Students can use federal aid for college credit from work experience.

What it does

The bill lets students spend up to $2,000 per year in federal aid. They use it to pay for tests that check skills learned outside college. Skills come from work, military service, or certifications. If a student passes the test, the college gives credit. No extra classes are needed. Colleges must report how many students use this option. They must track results by race and income.

Who it affects

Working adults and non-traditional students can finish college faster and spend less money. Colleges must show whether all groups get equal access to these tests.

One thing to notice

Colleges must track and report who uses prior learning assessments and what results they get. Results must be broken down by race and income.

From the analysis of the bill text, linked under Primary records below.

Where it stands

1 cosponsor: 1 Republicans.

• Jun 24, 2026 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in Senate”
• Jun 24, 2026 — Referred to Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions · Congress.gov: “Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions”

Dates and quoted wording are Congress.gov's action record; the timeline shows status changes, not every procedural step.

Words to know

• prior learning assessments — Tests that check skills and knowledge learned outside a regular college classroom.
• federal aid — Money the government gives students to help pay for college.
• non-traditional students — Students who do not follow the typical path from high school to college.