S2892-119

Introduced

To direct the Secretary of Education to make grants to support early college high schools and dual or concurrent enrollment programs, and for other purposes.

119th Congress Introduced Sep 18, 2025

Analysis under review: This bill has generated analysis that may be too generic or incomplete. Clause-level evidence remains available below.

Summary

What This Bill Does

The Jumpstart on College Act authorizes \ million per year for six years to establish and expand early college high school and dual enrollment programs where students can earn postsecondary credits or credentials while still in high school. It creates two grant tracks: competitive grants to partnerships of colleges and school districts (40% of funds, up to \ million per grant), and competitive grants to states (55% of funds) for statewide strategy development. The remaining 5% supports federal evaluation and technical assistance.

Who Benefits and How

Low-income students and underrepresented populations benefit through tuition-free postsecondary coursework and support services while in high school. Institutions of higher education (both 2-year and 4-year) receive grant funding and increased enrollment. Local school districts gain resources for college-readiness programs. Secondary school teachers can receive funding to obtain credentials needed to teach college-level courses. Employers and workforce development organizations benefit through work-based learning partnerships.

Who Bears the Burden and How

Federal taxpayers bear the cost of \ million annually for 6 years. Grant recipients must provide matching funds that escalate from 20% in years 1-2 to 50% in year 6, creating increasing financial obligations for colleges and school districts. States must provide 50% matching funds each year. Grantees must comply with annual reporting requirements on student outcomes disaggregated by demographic categories.

Key Provisions

  • Authorizes \ million/year for 6 years, split between entity grants (40%), state grants (55%), and national activities (5%)
  • Entity grants up to \ million for 6-year periods, with escalating matching requirements (20-50%)
  • Students cannot be charged tuition or fees for postsecondary courses under the program
  • Priority given to programs serving 51%+ low-income students and schools identified for improvement

Evidence Chain:

This summary is generated from the full bill text using AI analysis. Expand "Detailed Analysis" below for identified beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.

At a Glance

What This Bill Does

Authorizes $250 million annually for 6 years to expand early college high schools and dual/concurrent enrollment programs through competitive grants to eligible entities and states, with the goal of increasing postsecondary credential completion rates, especially for low-income and underrepresented students.

Key Policy Areas

Education, Workforce Development

Primary Purpose

Authorizes $250 million annually for 6 years to expand early college high schools and dual/concurrent enrollment programs through competitive grants to eligible entities and states, with the goal of increasing postsecondary credential completion rates, especially for low-income and underrepresented students.

Policy Domains

Education Workforce Development

Jumpstart on College Act

Identified Gains
  • Low-income and underrepresented students
  • Institutions of higher education (2-year and 4-year)
  • Local educational agencies and school districts
  • Secondary school teachers seeking postsecondary credentials
Model: N/A | Version: bill_summary_v2 | Source: is
Low-income and underrepresented students: ,
Local educational agencies and school districts:
Institutions of higher education (2-year and 4-year):
Secondary school teachers seeking postsecondary credentials: ,
Identified Costs
  • Federal taxpayers
  • Grant recipients (matching fund requirements)
  • States (50% matching requirement)
Model: N/A | Version: bill_summary_v2 | Source: is
Federal taxpayers:
States (50% matching requirement):
Grant recipients (matching fund requirements):

Legislative Progress

Introduced
Introduced Committee Passed
Sep 18, 2025

Mr. Markey (for himself and Mr. Durbin) introduced the following …

Stakeholder Effects

cui bono?

How this legislation distributes effects. Mention counts reflect frequency, not effect magnitude.

Education
10 mentions across 5 clauses
+9 positive -1 negative

Early college and dual enrollment programs statewide, Grant recipients (states and eligible entities), Institutions of higher education (2-year and 4-year)

Positive-direction: Early college and dual enrollment programs statewide, Institutions of higher education (2-year and 4-year), Institutions of higher education partnered with school districts, Local educational agencies and school districts, Low-income and underrepresented high school students, Low-income and underrepresented students, Schools hosting early college programs (graduation rate metrics), Secondary school teachers seeking postsecondary credentials, Teachers and school employees under collective bargaining agreements

Negative-direction: Grant recipients (states and eligible entities)

State & Local Government
3 mentions across 2 clauses
+2 positive -1 negative

State education agencies, States (matching fund obligation)

Positive-direction: State education agencies

Negative-direction: States (matching fund obligation)

Government
2 mentions across 2 clauses
-2 negative

Department of Education

General Public
1 mention across 1 clause
-1 negative

Taxpayers

Research & Science
1 mention across 1 clause
+1 positive

Independent education evaluation firms

7/9
sections analyzed
Full impact breakdown

Bill Structure & Actor Mappings

Who is "The Secretary" in each section?

Domains
Education Workforce Development
Actor Mappings
"the_secretary"
→ Secretary of Education

Key Definitions

Terms defined in this bill

3 terms
"eligible entity" §3(2)

An institution of higher education in partnership with one or more local educational agencies (which may be an educational service agency). Partnership may include nonprofits, businesses, and schools in juvenile detention centers.

"low-income student" §3(4)

A student counted under section 1124(c) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965.

"recognized postsecondary credential" §3(5)

Has the meaning given the term in section 3 of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act.

We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.

Learn more about our methodology