A Democratic bill with 1 Republican cosponsor · See the cosponsor
Last activity — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The Credit for Prior Learning Act aims to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965. It proposes including an allowance for costs associated with prior learning assessments in the calculation of the cost of attendance. This allowance is capped at $2,000 per award year, adjusted for inflation. The bill defines eligible assessments as evaluations of knowledge or skills learned outside of higher education that result in academic credit. Additionally, the bill requires accrediting agencies to confirm that institutions have sufficient, publicly disclosed standards for these assessments. Finally, it mandates transparency regarding the number of students receiving such credits and the average credits awarded, broken down by specific demographics.
Yes· 3 of 10
- Scored +6
Would students be better off under this?
The bill helps students earn academic credit for existing skills while providing funding for the necessary assessments.
- Scored +5
Does this make college cost less?
The bill allows for up to $2,000 per year in the cost of attendance to cover prior learning assessment costs.
- Scored +4
Would households on low incomes be better off under this?
The bill includes transparency requirements for Pell Grant recipients and provides a mechanism to fund assessments via cost of attendance calculations.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Financial Support for Assessments: The bill allows for an allowance of not more than $2,000 per award year for reasonable costs, including test fees, related to assessing prior learning (Section 2). This could help students cover the costs of proving what they already know.
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Path to Academic Credit: The definition of eligible assessments ensures that successful evaluations result in the institution awarding academic credit without requiring additional coursework to meet program requirements (Section 3). This provides a direct way for individuals to earn credit for knowledge or skills learned outside of higher education.
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Increased Transparency: The bill requires institutions to disclose the number of students receiving credit for prior learning and the average number of credits awarded, with data broken down by race, income, and Federal Pell Grant recipient status (Section 5). This provides consumers with more detailed information regarding how these credits are being utilized.
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- No specific negative impacts are explicitly stated in the provided text.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would students be better off under this? — The bill helps students earn academic credit for existing skills while providing funding for the necessary assessments. Would households on low incomes be better off under this? — The bill includes transparency requirements for Pell Grant recipients and provides a mechanism to fund assessments via cost of attendance calculations. Would Black Americans be better off under this? — The bill requires the tracking and reporting of credit data disaggregated by race. Would Asian Americans be better off under this? — The bill requires the tracking and reporting of credit data disaggregated by race. Would Hispanic Americans be better off under this? — The bill requires the tracking and reporting of credit data disaggregated by race. Would middle-income households be better off under this? — The bill provides a method for students to earn academic credit through prior learning assessments. Would white Americans be better off under this? — The bill requires the tracking and reporting of credit data disaggregated by race.
- Education And Technology
- Does this make college cost less? — The bill allows for up to $2,000 per year in the cost of attendance to cover prior learning assessment costs.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see? — The bill mandates the public disclosure of student data regarding prior learning credits.
- Social Issues And Justice
- Does this narrow racial gaps in how people are treated? — The bill requires transparency by disaggregating data on prior learning credits by race.
- 6/24/2026
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- Introduced in Senate
One bill Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
Tim SheehyRepublican · Montana