H.R. 1176 — Clock Hour Program Student Protection Act

This section provides the short title of the Act as the “Clock Hour Program Student Protection Act.”

This section revises the eligible program rules under section 481(b) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1088(b)) for clock-hour programs that prepare students for gainful employment in a recognized profession. As background, eligible programs are the postsecondary programs that may participate in federal student aid programs under title IV of the Higher Education Act. The section adds a new rule providing that an otherwise eligible program in a State remains an eligible program if it provides more clock hours than the State requires for training in the recognized profession, so long as the program does not exceed the greater of: (1) 150 percent of the State’s minimum clock-hour requirement, or (2) 150 percent of the minimum clock-hour requirement imposed by a Federal agency for that training. (Thus, a program may exceed State or Federal minimum training-hour requirements by up to 50 percent and still qualify as an eligible program.) The amendment takes effect on the date of enactment and applies beginning with award year 2024–2025 and each succeeding award year.