The U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday approved a bill that would require non-accredited programs to meet standards such as state certification requirements to be approved for use by GI Bill recipients.
The Career-Ready Student Veterans Act (H.R. 2360), sponsored by Rep. Mark Takano (D-CA), would require career education programs receiving GI Bill benefits to have programmatic accreditation if required by the state for employment in that specific field. Under the proposed legislation, programs would also need to prepare students for licensure or certification in their field, if required by the state, and meet any state-mandated curricular and instructional requirements.
"Too many veterans expend their hard-earned education benefits at career education programs that don't actually prepare them for that career field. Students complete their course work, exhaust their benefits, and then discover their degree does not enable them to enter the workforce," said Rep. Takano. "Passing this bill is a major step toward holding these programs accountable for the promises they make to student veterans."
The Senate companion bill (S. 1938) is sponsored by Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT).
Related Links
U.S. Representative Mark Takano's Press Release
https://takano.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases/house-passes-veterans-education-bill-authored-by-rep-mark-takano