H.R. 10661
Beyond the Box for Higher Education Act of 2026
Summary:
• The "Beyond the Box for Higher Education Act of 2026" directs the Secretary of Education to issue guidance and recommendations to colleges and universities on removing criminal and juvenile justice history questions from their admissions applications
• The bill outlines specific recommended practices for institutions that choose to remove such questions (limiting inquiries to non-admissions contexts) and for those that retain them (such as delaying consideration until after an admission decision and providing 30-day notice if admission is denied based solely on criminal/juvenile justice history)
• The Secretary is also required to provide training and technical assistance to institutions and develop a resource center for best practices and research related to criminal/juvenile justice-involved students in postsecondary education
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• The bill outlines specific recommended practices for institutions that choose to remove such questions (limiting inquiries to non-admissions contexts) and for those that retain them (such as delaying consideration until after an admission decision and providing 30-day notice if admission is denied based solely on criminal/juvenile justice history)
• The Secretary is also required to provide training and technical assistance to institutions and develop a resource center for best practices and research related to criminal/juvenile justice-involved students in postsecondary education
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