Credit Act (HR 6973) requires colleges and universities to publicly disclose their policies on awarding college credit for Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) exam scores. Specifically, institutions must publish on their websites detailed information about how many credits they grant, the minimum exam scores required (which may vary by subject or degree program), and whether credits count as full courses, electives, or exemptions. The Department of Education will also collect and annually report this data on the College Scorecard website for transparency. This bill directly affects students seeking credit for AP/IB exams and institutions of higher education by standardizing how credit policies are shared.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationRequires colleges to disclose AP/IB credit policies, improving student access to transparent information for informed educational decisions.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Higher Education

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in committee · United States · House May 21, 2025

HR 3534: Mental Health in Schools Excellence Program Act of 2025

HR 3534, the Mental Health in Schools Excellence Program Act of 2025, creates a federal program to increase the number of school-based mental health professionals. It provides federal matching funds - covering up to 50% of tuition and fees for eligible students - in partnership with graduate schools offering accredited programs in school counseling, psychology, or social work. Participating graduate institutions must match federal contributions, and priority is given to students who received Federal Pell Grants or attended specific institutions as undergraduates. The program directly affects graduate students training to become licensed school mental health providers, aiming to expand the workforce serving K-12 schools.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationProvides federal matching funds to train school-based mental health professionals, directly enhancing student mental health services in schools through funding and program expansion.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill funds tuition for mental health professionals in schools via federal matching grants, directly expanding access to mental health services as a core healthcare component.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Higher Education K-12 Education Student Health Mental Health

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in committee · United States · Senate Jan 15, 2026

S 3661: PATH to Education Act

S 3661, the PATH to Education Act, creates new grants for public transit providers to partner with community colleges, Head Start programs, minority-serving institutions, career schools, and rural colleges to improve transportation access. Grants fund specific projects like adding bus stops/routes, increasing service frequency for student commutes, or covering operating costs for transit connecting to eligible institutions. The bill allocates $1 million in 2027 (rising to $5 million by 2031) for these grants, with priority given to partnerships involving schools where over 25% of students receive federal Pell Grants. This directly affects transit agencies, educational institutions serving low-income students, and Head Start participants needing reliable transportation.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationProvides $1M+ in grants to improve transit access to schools, directly enhancing educational access for students at eligible institutions.95% confidence ✓ TransportationSupports TransportationBill allocates $1M-$5M for public transit grants to fund bus routes/stops and improve student commutes to educational institutions, directly advancing transportation infrastructure access.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Higher Education School Transportation Student Financial Aid Public Transit Rail

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