Creating Opportunities to Use Received Student Exam Credit Act; COURSE Credit Act
Summary
H.R. 6973, the COURSE Credit Act, directs the Secretary of Education to collect and report data on how institutions of higher education treat Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) course credits. This information will be published on the College Scorecard website. The bill also mandates that institutions disclose their AP/IB credit policies on their public websites.
Expected Effects
The bill aims to increase transparency regarding college credit policies for AP and IB exams. This increased transparency should empower students to make more informed decisions about their education and potentially reduce the cost and time to complete a degree.
Potential Benefits
- Increased transparency in college credit policies for AP/IB exams.
- Empowered students to make informed decisions about college choices.
- Potential reduction in the cost of higher education by maximizing credit transfer.
- Standardized reporting requirements for institutions of higher education.
- Improved accessibility of information through the College Scorecard website.
Potential Disadvantages
- Potential administrative burden on the Department of Education to collect and report data.
- Potential administrative burden on institutions of higher education to update and publish their policies.
- The effectiveness of the bill depends on the accuracy and completeness of the data reported by institutions.
- The bill does not mandate that institutions accept AP/IB credits, only that they disclose their policies.
- There may be costs associated with updating institutional websites to comply with the disclosure requirements.
Constitutional Alignment
The bill aligns with the general welfare clause of the Constitution, as it aims to improve educational opportunities and reduce the cost of higher education. Specifically, Congress's power to regulate interstate commerce (Article I, Section 8) could be interpreted to extend to the regulation of educational institutions that operate across state lines and receive federal funding. The bill does not appear to infringe upon any specific constitutional rights or limitations.
Impact Assessment: Things You Care About ⓘ
This action has been evaluated across 19 key areas that matter to you. Scores range from 1 (highly disadvantageous) to 5 (highly beneficial).