PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.
Congressional Research Service
Version 00 · Introduced in House · Feb 26, 2025
Student Debt Alternative and CTE Awareness Act
This bill requires the Department of Education (ED) to disclose certain information related to career and technical education.
Specifically, the bill requires the Office of Federal Student Aid within ED to publish on its public website information on (1) career and technical education programs, including average completion time, program cost, and postgraduation employment rate; and (2) opportunities in each state to pursue these programs and obtain Perkins funding.
In addition, ED must include this information and a related acknowledgment signature box on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
People & committees
Rep. Williams, Roger [R-TX-25] · R–TX
Legislative record
A procedural vote is different from passage. Passage in one chamber does not establish enactment. Explore the glossary.
Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Primary sources
Text links open the official source. We also preserved the text version used in the PlainBill explanation below.
Source last updated: Feb 6, 2026. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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PlainBill explanation
Based on the full Introduced in House · 2025-02-26 text. This explanation has not received human editorial review. This overview describes the proposal’s major provisions; it does not establish what its real-world effects would be.
This bill would give people applying for federal student aid more information about career and technical education programs as alternatives to four-year degrees. It would require a public website with program costs, completion times, employment rates, and state-specific opportunities. The application would include a one-page information summary and an acknowledgment signature box.
publish on the public website of the Office of Federal Student Aid of the Department of Education information on— (A) career and technical education programs, including average completion time, program cost, and post-graduation employment rate; and (B) opportunities in each State— (i) to pursue such programs; and (ii) for funding to pursue such programs
career and technical education programs (as defined in section 3 of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 (20 U.S.C. 2302)) are a viable alternative to a 4-year degree, and include, to ensure such individuals are made aware of such programs and related career paths at the beginning of the application— (I) a one-page summary of the most recent information provided under section 2(a)(1) of the Student Debt Alternative and CTE Awareness Act; and (II) an acknowledgment signature box;
Within 60 days after enactment, the Secretary of Education, through the Office of Federal Student Aid, would have to publish information about career and technical education programs on that office's public website. Required information includes average completion time, program cost, employment rates after graduation, and opportunities in each state to attend and obtain funding under the named federal career and technical education law.
The Secretary of Education (acting through the Office of Federal Student Aid) shall— (1) not later than 60 days after the date of enactment of this Act, publish on the public website of the Office of Federal Student Aid of the Department of Education information on— (A) career and technical education programs, including average completion time, program cost, and post-graduation employment rate; and (B) opportunities in each State— (i) to pursue such programs; and (ii) for funding to pursue such programs under the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 (20 U.S.C. 2301 et seq.);
The Secretary would have an ongoing duty to update and maintain the website information so that it remains relevant.
(2) continuously update and maintain the information published under paragraph (1) to ensure that such information continues to be relevant.
For the website requirement, the bill would use the definitions of “career and technical education” and “State” from section 3 of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006.
In this section, the terms career and technical education and State have the meanings given the terms in section 3 of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 (20 U.S.C. 2302).
The proposed FAFSA application amendment would add language describing career and technical education programs as a viable alternative to a four-year degree. At the beginning of the application, it would require a one-page summary of the most recent information provided under section 2(a)(1) and an acknowledgment signature box.
3. Disclosure on FAFSA application Section 494(a)(1)(A) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1098h(a)(1)(A)) is amended—
(iii) career and technical education programs (as defined in section 3 of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 (20 U.S.C. 2302)) are a viable alternative to a 4-year degree, and include, to ensure such individuals are made aware of such programs and related career paths at the beginning of the application— (I) a one-page summary of the most recent information provided under section 2(a)(1) of the Student Debt Alternative and CTE Awareness Act; and (II) an acknowledgment signature box;
The bill would not authorize additional funding or make additional money available to carry out its requirements or amendments.
No additional amounts are authorized to be appropriated or otherwise made available to carry out this Act or the amendments made by this Act.
The supplied actions snapshot, updated February 6, 2026, records introduction in the House and referral to the House Committee on Education and Workforce on February 26, 2025.
Source snapshot updated 2026-02-06T19:35:26Z. 2025-02-26: Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce. 2025-02-26: Introduced in House
A closer look
Reviewed version: Introduced in House · 2025-02-26. These findings describe provisions and who may benefit; they are not judgments of waste, corruption, or motive.
This review covers the supplied bill text. “None identified” does not rule out provisions in later versions or accompanying reports and disclosures.
Provisions outside the bill’s main subject, or policy changes attached to appropriations.
None identified in the reviewed text
No unrelated provision or policy change attached to appropriations was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. This conclusion is limited to that version and does not establish absence in other versions or accompanying materials.
Spending directed to particular recipients or places outside ordinary competitive or formula-based allocation.
None identified in the reviewed text
No congressionally directed spending for particular recipients or places was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. This conclusion is limited to that version; earmark disclosures, committee reports, and other accompanying materials were not supplied.
Narrow exceptions, exemptions, or preferential treatment that warrant a closer look.
None identified in the reviewed text
No materially narrow carve-out, special exemption, or preferential treatment was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. This conclusion is limited to that version and does not establish absence in other versions or accompanying materials.
Full text preserved for this analysis. Legislative record snapshot: Feb 6, 2026. How PlainBill uses AI