# Plain Language Summary: Protecting Students from Worthless Degrees Act

This bill aims to prevent colleges from offering educational programs that don't actually prepare students for jobs in their field, especially when those programs are funded with federal money like student loans and GI Bill benefits. The core problem the bill addresses is that some schools offer degrees or certificates that sound legitimate but don't meet the requirements needed to actually work in that profession—leaving graduates unable to get licensed or certified, even though they've spent time and money on the education.

The bill creates two main protections. First, for any program designed to prepare students for jobs that require a license (like nursing, accounting, or cosmetology), the school must ensure that completing the program actually qualifies students to take licensing exams and get certified in the states where they plan to work. If a school advertises that its program will prepare someone to work in a particular state, the program must meet that state's actual requirements. Schools also have to provide required internships, clinical placements, or apprenticeships that are part of getting licensed. Second, schools must get official approval from accrediting agencies and can't just keep rebranding failed programs under new names to avoid accountability—if a program loses federal funding because graduates aren't finding jobs or can't get licensed, the school has to wait at least three years before trying to bring it back.

The bill also requires schools to be honest with students upfront. If a student wants to enroll in a program that won't actually qualify them to work in their home state, the school must tell them this clearly and get a signed statement from the student acknowledging they understand the limitation. Additionally, the bill strengthens oversight of online and distance education programs by requiring schools to be legally authorized in every state where their online students live, so state regulators can actually investigate complaints and protect students.

Protecting Students from Worthless Degrees Act

Krishnamoorthi, Raja

Protecting Students from Worthless Degrees Act This bill makes an institution of higher education (IHE) ineligible to receive federal student financial assistance if it fails to meet certain requirements. It also requires an IHE to make certain certifications about its gainful employment programs. Specifically, an IHE that offers a degree or certificate program to prepare students for entry into a profession that requires licensing or certification as a precondition for entry is not eligible to receive any federal student financial assistance unless (1) a student is fully qualified to take the required entry examination or be licensed or certified for the profession upon the successful completion of the program, and (2) the institution provides timely placement for all of the academically related pre-licensure requirements for entry into the profession (e.g., clinical placements or internships). An IHE must also certify that each eligible gainful employment program meets specified requirements, including approval or accreditation by a recognized agency and satisfaction of applicable educational prerequisites for professional licensure or certification. If an IHE does not satisfy such prerequisites, it must notify a student who intends to enroll in the program and obtain a handwritten acknowledgement from the student that they wish to enroll. Lastly, an IHE that offers distance education or correspondence courses must be legally authorized within each state in which its enrolled students are located.