AEG17711 S.L.C.
115
TH
CONGRESS 1
ST
S
ESSION
S.
ll
To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to provide for accreditation reform, to require institutions of higher education to publish information regarding student success, to provide for fiscal accountability, and to provide for school accountability for student loans.
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
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introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on
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A BILL
To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to provide for accreditation reform, to require institutions of higher education to publish information regarding student suc-cess, to provide for fiscal accountability, and to provide for school accountability for student loans.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
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tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
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This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Higher Education Re-
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form and Opportunity Act of 2017’’.
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AEG17711 S.L.C.
TITLE I—ACCREDITATION
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REFORM
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SEC. 101. ACCREDITATION REFORM.
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(a) D
EFINITION OF
I
NSTITUTION OF
H
IGHER
E
DU
-
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CATION
.—Section 102(a) of the Higher Education Act of
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1965 (20 U.S.C. 1002(a)) is amended—
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(1) by redesignating paragraphs (5) and (6) as
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paragraphs (6) and (7), respectively;
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(2) in paragraph (1), in the matter preceding
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subparagraph (A), by striking ‘‘Subject to para-
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graphs (2) through (4)’’ and inserting ‘‘Subject to
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paragraphs (2) through (5)’’;
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(3) in paragraph (1)—
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(A) by redesignating subparagraphs (B)
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and (C) as subparagraphs (C) and (D), respec-
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tively; and
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(B) by inserting after subparagraph (A)
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the following:
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‘‘(B) if accredited by an authorized accred-
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itation authority in a State that has an alter-
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native accreditation agreement with the Sec-
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retary, as described in paragraph (5)—
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‘‘(i) an institution that provides post-
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secondary education;
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AEG17711 S.L.C.
‘‘(ii) a postsecondary apprenticeship
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program; or
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‘‘(iii) a postsecondary education
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course or program provided by an institu-
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tion of postsecondary education, a non-
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profit organization, or a for-profit organi-
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zation or business;’’; and
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(4) by inserting after paragraph (4), the fol-
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lowing:
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‘‘(5) S
TATE ALTERNATIVE ACCREDITATION
.—
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‘‘(A) I
N GENERAL
.—Notwithstanding any
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other provision of law, a State may establish an
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alternative accreditation system for the purpose
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of establishing institutions that provide postsec-
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ondary education and postsecondary education
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courses or programs as eligible for funding
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under title IV if the State enters into an agree-
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ment with the Secretary for the establishment
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of the alternative accreditation system. Such in-
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stitutions, courses, or programs may include—
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‘‘(i) institutions that provide postsec-
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ondary education;
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‘‘(ii) postsecondary apprenticeship
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programs;
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