WASHINGTON—U.S. Senators John Boozman (R-AR) and Gary Peters (D-MI) introduced the Making Education Affordable and Accessible Act (MEAA), bipartisan legislation to help reduce barriers to higher education and lower student debt by expanding the use of existing federal grants that support dual enrollment, concurrent enrollment and early college high school programs.

“Providing more pathways for students to pursue higher education or technical skills and experience is crucial to their success and benefits our economy,” said Boozman. “I’m proud to work in a bipartisan way to increase access to programs that prepare the next generation of Arkansans and other Americans to get an affordable head start that sets them up for career success and longevity.”

“To meet our current workforce needs, we must expand access to programs that help students begin training for a career they are interested in,” said Peters. “This bipartisan bill would give high school students the chance to start working towards a college degree and building their future without the financial burden of a student loan.”

Specifically, the MEAA Act would expand the allowable uses of funding from the Higher Education Act Title VII Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE), allowing colleges and universities to strengthen early college access programs by broadening FIPSE funding to:

• Implement dual or concurrent enrollment programs and early college high school programming;
• Provide educators, principals, counselors and other school leaders in these programs with professional development;
• Assist students in the program by covering education-related costs such as tuition and fees, books and transportation; and 
• Support activities such as course design, course approval processes, community outreach, student counseling and support services.

The legislation is endorsed by the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) and Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE). 

“School leaders recognize that college accessibility does more than just create opportunities for students—it strengthens our entire education workforce,” said NASSP CEO Ronn Nozoe. “This critical legislation tackles the financial obstacles confronting future teachers, making certification attainable during an era when higher education costs dramatically exceed educator compensation.” 

“The Making Education Affordable and Accessible Act would expand opportunities for dual and concurrent enrollment and early college high schools—both key to the success and connections between our secondary education, postsecondary education and workforce systems,” said ACTE Director LeAnn Curry. “ACTE is proud to endorse the bill, and we are grateful to Senators Gary Peters and John Boozman for introducing the legislation. Their bipartisan commitment provides Congress with an opportunity to expand access to early postsecondary credit and increase opportunities for CTE students pursuing these pathways into successful careers.”

Background:

• Dual enrollment programs enable students to be enrolled in and earn credit from both their high school and a college institution.
• Concurrent enrollment allows students to take college-credit courses taught by qualified high school teachers approved by partner colleges.
• Early college high schools, which are typically located on or near college campuses or embedded within high schools, allow students to work toward an associate’s degree while completing their high school diploma.