I 
117TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 6108 
To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to support community college 
and industry partnerships, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
DECEMBER 1, 2021 
Ms. KELLY of Illinois 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 
community college and industry partnerships, and for 
other purposes. 
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 ‘‘Community College 
to Career Fund in Higher Education Act’’. 
SEC. 2. COMMUNITY COLLEGE TO CAREER FUND. 
Title VIII of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
U.S.C. 1161a et seq.) is amended by adding at the end 
the following: 
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‘‘PART BB—COMMUNITY COLLEGE TO CAREER 
FUND 
‘‘SEC. 899. COMMUNITY COLLEGE AND INDUSTRY PARTNER-
SHIPS GRANT PROGRAM. 
‘‘(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
‘‘(1) WIOA DEFINITIONS.—The terms ‘career 
pathway’, ‘integrated education and training’, ‘indi-
vidual with a barrier to employment’, ‘industry or 
sector partnership’, and ‘in-demand industry sector 
or occupation’ have the meanings given to such 
terms in section 3 of the Workforce Innovation and 
Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3102). 
‘‘(2) COMMUNITY COLLEGE.—The term ‘com-
munity college’ means a public institution of higher 
education at which the highest degree that is pre-
dominantly awarded to students is an associate’s de-
gree, including 2-year Tribal Colleges or Univer-
sities, as defined in section 316, and public 2-year 
institutions of higher education. 
‘‘(3) EDUCATION
AND
WORKFORCE
TRAINING 
PROGRAM.—The term ‘education and workforce 
training program’— 
‘‘(A) means a career pathway program, or 
a program that utilizes integrated education 
and training strategies, that leads to a recog-
nized postsecondary credential; and 
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‘‘(B) includes a registered apprenticeship 
program, on-the-job training program, or paid 
internship, if the program or internship meets 
the requirements of subparagraph (A). 
‘‘(4) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term ‘eligible en-
tity’ means an institution of higher education, or a 
consortium of institutions of higher education, 
that— 
‘‘(A) is part of an industry or sector part-
nership, or is working directly with an industry 
or sector partnership for purposes of a grant 
under this section; and 
‘‘(B) may, for purposes of a grant under 
this section and in addition to the industry or 
sector partnership, partner with one or more of 
the following: 
‘‘(i) An eligible provider, as defined in 
section 203 of the Adult Education and 
Family Literacy Act (29 U.S.C. 3272). 
‘‘(ii) An institution of higher edu-
cation, as defined in section 101. 
‘‘(iii) An elementary school or sec-
ondary school, as such terms are defined in 
section 8101 of the Elementary and Sec-
ondary Education Act of 1965. 
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‘‘(iv) Any other entity that the Secre-
taries consider appropriate. 
‘‘(5) INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION.— 
The term ‘institution of higher education’— 
‘‘(A) means— 
‘‘(i) a community college; or 
‘‘(ii) a 4-year public institution of 
higher education (as defined in section 
101(a)) or a Tribal College or University 
(as defined in section 316(b)) that— 
‘‘(I) offers an associate degree; 
and 
‘‘(II) will use funds provided 
under this section for education and 
workforce training programs or activi-
ties for courses of study that cul-
minate with a recognized postsec-
ondary credential, and not for courses 
of study culminating in a bacca-
laureate or advanced degree; and 
‘‘(B) includes institutions described in sub-
paragraph (A) that are located in the Common-
wealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, the United States 
Virgin Islands, American Samoa, the Common-
wealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the 
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Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated 
States of Micronesia, or the Republic of Palau. 
‘‘(6) RECOGNIZED
POSTSECONDARY
CREDEN-
TIAL.—The term ‘recognized postsecondary creden-
tial’ means a credential consisting of an industry- 
recognized certificate or certification, a certificate of 
completion of an apprenticeship, a license recognized 
by the State involved or Federal Government, or an 
associate degree. 
‘‘(7) SECRETARIES.—The term ‘Secretaries’ 
means the Secretary of Education and the Secretary 
of Labor, acting jointly in accordance with the inter-
agency agreement described in subsection (h). 
‘‘(b) GRANTS AUTHORIZED.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than the last day 
of the first full fiscal year following the date of en-
actment of the Community College to Career Fund 
in Higher Education Act and from funds appro-
priated under subsection (g), the Secretaries shall 
award competitive grants to eligible entities to en-
able the eligible entities to carry out education and 
workforce training programs or activities described 
in subsection (e). 
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‘‘(2) DURATION OF GRANTS.—Grants awarded 
under this section shall be for a period of not more 
than 5 years, subject to subsection (f)(3). 
‘‘(c) APPLICATION.—An eligible entity desiring a 
grant under this section shall submit to the Secretaries 
an application at such time, in such manner, and con-
taining such information as the Secretaries determine is 
required. The application shall contain— 
‘‘(1) a grant proposal for each education and 
workforce training program or activity to be sup-
ported under the grant that includes a detailed de-
scription of— 
‘‘(A) the specific education and workforce 
training program or activity that will be sup-
ported, and the quality of the program or activ-
ity; 
‘‘(B) the extent to which the program or 
activity aligns with— 
‘‘(i) an overall strategic plan devel-
oped by the eligible entity in collaboration 
with an industry sector partnership and, if 
applicable, other partner organizations; 
‘‘(ii) a statewide or regional workforce 
development strategy, including strategies 
established under the Workforce Innova-
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tion and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3201 
et seq.) and the Carl D. Perkins Career 
and Technical Education Act of 2006; and 
‘‘(iii) in-demand industry sectors or 
occupations; 
‘‘(C) quantitative data and evidence that 
demonstrates the extent to which the program 
or activity to be supported will meet the needs 
of employers in the area for skilled workers in 
in-demand industry sectors or occupations; 
‘‘(D) the extent to which the program or 
activity to be supported will meet the needs of 
students in the area; 
‘‘(E) how the program or activity to be 
supported meets the criteria established under 
subsection (d), including the manner in which 
the grant will be used to develop, offer, im-
prove, or provide the program or activity; and 
‘‘(F) any previous experience of the eligible 
entity in providing education and workforce 
training programs or activities, the absence of 
which shall not automatically disqualify an eli-
gible entity from receiving a grant under this 
section; and 
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‘‘(2)(A) a detailed description of how the eligi-
ble entity will ensure that any education and work-
force training programs or activities supported 
under the grant will meet the performance measures 
described in subsection (f); and 
‘‘(B) an assurance that the entity will annually 
submit to the Secretaries information on the per-
formance of each education and workforce training 
program or activity supported under the grant, in 
the context of the performance measures described 
in subsection (f). 
‘‘(d) CRITERIA FOR AWARD.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Grants under this section 
shall be awarded based on criteria established by the 
Secretaries that shall include, at a minimum, the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(A) A determination of the merits of the 
grant proposal submitted by the eligible entity 
to develop, offer, improve, or provide an edu-
cation and workforce training program or activ-
ity to be made available to students. 
‘‘(B) An assessment of the likely employ-
ment opportunities available in the area to indi-
viduals who complete an education and work-
force training program or activity that the eligi-
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ble entity proposes to develop, offer, improve or 
provide under the grant, based on State or local 
labor market data. 
‘‘(2) PRIORITY.—In awarding grants under this 
section, the Secretaries shall give priority to eligible 
entities that— 
‘‘(A) are working with an industry or sec-
tor partnership that prioritizes facilitating the 
hiring of individuals who have obtained a recog-
nized postsecondary credential from the edu-
cation and workforce training programs or ac-
tivities offered by the eligible entity; 
‘‘(B) are focused on serving individuals 
with barriers to employment, veterans, spouses 
of members of the Armed Forces, or incumbent 
workers who are low-skilled and who need to in-
crease their employability skills; 
‘‘(C) serve areas with high unemployment 
rates; or 
‘‘(D) commit to increasing access to edu-
cation and workforce training programs or ac-
tivities that meet the needs of employers in in- 
demand industry sectors or occupations. 
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‘‘(e) USE OF FUNDS.—An eligible entity receiving a 
grant under this section shall use grant funds for 1 or 
more of the following: 
‘‘(1) The development, offering, improvement, 
or provision of 1 or more education and workforce 
training programs or activities leading to recognized 
postsecondary credentials that will meet the needs of 
employers in in-demand industry sectors or occupa-
tions. 
‘‘(2) The development and implementation of 
policies, programs, or activities that expand opportu-
nities for students to earn a recognized postsec-
ondary credential in in-demand industry sectors or 
occupations, including by— 
‘‘(A) facilitating the transfer of academic 
credits between institutions of higher education 
(as defined in section 101), including the trans-
fer of academic credits for courses in the same 
field or program of study; 
‘‘(B) expanding articulation agreements 
and policies that guarantee transfers between 
such institutions, including through common 
course numbering and use of general core cur-
riculum; 
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‘‘(C) developing or enhancing student sup-
port service programs or activities; and 
‘‘(D) establishing policies and processes for 
assessing and awarding postsecondary credit for 
work-related learning or work-based learning 
(as defined in section 3 of the Carl D. Perkins 
Career and Technical Education Act of 2006). 
‘‘(3) The creation or alignment of career path-
ways that provide a sequence of education and occu-
pational training that leads to a recognized postsec-
ondary credential, including programs or activities 
that— 
‘‘(A) blend basic skills and occupational 
training; 
‘‘(B) facilitate means of transitioning par-
ticipants from noncredit occupational, basic 
skills, or developmental coursework to for-credit 
coursework within and across institutions; 
‘‘(C) build or enhance linkages between 
secondary education or adult education and lit-
eracy programs (including those programs es-
tablished under the Carl D. Perkins Career and 
Technical Education Act of 2006 or the Work-
force Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 
U.S.C. 3201 et seq.)) and postsecondary insti-
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tutions, including the development of dual or 
concurrent enrollment programs; or 
‘‘(D) are designed to increase the provision 
of workforce training for students, including 
students who are members of the Armed Forces 
(including members of the National Guard or 
Reserves) and veterans, in order to facilitate 
their entry into high-skill, high-wage jobs or in- 
demand industry sectors or occupations. 
‘‘(f) PERFORMANCE MEASURES.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretaries shall estab-
lish performance measures for the education and 
workforce training programs and activities supported 
under this section, which shall consist of— 
‘‘(A) the primary indicators of perform-
ance, as described in section 116(b)(2)(A)(i) of 
the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act 
(29 U.S.C. 3141(b)(2)(A)(i)); and 
‘‘(B) a level of performance for each indi-
cator described in subparagraph (A). 
‘‘(2) MONITORING PROGRESS.—The Secretaries 
shall— 
‘‘(A) monitor the progress of eligible enti-
ties that receive grants under this section to en-
sure their education and workforce training 
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programs or activities supported under this sec-
tion meet the performance measures established 
under paragraph (1); and 
‘‘(B) annually publish a report regarding 
the progress of such programs or activities in 
meeting the performance measures, including 
the results for each performance measure 
disaggregated by— 
‘‘(i) race and ethnicity; 
‘‘(ii) age intervals; 
‘‘(iii) gender; and 
‘‘(iv) Federal Pell Grant recipient sta-
tus. 
‘‘(3) SATISFACTORY
PROGRESS.—The Secre-
taries shall not continue to provide funds under a 
grant under this section after the third year of the 
grant period unless the eligible entity has achieved 
satisfactory progress toward meeting the levels of 
performance on the performance measures, as deter-
mined by the Secretaries. 
‘‘(g) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—There are authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section such sums as 
may be necessary. 
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‘‘(2) ADMINISTRATIVE COST.—Not more than 5 
percent of the amounts made available under para-
graph (1) for a fiscal year may be used by the Sec-
retaries for the Federal administration of the pro-
gram under this section, including providing tech-
nical assistance and carrying out evaluations. 
‘‘(3) PERIOD OF AVAILABILITY.—Funds appro-
priated under paragraph (1) for a fiscal year shall 
remain available for obligation for that fiscal year 
and the succeeding 4 fiscal years. 
‘‘(h) INTERAGENCY AGREEMENT.—Not later than 90 
days after the date of enactment of the Community Col-
lege to Career Fund in Higher Education Act, the Secre-
taries shall enter into a formal interagency agreement es-
tablishing the terms by which the Secretaries shall jointly 
administer the program under this section.’’. 
Æ 
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