§1161o College partnership grants authorized

Summary

The Secretary must use the money set aside to give grants to eligible partnerships so they can create and carry out articulation agreements. An eligible partnership must include at least two colleges or a college system. It may also include a consortium of colleges or a State higher education agency. The Secretary will give priority to partnerships in States that used the strategies in section 1093a(b)(1) or to partnerships that include (A) one or more junior or community colleges that award associate degrees (see section 1058(f)) and (B) one or more colleges that offer bachelor’s or post‑baccalaureate degrees those junior colleges do not offer. Grants must fund work to make it easier for students to earn bachelor’s degrees by improving credit transfers and expanding articulation and guaranteed transfer agreements, for example through common course numbering and shared general education. Grants may also pay for academic program improvements, projects to find and remove transfer barriers (including technology and information work), and student support like tutoring, mentoring, and counseling or any service that helps students move between partner schools. Grants cannot pay a school just to enter an articulation agreement or to accept transfer students. Partnerships must apply as the Secretary requires. An articulation agreement is an agreement that says which courses will count toward specific degree requirements. Money is authorized for fiscal year 2009 and each of the five years after.