Section 1 Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Creating Opportunities to Use Received Student Exam Credit Act” or the “COURSE Credit Act”.
Creating Opportunities to Use Received Student Exam Credit Act
A BILL
To direct the Secretary of Education to collect and report information on the treatment of Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate course credits at institutions of higher education, and for other purposes.
Sec. 2 Data collection and reporting by Department of Education
In general— The Secretary of Education shall collect and annually report on the College Scorecard website (or any successor website) information regarding the treatment of Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate course credits by institutions of higher education.
Coordination— In carrying out subsection (a), the Secretary of Education shall coordinate with relevant stakeholders within and outside the Department of Education, including the technical review panel of the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System.
Elements— The information reported under subsection (a) shall include, with respect to each institution of higher education, the following:
An explanation of whether the institution provides credits toward a student’s degree for Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate exam scores.
If the institution does provide such credits, identification of—
the total maximum number of such credits that may be provided to an individual student for a given program of study;
the minimum score a student must earn on an Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate exam for the institution to provide the credits and, if applicable, whether such minimum score differs based on the subject matter of the exam or the student’s program of study; and
the type of credit provided by the institution for a given exam score, whether it be full course credit, elective credit, or a course exemption, and an explanation of whether the type of credit provided or the score required to receive such credit differs based on the degree program of the student.
Any other information with respect to an institution’s policy on the treatment of Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate course credits that the Secretary of Education considers relevant.
Sec. 3 Dissemination of information by institutions
Section 485(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1092(a)) is amended—
in paragraph (1)—
in subparagraph (U), by striking “and” at the end;
in subparagraph (V), by striking the period at the end and inserting “; and”; and
by adding at the end the following:
“(W) institutional policies regarding the treatment of Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate course credits, including all information required to be published under subsection (n).”
by adding at the end the following:
“(n) Information on treatment of AP and IB course credits
“(1) In general—Each institution of higher education participating in any program under this title shall publish, in a prominent location on the public website of the institution, information regarding the treatment of Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate course credits by the institution. Such information shall include—
“(A) an explanation of whether the institution provides credits toward a student’s degree for Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate exam scores;
“(B) if the institution does provide such credits, identification of—
“(i) the total maximum number of such credits that may be provided to an individual student for a given program of study;
“(ii) the minimum score a student must earn on an Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate exam for the institution to provide the credits and, if applicable, whether such minimum score differs based on the subject matter of the exam or the student’s program of study; and
“(iii) the type of credit provided by the institution for a given exam score, whether it be full course credit, elective credit, or a course exemption, and an explanation of whether the type of credit provided or the score required to receive such credit differs based on the degree program of the student; and
“(C) any other information with respect to the institution’s policy on the treatment of Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate course credits that the institution considers relevant.
“(2) Updates—The information required to be published under paragraph (1) shall be updated by the institution, as necessary, to ensure it remains accurate and current.”