releases: https://mcadams.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=34
Data license: MIT · Data source: dwillis/congress-press
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| https://mcadams.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=34 | McAdams and Wright offer bipartisan bill to jumpstart innovation in higher education | 2019-07-26 | 2019 | 2019-07 | Democrat | House | UT | Ben McAdams | M001209 | mcadams.house.gov | legacy | Congressman Ben McAdams (D-UT) and Congressman Ron Wright (R-TX) have introduced a bipartisan bill offering federal funds for colleges and universities to design and demonstrate innovative ways for more students to enroll in college and graduate with a degree. The Fund for Innovation and Success in Higher Education (FINISH) Act H.R. 4083-- is the House version of a bipartisan Senate bill S. 1059. This measure builds on the movement to fund what works' in government by incentivizing development of innovative programs tied to measurable results. In this case, we are encouraging higher education to think and to operate differently to bolster college graduation rates, which will benefit students, their families, employers and communities, said McAdams. Federally funded institutions should be constantly adapting and evolving to serve the needs of all our students, including our high-need, low-income, first-generation students, and adult learners. This legislation ensures institutions are being held accountable and implementing programs with a proven record of success, said Congressman Wright. Research shows that while the United States has made progress towards increasing access to college by low-income students, completion has lagged.Graduation rates are particularly low at the nation's community colleges, which enroll a disproportionate percentage of low-income and nontraditional college students. Only 25 percent of full-time, first-time degree-seeking students at public two-year colleges earn degrees within three years. The FINISH Act builds on the groundbreaking 2018 bill Social Impact Partnerships to Pay for Results (SIPPRA) Act, championed by Utah entrepreneur and philanthropist James Sorenson. He worked with former Utah Senator Orrin Hatch and Indiana Representative (now Senator) Todd Young to get SIPPRA passed and signed into law. The U.S. Treasury Department oversees a $100 million pay-for-success fund established in SIPPRA. Following the SIPPRA intent of funding what works, The FINISH Act authorizes grants to colleges and universities to test innovative ways to improve graduation rates. It also authorizes five Pay for Success pilot programs, which offer university, state and nonprofit partners flexibility to collaborate in search of successful ways to improve outcomes for students. The Department of Education only pays if an independent evaluation demonstrates that a pilot program achieves results. Supporters of the legislation include the Knowledge Alliance, America Forward, New America, and Results for America. We commend Representatives McAdams and Wright for introducing bipartisan legislation that would leverage the power of evidence and data to improve outcomes in higher education, Results for America CEO and Co-Founder Michele Jolin said. The FINISH Act would jumpstart innovation in higher education, provide much-needed resources to evaluate what works and support efforts to test and scale solutions that help more students succeed. --Read a letter of support signed by more than 100 local, state, and national organizations-- | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z |