I 
116TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 5961 
To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to support apprenticeship 
programs. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 25, 2020 
Mr. KHANNA (for himself and Mr. FITZPATRICK) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Education and Labor 
A BILL 
To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to support 
apprenticeship programs. 
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 ‘‘Student Apprentice-
ship Act of 2020’’. 
SEC. 2. APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMS. 
Title VII of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
U.S.C. 1133 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end 
the following: 
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‘‘PART F—APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMS 
‘‘SEC. 791. GRANTS TO SUPPORT APPRENTICESHIP PRO-
GRAMS. 
‘‘(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
‘‘(1) APPRENTICESHIP
PROGRAM.—The term 
‘apprenticeship program’ means a program that is 
registered under the Act of August 16, 1937 (com-
monly known as the ‘National Apprenticeship Act’; 
50 Stat. 664, chapter 663; 29 U.S.C. 50 et seq.) on 
November 7, 2019, and is in compliance with the 
regulations promulgated to carry out such Act under 
part 29 of title 29, Code of Federal Regulations, as 
in effect on the date of introduction of this Act in 
the Senate. 
‘‘(2) POSTSECONDARY
APPRENTICESHIP
PRO-
GRAM.—The term ‘postsecondary apprenticeship 
program’ means an apprenticeship program that 
meets the requirements of a recognized postsec-
ondary credential conferred by an institution of 
higher education as established by the relevant State 
agency in the State where the program is delivered. 
‘‘(3) RECOGNIZED
POSTSECONDARY
CREDEN-
TIAL.—The term ‘recognized postsecondary creden-
tial’ means a credential consisting of an industry- 
recognized certificate, that is credit-bearing at the 
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institution of higher education from which it is con-
ferred, or an associate or baccalaureate degree. 
‘‘(4) STUDENT APPRENTICE.—The term ‘stu-
dent apprentice’ means an individual who is— 
‘‘(A) enrolled or accepted for enrollment at 
an institution of higher education for the pur-
pose of obtaining a recognized postsecondary 
credential (which provides credit toward a post-
secondary degree) offered by that institution 
and is a participant in a postsecondary appren-
ticeship program; and 
‘‘(B) a worker at least 16 years of age, ex-
cept where a higher minimum age standard is 
otherwise fixed by law, who is employed to learn 
an apprenticeable occupation, as described in 
section 29.4 of title 29, Code of Federal Regu-
lations (as in effect on November 7, 2019), 
under standards of apprenticeship fulfilling the 
requirements of section 29.5 of title 29, Code of 
Federal Regulations (as in effect on November 
7, 2019). 
‘‘(5) WORKFORCE
INTERMEDIARY.—The term 
‘workforce intermediary’— 
‘‘(A) means an entity, which may be part 
of an industry or sector partnership, that dem-
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onstrates expertise in building, connecting, sus-
taining, and measuring the performance of 
partnerships in order for the entity to broker 
services, resources, and supports for develop-
ment, delivery, expansion, or improvement of 
postsecondary apprenticeship programs, and of 
the organizations and systems that are designed 
to serve covered student apprentices and em-
ployer partners, including— 
‘‘(i) connecting employers to appren-
ticeship opportunities; 
‘‘(ii) assisting in the design and imple-
mentation of postsecondary apprenticeship 
programs, including curriculum develop-
ment and delivery for related instruction; 
‘‘(iii) supporting entities, and spon-
sors or program administrators, in meeting 
the registration and reporting require-
ments; 
‘‘(iv) providing professional develop-
ment activities such as training to men-
tors; 
‘‘(v) connecting students or workers to 
apprenticeship opportunities; and 
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‘‘(vi) developing and providing person-
alized covered apprentice supports, includ-
ing supportive services and financial advis-
ing; and 
‘‘(B) includes a State workforce develop-
ment board or local workforce development 
board, as established under title I of the Work-
force Innovation and Opportunity Act, or State 
workforce agency. 
‘‘(b) GRANT PROGRAM.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, in collabo-
ration with the Secretary of Labor, shall award 
grants to eligible partnerships to enable the partner-
ships to develop and implement a postsecondary ap-
prenticeship program. 
‘‘(2) DURATION.—Grants awarded under this 
section shall be 4 or 5 years in duration. 
‘‘(3) ELIGIBLE PARTNERSHIP.— 
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—In this section, the 
term ‘eligible partnership’ means a partnership 
that— 
‘‘(i) shall include— 
‘‘(I) an institution of higher edu-
cation or a consortium of such institu-
tions; 
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‘‘(II) an individual employer or 
consortium of employers; and 
‘‘(III) a workforce intermediary, 
unless waived by the Secretary be-
cause the partnership demonstrates 
that a high-quality program is in 
place or it would be a hardship to in-
clude a workforce intermediary; and 
‘‘(ii) may include— 
‘‘(I) a State agency responsible 
for the administration of career and 
technical education in the State or for 
the supervision of the administration 
of career and technical education in 
the State; 
‘‘(II) a labor organization; 
‘‘(III) an economic development 
agency or organization, such as a 
chamber of commerce, business alli-
ance, or industry association; 
‘‘(IV) a community-based organi-
zation; 
‘‘(V) a State educational agency; 
or 
‘‘(VI) a local educational agency. 
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‘‘(B) FISCAL
AGENT.—The lead fiscal 
agent of an eligible partnership shall be any of 
the following: 
‘‘(i) An institution of higher edu-
cation. 
‘‘(ii) An industry association. 
‘‘(iii) A workforce intermediary that is 
an entity that is described in section 
501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 
1986 and exempt from taxation under sec-
tion 501(a) of such Code. 
‘‘(4) APPLICATION.— 
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—An eligible partner-
ship that desires to receive a grant under this 
section shall submit an application to the Sec-
retary at such time, in such manner, and ac-
companied by such information as the Secretary 
may require. 
‘‘(B) INCLUSIONS.—An application sub-
mitted under subparagraph (A) shall include— 
‘‘(i) a plan to recruit and retain a 
high number or high percentage of partici-
pants who are from nontraditional appren-
ticeship populations, including women, mi-
norities, individuals with disabilities, vet-
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erans, and individuals with barriers to em-
ployment, such as opportunity youth, low- 
income youth and adults, young adults and 
adults of color, and individuals who have 
been impacted by the criminal justice sys-
tem; 
‘‘(ii) letters of support and a labor 
market analysis that demonstrate that the 
occupation for which the program prepares 
participants— 
‘‘(I) is feasible and in demand; 
‘‘(II) is a high-growth, high-wage 
occupation; and 
‘‘(III) is a response to in-demand 
industry sectors or occupations as de-
termined by the State or local work-
force boards; 
‘‘(iii) a plan for reaching desired out-
comes, as described in paragraph (7); 
‘‘(iv) a plan for ensuring that the 
partnership has the capacity to access data 
to measure desired outcomes and the out-
comes described in clause (v); and 
‘‘(v) a plan for— 
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‘‘(I) increasing associate or bac-
calaureate degree and credential at-
tainment; 
‘‘(II) how tuition and mandatory 
fees expenses will be covered with the 
goal of the program being tuition free 
and debt free for students; 
‘‘(III) the employer of the part-
nership to cover not less than 25 per-
cent of the tuition and mandatory 
fees; 
‘‘(IV) sustaining the program for 
at least 20 months beyond the grant 
period; and 
‘‘(V) including a provider of sup-
port or specialized services, such as fi-
nancial counseling. 
‘‘(C) DESCRIPTION OF INSTRUCTION.—In 
addition to the information described in sub-
paragraph (B), an application submitted under 
subparagraph (A) shall include a description of 
the organized, related instruction the apprentice 
will receive in technical subjects related to the 
occupation for which the program prepares par-
ticipants, which— 
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‘‘(i) shall include not less than 2,000 
hours of on the job learning and a rec-
ommended 144 hours for each year (with 
an allowance for a student to spread it out 
over 2 years) of related technical instruc-
tion unless an alternative requirement is 
put forth by the employer and sponsor that 
reflects industry standards and is accepted 
by the Secretary; 
‘‘(ii) may be accomplished through 
credit-bearing classroom instruction, occu-
pational or industry courses, instruction 
provided through electronic media, or other 
instruction approved by the registration 
agency; 
‘‘(iii) shall be provided by one or more 
qualified instructors who— 
‘‘(I)(aa) meet the career technical 
education instructor requirements of 
the applicable education agency of the 
State of registration; or 
‘‘(bb) are subject matter experts, 
defined for purposes of this subpara-
graph as individuals (including jour-
neyworkers) recognized within an in-
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dustry as having expertise in a spe-
cific occupation; and 
‘‘(II) have training in teaching 
techniques and learning styles or will 
obtain such training before an in-
structor begins providing the related 
technical instruction; and 
‘‘(iv) shall, to the maximum extent 
practicable, be aligned to a career pathway, 
as defined in section 3 of the Workforce 
Innovation and Opportunity Act. 
‘‘(5) SELECTION.—The Secretary shall, in se-
lecting eligible partnerships to receive grants under 
this section— 
‘‘(A) consider the equitable geographic dis-
tribution of grants among rural and urban 
areas; 
‘‘(B) leverage significant State, local, insti-
tutional, or private resources, including in-kind 
contributions, to support the activities assisted 
under this section; 
‘‘(C) consider industries and occupations 
where apprenticeships are not already preva-
lent; and 
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‘‘(D) not select partnerships that seek to 
use a grant under this section to establish ap-
prenticeships in construction trades. 
‘‘(6) USE OF GRANT FUNDS.— 
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—An eligible partner-
ship that receives a grant under this section 
shall use the grant funds to develop and imple-
ment a postsecondary apprenticeship program 
in high-skill, high-wage, and in-demand indus-
try sectors or occupations. 
‘‘(B) PERMISSIBLE
USE
OF
FUNDS.—An 
eligible partnership that receives a grant under 
this section to develop and implement a postsec-
ondary apprenticeship program may use the 
grant funds for any of the following: 
‘‘(i) Program design and implementa-
tion costs, including— 
‘‘(I) development of curricula and 
standards; 
‘‘(II) development of a com-
petency-based approach to awarding 
credits; and 
‘‘(III) use of subject matter ex-
perts in instructional delivery or cur-
riculum design. 
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‘‘(ii) Development of on-the-job learn-
ing, mentoring, and additional supervision 
structures and professional development 
for mentors and supervisors. 
‘‘(iii) Tuition for the related instruc-
tion of the apprenticeship. 
‘‘(iv) 
Development 
of 
articulation 
agreements with institutions of higher edu-
cation that result in awarding an associ-
ate’s or higher degree. 
‘‘(v) Assessment of prior learning for 
the purpose of awarding credit. 
‘‘(vi) Certifying examinations. 
‘‘(vii) Recruitment of student appren-
tices. 
‘‘(viii) Need-based supportive services, 
including tutoring, transportation, child 
care, and housing subsidies. 
‘‘(ix) Not more than 20 percent of 
grant funds for the purchase of updated 
equipment. 
‘‘(x) Not more than 10 percent of 
grant funds for administrative functions, 
such as program management and grant 
reporting. 
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