H.R. 7117 — Fast Track To and Through College Act

This section establishes subpart 5 of part A of title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 ("Accelerating time to degree")—inserted after subpart 4 and with existing subparts 5, 6, and 7 redesignated as subparts 6, 7, and 8, respectively—which states the purpose of increasing college completion rates and reducing costs by accelerating time to degree, aligning secondary and postsecondary education, and improving postsecondary credit transfer; and defines related terms including advanced coursework (i.e., high school courses earning postsecondary credit such as Advanced Placement or dual enrollment), dual or concurrent enrollment program, early college fast track pathway (i.e., high school course sequence equivalent to at least two semesters of full-time postsecondary enrollment toward an associate or baccalaureate degree or recognized postsecondary credential), early college high school, early high school graduation fast track pathway and policy (i.e., statewide policy allowing regular high school diploma in no more than three years), eligible entity (i.e., partnership including the state educational agency, all public 2- and 4-year higher education institutions or their consortium, and one or more local educational agencies), and high-need local educational agency (i.e., serving at least 10,000 children from families below the poverty line).