Bill · S. 4897· Senate(119-S-4897)
Credit for Prior Learning Act
- Introduced
- 6/24/2026
- Last activity
- 6/24/2026 — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
- Sponsored by
- Amy Klobuchar
- Cosponsors
- - 0 - 1
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The Credit for Prior Learning Act aims to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965. It proposes including an allowance for costs associated with prior learning assessments in the calculation of the cost of attendance. This allowance is capped at $2,000 per award year, adjusted for inflation. The bill defines eligible assessments as evaluations of knowledge or skills learned outside of higher education that result in academic credit. Additionally, the bill requires accrediting agencies to confirm that institutions have sufficient, publicly disclosed standards for these assessments. Finally, it mandates transparency regarding the number of students receiving such credits and the average credits awarded, broken down by specific demographics.
Yes· 3 of 10
Would students be better off under this?+6
The bill helps students earn academic credit for existing skills while providing funding for the necessary assessments.
Does this make college cost less?+5
The bill allows for up to $2,000 per year in the cost of attendance to cover prior learning assessment costs.
Would households on low incomes be better off under this?+4
The bill includes transparency requirements for Pell Grant recipients and provides a mechanism to fund assessments via cost of attendance calculations.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Financial Support for Assessments: The bill allows for an allowance of not more than $2,000 per award year for reasonable costs, including test fees, related to assessing prior learning (Section 2). This could help students cover the costs of proving what they already know.
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Path to Academic Credit: The definition of eligible assessments ensures that successful evaluations result in the institution awarding academic credit without requiring additional coursework to meet program requirements (Section 3). This provides a direct way for individuals to earn credit for knowledge or skills learned outside of higher education.
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Increased Transparency: The bill requires institutions to disclose the number of students receiving credit for prior learning and the average number of credits awarded, with data broken down by race, income, and Federal Pell Grant recipient status (Section 5). This provides consumers with more detailed information regarding how these credits are being utilized.
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- No specific negative impacts are explicitly stated in the provided text.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Good For Students+6Good For Low Income Households+4Good For African Americans+2Good For Asian Americans+2Good For Hispanic Americans+2Good For Middle Class Households+2Good For White Americans+2
- Education And Technology
- Improves College Affordability+5
- Governance And Ideology
- Improves Government Transparency+3
- Social Issues And Justice
- Improves Racial Equity+3
- 6/24/2026
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- Introduced in Senate
One bill Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
Tim SheehyRepublican · Montana