On Thursday, U.S. Sen. Doug Jones, D-AL, joined Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-MN, and Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-NH, to introduce legislation aimed at reducing the need for students to take remedial courses when pursuing post-secondary education and improve degree completion rates.

The bill, known as the Promoting Readiness in Education to Prevent Additional Remediation and Expense (PREPARE) Act, would adjust high school graduation requirements to better fit entrance requirements for post-secondary institutions and provide schools with resources to strengthen remedial programs and improve outcomes.

“College is already costly for students and their families and every remedial course that a student has to take increases the price of his or her education and delays the completion of a degree,” said Jones, a member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education Labor and Pensions. “Students shouldn’t have to spend their precious tuition and financial aid dollars on coursework that count towards their degree.”

While the nation’s graduation rate is at an all-time high, 84 percent, more than one-third of first-year college students have to take remedial course in English or math.

The PREPARE Act authorizes five-year competitive grants to assist states in aligning high schools with post-secondary requirements and requires the following:

• align high school graduation requirements with entrance requirements for credited coursework at state higher education institutions;

• develop standards statewide for placement in remedial courses based on multiple indicators;

• develop statewide articulation agreements between high schools and public higher education institutions;

• develop statewide articulation agreements between public higher education institutions and the state.

“Every student should have the opportunity to pursue higher education and we must equip them with the necessary skills to succeed,” Klobuchar said. “The PREPARE Act will help more students get through school by making sure they are prepared for the rigor of higher education while also offering courses to those who need additional support once enrolled. All students deserve access to the educational foundation required for academic achievement.”

The bill has the backing of several prominent education organizations, including the Alliance for Excellent Education, the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, the National Urban League, the National Association of Secondary School Principals and more than a dozen others.