Our mission is to modernize and connect the Higher Education Act to jobs in ways that speak to both today's college students and their specific career needs. ​In a first-of-its-kind effort, Career Education Colleges and Universities (CECU) is pursuing thoughtful policy solutions that connect the Higher Education Act to jobs. We need to modernize our laws for the 21st century to help meet the
​Nation's growing workforce demands.

The Challenge

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the United States will need 46.5 million new workers by 2024 to fill new jobs and replace scores of retirees. Job training leads to job growth, and training and career education is not only critical to fulfilling the nation's workforce needs, it is key to fueling economic growth. 

Our Solution

We must directly connect the Higher Education Act to jobs and modernize it for the 21st century. The nation's Career Education Colleges and Universities are poised for the future, ensuring workers have the
​ skills and training necessary to get the best possible job. 

Among the innovative ideas to directly connect the Higher Education Act to jobs, CECU proposes: 

  • A new Workforce Pell Grant 
  • A common set of outcome metrics for all schools' career programs
  • Converting the Gainful Employment rule into an informational metric for all career programs at all schools*
  • A revised Ability-to-Benefit program*
  • Connecting apprenticeship to academic degrees
  • Enhancing the transfer of credit among schools 
  • Connecting Work Study to a student's career studies
  • Universal income-based repayment
  • Recognition of and access to credentials 
  • Supporting students attending at-risk institutions 
  • A legislative solution to borrower defense*
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We celebrate diversity in the higher education population. We celebrate the sector's diversity in delivery. What we need is a modernized Higher Education Act to allow
​the higher ed system to flourish.

We're working to put the emphasis
​back where it belongs: on good jobs and quality careers.