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S 1165 114th Congress Senate

Protecting Students from Worthless Degrees Act

Official title: A bill to provide consumer protections for students.

Introduced: April 30, 2015 Introduced by: Merkley, Jeff Democratic · Oregon See on congress.gov
Education Administrative law and regulatory proceduresConsumer affairsDepartment of EducationEducation programs funding
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Employment and training programsGovernment lending and loan guaranteesHigher educationLicensing and registrationsMarketing and advertisingStudent aid and college costsVocational and technical education
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This bill died when the 114th Congress ended
It never became law before the 114th Congress (2015–2016) adjourned, and bills don't carry over to the next Congress. It would have to be reintroduced. You can still save it for reference, but it won't receive updates.
 Everywhere this bill has been 2 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Apr 30, 2015
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
Apr 30, 2015
Introduced in Senate
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 Latest action April 30, 2015

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Protecting Students from Worthless Degrees Act

This bill makes any institution of higher education (IHE) postsecondary program designed to prepare students for a recognized occupation or profession requiring licensing or other entry pre-conditions ineligible to participate in a federal financial assistance program, unless it meets specified student consumer protection requirements within one year after this Act's enactment.

Each program must: (1) fully prepare students to satisfy those entry pre-conditions in the metropolitan statistical areas and states in which the students reside and in any state the program claims a successful program graduate will be prepared to work in the particular occupation or profession involved; and (2) provide timely placement of students in required pre-licensure positions, such as clinical placements, internships, or apprenticeships.

The bill requires the Department of Education to promulgate regulations regarding pre-accredited IHE programs to: (1) impose consumer protection requirements that are consistent with those this Act imposes on accredited programs, and (2) condition an IHE's participation in any federal financial assistance program on the IHE signing a loan discharge agreement with each student who is enrolled in any pre-accredited program.

 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 1
 Cosponsors 1
All 1 Democratic 1
D
Durbin, Richard J.
Illinois · Apr 30, 2015
Cite this page click to expand
APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). S. 1165: Protecting Students from Worthless Degrees Act. 114th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/114-S-1165/
MLA
"S. 1165: Protecting Students from Worthless Degrees Act." 114th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/114-S-1165/.
Bluebook (legal)
S. 1165, 114th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/114-S-1165/.
Markdown link
[S. 1165: Protecting Students from Worthless Degrees Act](https://openamerica.io/bill/114-S-1165/)
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