The American Higher Education Act of 2026

(a) Findings — Congress finds that:

1. Educating our children is the single most important long-term investment the United States can make. Our children are our future, and their education must be treated as a national priority.
2. When the United States declares something a national priority, it executes it with excellence. The United States Armed Forces are the most effective and efficient in the world because they are organized, funded, and administered as a national system of the highest priority.
3. The current higher education system is fragmented, excessively expensive, and inconsistent in quality and accessibility.
4. The cost of higher education has risen faster than inflation and wages for decades, placing unnecessary burdens on American families.
5. Skilled trades, technical professions, and engineering disciplines are as essential to national strength as traditional academic degrees.
6. The United States faces critical workforce shortages in:
   • Construction trades
   • Electrical and plumbing trades
   • Advanced manufacturing
   • Healthcare fields
   • Teaching professions
   • Infrastructure engineering
   • Cybersecurity and technology
7. A coordinated, nationally structured higher education system modeled after community colleges can provide high-quality education at significantly lower cost.

(b) Purposes — The purposes of this Act are:

1. To declare higher education a national priority.
2. To establish a publicly funded National Higher Education System.
3. To integrate trade schools, technical training, apprenticeships, and undergraduate degree programs into one coordinated framework.
4. To dramatically reduce tuition and eliminate financial barriers.
5. To align education directly with national workforce and infrastructure needs.
6. To strengthen the economic and civic future of the United States.

1. National Higher Education System (NHES) — A coordinated network of federally supported and state-administered institutions offering trade certification, associate degrees, and bachelor’s degrees.
2. Participating Institution — Any public community college, state university, trade school, or newly established national institution that opts into NHES.
3. Trade Program — Accredited programs in skilled labor, technical professions, apprenticeships, and industrial certifications.
4. Undergraduate Degree Program — Accredited associate or bachelor’s degree program.
5. Eligible Student — Any U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident admitted to a participating institution.

1. There is hereby established within the Department of Education the National Higher Education System (NHES).
2. NHES shall:
   • Coordinate funding to participating institutions.
   • Standardize cost controls.
   • Ensure workforce alignment.
   • Maintain academic freedom and state governance structures.
3. States shall retain operational control of institutions while receiving federal funding conditioned upon compliance with affordability standards.

1. Tuition at participating institutions shall be publicly funded through a federal-state partnership structured similarly to existing community college funding models.
2. The Federal Government shall:
   • Provide baseline per-student funding.
   • Fund capital expansion for trade facilities and laboratories.
   • Provide grants for workforce-critical programs.
3. States shall:
   • Maintain or exceed current per-student funding levels.
   • Prohibit tuition increases beyond inflation without federal approval.
4. Tuition for students shall be:
   • Zero or minimal cost for trade certifications and associate degrees.
   • Substantially reduced for bachelor’s degree programs.

1. NHES shall integrate:
   • Trade certifications
   • Apprenticeships
   • Associate degrees
   • Bachelor’s degrees
2. Students may move seamlessly between:
   • Trade programs and degree programs
   • Associate and bachelor’s pathways
3. Credits shall be fully transferable within the system.

1. A National Workforce Advisory Council shall be established to:
   • Identify labor shortages.
   • Recommend program expansion.
   • Align training with infrastructure and economic needs.
2. Priority funding shall be allocated to:
   • Housing construction trades
   • Energy and grid modernization
   • Water systems
   • Healthcare professions
   • Teaching

1. Participating institutions must:
   • Publish total cost of attendance.
   • Publish program completion rates.
   • Publish employment outcomes within 3 years.
2. Administrative overhead caps shall be implemented to prevent excessive non-instructional spending.

Students entering teaching, nursing, infrastructure engineering, or other designated public service professions may receive:

• Full tuition coverage.
• Living stipends during training.

A National Board of Higher Education shall be established consisting of:

• Members of Congress
• State education representatives
• Workforce experts
• Citizen representatives

The Board shall:

• Oversee implementation.
• Issue annual affordability reports.
• Recommend legislative improvements.

This Act shall take effect 180 days after enactment.