SEC. 112. INITIATIVE TO ENHANCE COLLEGE GRADUATION 
RATES AND TO ACCELERATE TIME TO DE-
GREE. 
Part A of title IV is amended by inserting after sub-
part 7 the following new subpart: 
‘‘Subpart 8—Initiative to Enhance College 
Graduation Rates and to Accelerate Time to Degree 
‘‘SEC. 419P. PROGRAM AUTHORIZED. 
‘‘(a) PURPOSE.—It is the purpose of this subpart to 
establish a six-year demonstration initiative to test wheth-
er Federal financial aid can be leveraged more effectively 
to reduce postsecondary remediation rates and improve 
degree attainment rates for low-income students and 
former high school dropouts by allowing income-eligible 
high school students to use Federal grants to get a head 
start on college. 
‘‘(b) DEFINITION
OF
AN EARLY COLLEGE HIGH 
SCHOOL.—A secondary school is eligible for purposes of 
this subpart if such school—
‘‘(1) is a secondary school that has an enroll-
ment of high school-aged students—
‘‘(A) all of which are taking at least 50 
percent of their courses at the college level over 
4 or 5 years; and 
‘‘(B) all of which, upon their graduation 
from high school, are working towards earning
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an associates degree or up to 2 years of trans-
ferable college credit; or 
‘‘(2) is a secondary school that—
‘‘(A) has a partnership agreement estab-
lishing co-governance of the demonstration sites 
between local educational agencies, secondary 
schools, postsecondary institutions, or other 
partnering agencies (or any combination there-
of), including through a non-profit intermediary 
facilitating such partnerships; 
‘‘(B) supports cohorts of students in a co-
herent course of study with strong individual-
ized services supporting students; 
‘‘(C) encourages accelerated accumulation 
of college credits; 
‘‘(D) allows students to earn both a high 
school diploma and college credit through a co-
herent course of study enabling the attainment 
of credit towards a postsecondary degree or cre-
dential; 
‘‘(E) provides services to underrepresented 
populations such as students eligible for Pell 
grants, first-generation college students, stu-
dents from school districts with high concentra-
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tions of poverty, English language learners, or 
former high school dropouts; and 
‘‘(F) includes the participation of postsec-
ondary institutions that are in good standing 
under the Title IV programs. 
‘‘(c) APPLICATION.—An early college high school 
which is a local education agency or a local education 
agency on behalf of an early college high school which de-
sires to receive a grant under this section may submit an 
application to the Secretary at such time and containing 
such information as the Secretary may require. Such ap-
plication shall require applicants to establish goals for how 
many students will participate in the program, and goals 
for the academic progress of participating students toward 
earning their high school diploma and associate’s degree, 
or transferable college credit, or both. 
‘‘(d) SELECTION OF GRANT RECIPIENTS.—The Sec-
retary shall select grant recipients on a competitive basis. 
In making grants under this section the Secretary shall 
award grants in an amount not less than $1,000,000. 
‘‘(e) EVALUATION.—
‘‘(1) ANNUAL EVALUATION.—The Secretary of 
Education shall evaluate the programs under this 
section on an annual basis. Such evaluations shall 
include—
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‘‘(A) the extent to which the institution, or 
partnership has met the goals set forth in its 
application to the Secretary; 
‘‘(B) the number of students participating 
in the program offered, including the progress 
of participating students towards earning their 
high school diploma and their associate’s de-
gree, or transferable college credit, or both; and 
‘‘(C) as consistent with the goals set forth 
in the application to the Secretary, the number 
of former high school drop outs participating in 
the program. 
‘‘(2) OTHER EVALUATIONS.—Within 18 months 
of the start of the demonstration initiative, the Sec-
retary of Education shall report to the Committee 
on Education and the Workforce of the House of 
Representatives and the Committee on Health, Edu-
cation, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate with re-
spect to—
‘‘(A) the evaluation of the demonstration 
program under this section; and 
‘‘(B) any proposed statutory changes to 
enhance the success of the programs under this 
section.