This bill, known as the Reducing Arbitrary Barriers to Apprenticeship Act of 2026, changes how veterans receive educational assistance when they choose apprenticeships or on-the-job training instead of traditional four-year college programs. It directly affects veterans eligible for Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits, the All-Volunteer Force Educational Assistance Program, and Selected Reserve educational benefits. The bill increases monthly housing stipends for apprenticeship participants and removes minimum attendance requirements for those working in construction-related occupations. These changes aim to make non-college training pathways more financially viable for veterans seeking to build careers through hands-on experience.
Montgomery GI Bill Selected Reserves Tuition Fairness Act of 2025 This act requires that the Department of Veterans Affairs disapprove courses of education provided by educational institutions that charge higher than in-state tuition for individuals utilizing the Montgomery GI Bill-Selected Reserve education benefits while living in the state where the education is located, regardless of the individual’s state of residence.
This bill directs the U.S. Secretary of Education to create a pilot program that awards competitive grants to partnerships between colleges and employers to integrate cybersecurity training into postsecondary career and technical education programs. The grants, up to $500,000 each, are intended to help prepare workers for critical infrastructure sectors like energy, water, and transportation by teaching cybersecurity skills aligned with national workforce standards. To receive funding, partnerships must include at least one college and two or more employers in a critical infrastructure sector, and they must submit detailed plans covering curriculum development, workforce needs, diversity goals, and how they will sustain the programs after the grant period ends. The bill also requires recipients to report annually on how funds were used, student outcomes, and employment results, with a total funding authorization of $10 million.
This bill creates a new Proprietary Education Interagency Oversight Committee composed of representatives from multiple federal agencies including the Department of Education, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Department of Justice, and others. The committee will coordinate oversight of for-profit colleges that receive federal student aid, share complaint information among agencies, and publish an annual report on institutional performance and enforcement actions. The bill also establishes a 'For-Profit College Warning List' that would publicly identify institutions facing lawsuits, settlements, or federal assistance suspensions, requiring written responses from schools before publication.
The NSF AI Education Act of 2026 directs the National Science Foundation to award scholarships and fellowships to undergraduate and graduate students studying artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and related fields. The bill establishes new programs to support AI education at community colleges, vocational schools, and historically underserved institutions, including priority funding for rural, Tribal, and minority-serving institutions. It also authorizes grants for AI research in agriculture and advanced manufacturing, requires the development of guidance for AI use in K-12 education, and mandates the creation of workforce frameworks for AI and other emerging technologies. The legislation includes provisions to restrict funding to institutions with certain civil rights violations and establishes requirements for oversight of public-private partnerships and foreign contributions.
This bill, titled the Kids in Classes Act, allows local school districts to use Title I federal education funds directly to parents if a school fails to provide in-person instruction for more than three days due to public health emergencies or collective bargaining disputes. Under the new provisions, parents would receive direct payments equal to the per-student funding amount for each day the school remains closed, which they can use for educational expenses such as tutoring, online learning materials, private school tuition, or educational therapies for students with disabilities. The bill requires school districts to establish a payment plan and verify that funds are spent on qualified educational expenses through receipts or by requiring returns of unused amounts within 30 days of the school reopening.
This bill, titled the Student Protection and Success Act, requires colleges and universities to share financial risk with the federal government by making payments based on how many student loans remain unpaid. Starting in fiscal year 2028, institutions with a cohort repayment rate of 15 percent or lower would lose eligibility for federal student loan programs for up to three years, while colleges with rates above 25 percent could receive bonus grants to support low-income students. The bill also establishes a new payment system where schools must contribute a percentage of the outstanding loan balances for borrowers who have not made progress on paying down their debt, with exceptions for students in deferment due to military service, graduate school, or other qualifying circumstances. These measures aim to hold institutions accountable for student loan outcomes while providing incentives for improving access and success for economically disadvantaged students.
This bill reorganizes AmeriCorps by converting it from a government corporation into a new executive department called the AmeriCorps Administration. It creates an advisory board with seven members appointed by various officials, including the President and congressional leaders, to guide policy and program oversight. The legislation increases financial benefits for participants, doubling educational awards to twice the average in-state tuition and raising living allowances to 175-210 percent of the federal minimum wage. It also establishes a new National Service Foundation to accept private donations and gifts for the program, and sets a goal of serving one million participants annually by 2036.
The TECH Act would allow qualified technical schools to receive the same federal grant funding as traditional two-year and four-year colleges. It directly affects vocational institutions that offer specific career training programs in high-demand fields like healthcare, manufacturing, and public safety. The bill requires federal agencies to update eligibility rules and application processes within 180 days to include these schools in existing grant programs. To qualify, technical schools must offer programs of at least 150 clock hours that lead to recognized industry credentials and meet state educational requirements. The legislation aims to expand workforce training opportunities by treating technical schools equally with other higher education institutions for federal funding purposes.
This resolution formally recognizes March 2026 as National Middle-Level Education Month to highlight the importance of schools serving students in grades 5 through 10. It acknowledges the critical role these institutions play in supporting young adolescents during a key period of physical, intellectual, and emotional development. The measure encourages the public to engage with and celebrate middle schools, which are essential for preparing students for college, careers, and citizenship.
