Protecting Students from Worthless Degrees Act
- Sponsor
- Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) (D)
- Introduced
- 2026-07-16
- Latest action
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. (2026-07-16)
No recorded vote yet
This bill has not received a recorded floor vote. Most bills never do — they are introduced, referred to committee, and go no further. If it reaches a vote, every member's position will appear here.
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# Summary of S. 5021
Senator Jeff Merkley introduced legislation aimed at increasing transparency and accountability in higher education by establishing standards for educational programs and their outcomes. The bill seeks to protect students from enrolling in degree or certificate programs that may not provide sufficient value or job prospects relative to their cost. By targeting what the sponsor characterizes as ineffective programs, the measure would directly affect colleges and universities, which would face new requirements regarding program evaluation and disclosure of information to prospective and current students.
The bill reflects broader concerns about rising student debt levels and the question of whether all college programs deliver meaningful returns on investment for graduates. These concerns have grown as average student loan debt has increased substantially over the past two decades, and as some graduates report difficulty finding employment in their field of study. The legislation, referred to the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, represents an effort to address these issues through federal oversight, though it faces questions about how to define and measure program quality in ways that are fair to diverse institutions and fields of study.
Key provisions
- Colleges and universities must establish new standards for evaluating educational program outcomes and effectiveness.
- Institutions must disclose program evaluation information to prospective and current students.
- The bill targets degree and certificate programs deemed to lack sufficient value relative to their cost.
- Federal oversight mechanisms would be created to monitor college program quality and student outcomes.
- The legislation aims to reduce student enrollment in programs with poor job prospects or low return on investment.
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