I 
113TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 5572 
To provide consumer protections for students. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
SEPTEMBER 18, 2014 
Mr. CONYERS (for himself, Mr. COHEN, Mr. GRIJALVA, and Mr. ELLISON) in-
troduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Edu-
cation and the Workforce, and in addition to the Committees on Armed 
Services and Veterans’ Affairs, for a period to be subsequently deter-
mined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions 
as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To provide consumer protections for students. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Protecting Students 
from Worthless Degrees Act’’. 
SEC. 2. CONSUMER PROTECTIONS FOR STUDENTS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.— 
(1) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(A) 
FEDERAL
FINANCIAL
ASSISTANCE 
PROGRAM.—The term ‘‘Federal financial assist-
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ance program’’ means a program authorized 
and funded by the Federal Government under 
any of the following provisions of law: 
(i) Title IV of the Higher Education 
Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1070 et seq.). 
(ii) Title I of the Workforce Invest-
ment Act of 1998 (29 U.S.C. 2801 et 
seq.). 
(iii) The Adult Education and Family 
Literacy Act (20 U.S.C. 9201 et seq.). 
(iv) Chapter 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, or 35 
of title 38, United States Code. 
(v) Chapter 101, 105, 106A, 1606, 
1607, or 1608 of title 10, United States 
Code. 
(vi) Section 1784a, 2005, or 2007 of 
title 10, United States Code. 
(B) 
INSTITUTION
OF
HIGHER
EDU-
CATION.—The term ‘‘institution of higher edu-
cation’’— 
(i) with respect to a program author-
ized under subparagraph (A)(i), has the 
meaning given the term in section 102 of 
the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
U.S.C. 1002); 
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(ii) with respect to a program author-
ized under subparagraph (A)(ii), has the 
meaning given the term ‘‘postsecondary 
educational institution’’ as defined in sec-
tion 101 of the Workforce Investment Act 
of 1998 (29 U.S.C. 2801); 
(iii) with respect to a program author-
ized under subparagraph (A)(iii), has the 
meaning given the term ‘‘postsecondary 
educational institution’’ as defined in sec-
tion 203 of the Adult Education and Fam-
ily Literacy Act (20 U.S.C. 9202); 
(iv) with respect to a program author-
ized under subparagraph (A)(iv), has the 
meaning given the term ‘‘educational insti-
tution’’ under section 3452 of title 38, 
United States Code; 
(v) with respect to a program author-
ized under subparagraph (A)(v), means an 
educational institution that awards a de-
gree or certificate and is located in any 
State; and 
(vi) with respect to a program author-
ized under subparagraph (A)(vi), means an 
educational institution that awards a de-
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gree or certificate and is located in any 
State. 
(C) STATE.— 
(i) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ in-
cludes, in addition to the several States of 
the United States, the Commonwealth of 
Puerto Rico, the District of Columbia, 
Guam, American Samoa, the United States 
Virgin Islands, the Commonwealth of the 
Northern Mariana Islands, and the freely 
associated States. 
(ii) FREELY
ASSOCIATED
STATES.— 
The term ‘‘freely associated States’’ means 
the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the 
Federated States of Micronesia, and the 
Republic of Palau. 
(2) 
CONSUMER
PROTECTIONS.—Notwith-
standing any other provision of law, an institution of 
higher education is not eligible to participate in a 
Federal financial assistance program with respect to 
any program of postsecondary education or training, 
including a degree or certificate program, that is de-
signed to prepare students for entry into a recog-
nized occupation or profession that requires licensing 
or other established requirements as a pre-condition 
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for entry into such occupation or profession, un-
less— 
(A) the successful completion of the pro-
gram fully qualifies a student, in the Metropoli-
tan Statistical Area and State in which the stu-
dent resides (and in any State in which the in-
stitution indicates, through advertising or mar-
keting activities or direct contact with potential 
students, that a student will be prepared to 
work in the occupation or profession after suc-
cessfully completing the program), to— 
(i) take any examination required for 
entry into the recognized occupation or 
profession in the Metropolitan Statistical 
Area and State in which the student re-
sides, including satisfying all Federal, 
State, or professionally mandated pro-
grammatic and specialized accreditation re-
quirements, if any; and 
(ii) be certified or licensed or meet 
any other academically related pre-condi-
tions that are required for entry into the 
recognized occupation or profession in the 
State; and 
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(B) the institution offering the program 
provides timely placement for all of the aca-
demically related pre-licensure requirements for 
entry into the recognized occupation or profes-
sion, such as clinical placements, internships, or 
apprenticeships. 
(3) REGULATIONS
ON
PRE-ACCREDITED
PRO-
GRAMS.—The Secretary of Education shall promul-
gate regulations on requirements of an institution of 
higher education with respect to any program of the 
institution that is in a pre-accredited status, includ-
ing limitations on, or requirements of, advertisement 
of the program to students. Such regulations shall 
be consistent with the provisions of paragraph (2). 
(4) LOAN DISCHARGE.—The Secretary of Edu-
cation shall promulgate regulations that condition 
eligibility for an institution of higher education to 
participate in any Federal financial assistance pro-
gram on the institution signing with each student 
enrolled in any program of the institution that is in 
a pre-accredited status, a loan discharge agreement. 
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—This section shall be effec-
tive on the date that is 1 year after the date of enactment 
of this Act. 
Æ 
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