Empowering Learners through Competency-Based Education Act

HR 7495 establishes clear definitions for competency-based education (CBE) in higher education, where students advance by demonstrating mastery of skills rather than by spending time in class. The bill requires the Department of Education to collect and publicly report on key outcomes for CBE programs, including median earnings, time to completion, and job placement rates for institutions with over 200 students in such programs. It creates demonstration projects allowing institutions to operate CBE programs with waivers from certain credit-hour requirements, while requiring them to track student outcomes and demonstrate alignment with workforce needs. The law aims to make CBE more accessible and accountable by standardizing definitions and requiring transparent reporting on program effectiveness.