S. 1938

Career-Ready Student Veterans Act of 2015

This bill adds the following new criteria for state approval, for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) educational assistance, of applications of educational institutions providing veterans with non-accredited courses:

• any program designed to prepare an individual for state licensure or certification must meet state instructional curriculum licensure or certification requirements, and
• any program designed to prepare an individual for employment pursuant to standards developed by a state board or agency in an occupation requiring approval or licensure must be approved or licensed by that state board or agency.

The VA may waive either of these two requirements if:

• the educational institution is accredited by an agency or association recognized by the Secretary of Education;
• the program did not meet the requirements at any time during the two-year period preceding the waiver date;
• the waiver furthers the purposes of the educational assistance programs or would further the education interests of individuals eligible for assistance under such programs; and
• the educational institution does not provide any incentive payment based on securing enrollments or financial aid to any persons or entities engaged in student recruiting or admission activities or in making decisions regarding the award of student financial assistance, except for recruitment of foreign students residing in foreign countries who are ineligible for federal student assistance.

The criteria added by this Act also apply to approval of accredited courses at for-profit educational institutions.

The VA shall disapprove a course of education added by this Act unless the educational institution providing the course publicly discloses any conditions or additional requirements, including training, experience, or exams, required to obtain the license, certification, or approval for which the course of education is designed to provide preparation.