Young, Hassan Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Reduce College Costs and Increase College Completion Rates

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Todd Young (R-Ind.) and Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) reintroduced the bipartisan Fast Track To and Through College Act, which would provide resources aimed at helping more students earn college credits while still in high school; apply Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, and dual-enrollment credits to their college degrees; and receive credit for introductory college courses taken during high school.

“Early college programs provide students with affordable opportunities to prepare for postsecondary education,” said Senator Young. “Our bill would help create a pathway for more high school students to earn college credits, including providing access to advanced coursework, dual credits, and professional support.”

“Many high school students in New Hampshire and across the country are ready for college-level coursework, and it is important that they have opportunities to continue developing skills that will help them succeed in school and eventually in the workforce,” said Senator Hassan. “The bipartisan Fast Track To and Through College Act will allow more high school students to pursue advanced coursework, which in turn will allow them to earn college credits and potentially save money by decreasing their college tuition costs. I encourage my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to join me in ensuring that our students have the opportunities that they need to thrive.”

The Fast Track To and Through College Act would create a competitive grant program to help more high school students receive college credit toward their future college degree. The bill supports early college programs by:

• Allowing students enrolled in early college programs to take as much as a full year of early college courses toward their postsecondary degree or credential
• Ensuring that students receive credit for the classes that they take by requiring public colleges and universities to accept credit from early college programs
• Expanding access to the programs by allowing Pell Grants to cover dual-enrollment costs for low-income, Pell-eligible students in states receiving a fast-track grant

The Fast Track To and Through College Act is supported by AASA, The School Superintendents Association, Advance CTE, All4Ed, Association for Career and Technical Education, Bard Early Colleges, Center for Higher Education Policy and Practice at SNHU, Complete College America, Education Reform Now, Empower Schools, Jobs for the Future, KnowledgeWorks, Linked Learning Alliance, Massachusetts Alliance for Early College, National Association of Secondary School Principals, National Urban League, New Hampshire Learning Initiative, Michigan Association for Computers in Learning, and Third Way.

A one-pager on the Fast Track To and Through College Act can be found here.