Advancing Competency-Based Education Demonstration Project Act of 2013

Floor Speech

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Mr. McNERNEY. Mr. Chairman, I want to thank Chairman Kline and Ranking Member Miller, as well as the bill's author, Representative Salmon, for their joint efforts and leadership on this bipartisan piece of legislation, H.R. 3136.

Millions of American families share a common goal of sending their children to college. However, the cost of a college education continues to escalate, making it prohibitive for too many middle class families.

Promoting innovative ideas that provide institutions the flexibility will be essential in an evolving education system and learning environment. H.R. 3136 is a step in the right direction.

The bill seeks to change the ways that institutions have historically used credit hours to measure student progress and the awarding of financial aid, among other things.

The bill incorporates new innovative practices in higher education by allowing students to advance academically by demonstrating competence in a subject rather than by spending a set amount of time in a classroom.

While H.R. 3136 specifies a range of criteria that applications must fulfill to run a competency-based project, it is important that military and veteran populations are also taken into consideration.

That is why I am offering an amendment that requires an applicant, under this program, to provide information on the number of veterans and military students it has, and to include how it incorporates those particular student needs into its demonstration project.

Servicemembers and veterans often require flexibility in the pursuit of their education goals. We owe it to these brave young men and women, upon their returning from service, to help them pursue higher education as seamlessly as possible.

I believe that my amendment will help keep track of these progresses that a veteran and the military student populations are making in any new competency-based program, and to hold these programs accountable for the progress of veterans.

Mr. Chairman, I urge the adoption of this amendment.

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