I 

113TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 4348 

To increase transparency and reduce students’ burdens related to transferring 

credits between institutions of higher education. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 1, 2014 

Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California (for himself, Mr. HINOJOSA, Mr. POLIS, 

Ms. FUDGE, Mr. BISHOP of New York, and Mr. GRIJALVA) introduced 

the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and 

the Workforce 

A BILL 

To increase transparency and reduce students’ burdens related to transferring credits between institutions of higher education. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Transferring Credits 

5 for College Completion Act of 2014’’. 

6 SEC. 2. DATA REPORTING REQUIREMENTS. 

7 (a) TRANSFER COMPLETION DATA.—Section 

8 132(i)(1) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 


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1 1015a(i)(1)) is amended by adding at the end the fol2 lowing: 

3 ‘‘(AA) The percentages of degree- or cer4 tificate-seeking undergraduate students enrolled 

5 at the institution who have transferred from an6 other institution and who obtain a degree or 

7 certificate within— 

8 ‘‘(i) the normal time for completion 

9 of, or graduation from, the student’s pro10 gram (including the time spent as a 

11 degree- or certificate-seeking undergradu12 ate student at any other institution); 

13 ‘‘(ii) 150 percent of the normal time 

14 for completion of, or graduation from, the 

15 student’s program (including the time 

16 spent as a degree- or certificate-seeking 

17 undergraduate student at any other insti18 tution); and 

19 ‘‘(iii) 200 percent of the normal time 

20 for completion of, or graduation from, the 

21 students program (including the time spent 

22 as a degree- or certificate-seeking under23 graduate student at any other institu24 tion).’’. 


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1 (b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—This section shall take effect 

2 one year after the date of enactment of this Act. 

3 SEC. 3. ARTICULATION AGREEMENTS. 

4 (a) TRANSFER OF CREDIT POLICIES.—Section 

5 485(h) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 

6 1092(h)) is amended— 

7 (1) in paragraph (1)— 

8 (A) by striking ‘‘Each institution of higher 

9 education’’ and inserting the following: 

10 ‘‘(A) PRIVATE INSTITUTIONS.—Each insti11 tution of higher education that is not described 

12 in subparagraph (B) and that is’’; 

13 (B) by redesigning subparagraphs (A) and 

14 (B) as clauses (i) and (ii), respectively; and 

15 (C) by adding at the end the following: 

16 ‘‘(B) PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS.—Each public 

17 institution of higher education participating in 

18 any program under this title shall— 

19 ‘‘(i) not later than July 1, 2017, pub20 licly disclose on a central location, and in 

21 a readable and comprehensible manner, on 

22 the website of such institution— 

23 ‘‘(I) a list of the public institu24 tions of higher education that hold an 


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1 articulation agreement in common 

2 with the institution; 

3 ‘‘(II) a list of the courses in the 

4 common general education core cur5 riculum of such public institutions of 

6 higher education; and 

7 ‘‘(III) a description of each asso8 ciate degree program at a public insti9 tution of higher education in the State 

10 that is acceptable in transfer and will 

11 provide credit toward the first 2 years 

12 of a related baccalaureate program at 

13 a public institution of higher edu14 cation in such State, including each 

15 such associate degree program that is 

16 fully acceptable in transfer and will be 

17 credited as the first 2 years of a bac18 calaureate program; and 

19 ‘‘(ii) to the extent practicable, in each 

20 electronic and printed publication of the 

21 institution’s course schedule published on 

22 or after July 1, 2017, in a manner of the 

23 institution’s choosing, for each course or 

24 program of study listed in the institution’s 

25 course schedule, whether such course or 


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1 program of study is part of the common 

2 general education core curriculum at the 

3 institution and transferable for credit to4 ward the completion of a degree at any 

5 public institution of higher education listed 

6 under clause (i)(I). 

7 ‘‘(C) DEFINITIONS.—For purposes of sub8 paragraph (B), the terms ‘articulation agree9 ment’ and ‘common general education core cur10 riculum’ have the meanings given such terms in 

11 paragraph (2).’’; and 

12 (2) by striking paragraph (2) and inserting fol13 lowing: 

14 ‘‘(2) ARTICULATION AGREEMENTS.—Except as 

15 provided in paragraph (3), each public institution of 

16 higher education participating in any program under 

17 this title shall, not later than July 1, 2017, enter 

18 into an articulation agreement (as defined in section 

19 486A(a)) held in common with the other public insti20 tutions of higher education that are in the State in 

21 which the institution is located and that are partici22 pating in any such program. Such articulation 

23 agreement shall, at a minimum, include the fol24 lowing: 


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1 ‘‘(A) A common general education core 

2 curriculum consisting of not less than 30 credit 

3 hours or the equivalent coursework, which are 

4 fully acceptable in transfer at any such public 

5 institution of higher education in the State to6 ward meeting specific degree or certificate re7 quirements. 

8 ‘‘(B) Common course numbering for sub9 stantially similar courses in such common gen10 eral education core curriculum. 

11 ‘‘(C) A guarantee that an associate degree 

12 in an academic major in the arts or sciences 

13 that is awarded by a public institution of higher 

14 education in the State on or after July 1, 2017, 

15 shall be fully acceptable in transfer and credited 

16 as the first 2 years of a related baccalaureate 

17 program at a public institution of higher edu18 cation in such State. 

19 ‘‘(3) EXCEPTION FOR TRIBAL COLLEGES AND

20 UNIVERSITIES.—A Tribal College or University (as 

21 defined in section 316) shall not be required to enter 

22 into or otherwise participate in an articulation 

23 agreement required under paragraph (2). 

24 ‘‘(4) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in 

25 this subsection shall be construed to— 


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1 ‘‘(A) except as provided in paragraph (2), 

2 authorize the Secretary or the National Advi3 sory Committee on Institutional Quality and In4 tegrity to require particular policies, proce5 dures, or practices by institutions of higher 

6 education with respect to transfer of credit; 

7 ‘‘(B) authorize an officer or employee of 

8 the Department to exercise any direction, su9 pervision, or control over the curriculum, pro10 gram of instruction, administration, or per11 sonnel of any institution of higher education, or 

12 over any accrediting agency or association; 

13 ‘‘(C) limit the application of the General 

14 Education Provisions Act; 

15 ‘‘(D) require an institution of higher edu16 cation to accept or enroll a student; or 

17 ‘‘(E) create any legally enforceable right, 

18 including with respect to a guarantee under 

19 paragraph (2)(C), on the part of a student to 

20 require an institution of higher education to ac21 cept the student for enrollment or to accept a 

22 transfer of credit from another institution.’’. 

23 (b) ARTICULATION AGREEMENTS.—Section 486A(b) 

24 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 

25 1093a(b)) is amended— 


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1 (1) in paragraph (1)— 

2 (A) by inserting ‘‘that meet the require3 ments of section 485(h)(2)’’ after ‘‘comprehen4 sive articulation agreements’’; 

5 (B) by inserting ‘‘comprehensive articula6 tion agreements’’ after ‘‘practicable)’’; 

7 (C) by striking ‘‘2010’’ and inserting 

8 ‘‘2017’’; and 

9 (D) by striking the third sentence, includ10 ing subparagraphs (A) through (D); and 

11 (2) in paragraph (2), by inserting before the pe12 riod at the end the following: ‘‘and section 

13 485(h)(2)’’. 

Æ 


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