New Grant Program Pays Tuition & Transit for High Schoolers Earning College Credit

The Making Education Affordable and Accessible Act of 2025 is setting up a new federal grant program aimed at tackling the rising cost of college by making it easier for high school students to graduate with college credit already in hand. Essentially, the federal government is putting money on the table to help colleges partner with local high schools to expand dual enrollment and early college high school programs.

The College Credit Head Start

This bill creates a brand-new grant system (Section 745 of the Higher Education Act) where colleges and universities can apply for up to five years of funding to run these programs. The main goal is to eliminate barriers that currently keep students out of these classes. The grants specifically allow institutions to cover costs that usually fall to the student, like tuition and required fees. This means if your high school student is enrolled in one of these programs, the college courses they take could be completely free. They can even use grant money to cover transportation costs to and from the program, though there’s a cap—only up to 20 percent of the total grant can go toward transit.

Who Gets Priority Funding?

While any eligible institution can apply, the Secretary of Education is directed to give priority to programs that focus on students who need the most support. This includes students from low-income families, first-generation college students, and those attending rural schools (defined by specific locale codes 41, 42, or 43). This focus is a clear signal that the law intends to use these programs as an access tool, helping students who might otherwise be priced out of college or unprepared for the academic jump.

Making the Credits Stick

It’s one thing to take a college course in high school; it’s another thing entirely to make sure that credit actually counts later. The bill requires grantees to use the funds to smooth out the transition. This includes training high school teachers and counselors to teach and advise effectively, and, crucially, setting up formal, clear processes so those high school credits are easily transferable to both two-year and four-year colleges within the state. If you’re a parent, this provision is key: it’s the fine print that ensures your student isn't just taking classes, but actually saving money and time on their future degree.

The Oversight and The Fine Print

Since this is federal money, there are strings attached. Institutions that receive the grant must conduct an independent evaluation, tracking specifics like enrollment numbers and the rate at which earned college credits successfully transfer. They have to send these results to the Secretary of Education, who will then summarize the findings and report back to Congress every two years. This oversight is designed to make sure the money is actually boosting student outcomes, not just funding administrative overhead. However, the bill is a little vague on what constitutes “good results” for grant renewal, leaving some discretion to the Secretary—a detail that could affect which programs get continued funding down the line.