Student Debt Alternative and CTE Awareness Act
Bill: H.R.3365 | Sponsor: Rep. Williams, Roger (R-TX)
Policy area: Education

Summary:
Student Debt Alternative and CTE Awareness Act
This bill requires the Department of Education (ED) to disclose certain information related to career and technical education.
Specifically, the bill requires the Office of Federal Student Aid within ED to publish on its public website information on (1) career and technical education programs, including average completion time, program cost, and postgraduation employment rate; and (2) opportunities in each state to pursue these programs and obtain Perkins funding.
In addition, ED must include this information and a related acknowledgment signature box on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid.

To require the Secretary of Education to disclose information about 
 career and technical education and funding under the Carl D. Perkins 
     Career and Technical Education Act of 2006, and require FAFSA 
       applications to include a career and technical education 
                            acknowledgment.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Student Debt Alternative and CTE 
Awareness Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) Career and technical education provides individuals 
        with a rigorous academic alternative to a costly 4-year degree, 
        and prepares individuals with employable and occupation-
        specific skills.
            (2) Career and technical education programs--
                    (A) offer 16 different high-skilled, high-demand 
                career fields of study; and
                    (B) can take between 6 months and 2 years to 
                complete, compared to a traditional 4-year bachelor's 
                degree.
            (3) The average cost for a career and technical education 
        program is $3,000 to $6,000 per year, while the average cost 
        for an in-State, public 4-year institution is over $25,000 per 
        year.

SEC. 3. DISCLOSURE ON DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION WEBSITE.

    The Secretary of Education (acting through the Office of Federal 
Student Aid) shall--
            (1) not later than 60 days after the date of enactment of 
        this Act, publish on the public website of the Office of 
        Federal Student Aid of the Department of Education information 
        on--
                    (A) career and technical education programs, 
                including average completion time, program cost, and 
                post-graduation employment rate; and
                    (B) opportunities in each State--
                            (i) to pursue such programs; and
                            (ii) for funding to pursue such programs 
                        under the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical 
                        Education Act of 2006 (20 U.S.C. 2301 et seq.); 
                        and
            (2) continuously update and maintain the information 
        published under paragraph (1) to ensure that such information 
        continues to be relevant.

SEC. 4. DISCLOSURE ON FAFSA APPLICATION.

    Section 494(a)(1)(A) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
1098h(a)(1)(A)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
                            ``(iii) career and technical education 
                        programs (as defined in section 3 of the Carl 
                        D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act 
                        of 2006 (20 U.S.C. 2302)) are a viable 
                        alternative to a 4-year degree, and include, to 
                        ensure such individuals are made aware of such 
                        programs and related career paths at the 
                        beginning of the application--
                                    ``(I) a one-page summary of the 
                                most recent information provided under 
                                section 3(1) of the Student Debt 
                                Alternative and CTE Awareness Act; and
                                    ``(II) an acknowledgment signature 
                                box;''.

SEC. 5. DEFINITIONS.

    The terms ``career and technical education'' and ``State'' have the 
meanings given the terms in section 3 of the Carl D. Perkins Career and 
Technical Education Act of 2006 (20 U.S.C. 2302).
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