Career Pathways Transparency Act.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
H 1
HOUSE BILL 581

Short Title: Career Pathways Transparency Act. (Public)
Sponsors: Representatives Johnson, Winslow, Paré, and Tyson (Primary Sponsors).
For a complete list of sponsors, refer to the North Carolina General Assembly web site.
Referred to: Education - K-12, if favorable, Appropriations, if favorable, Rules, Calendar, and
Operations of the House
April 1, 2025
*H581-v-1*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT TO ENACT THE CAREER PATH OPTIONS TRANSPARENCY ACT. 2
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 3
SECTION 1. G.S. 116-209.16A reads as rewritten: 4
"§ 116-209.16A. Information on career and major options. 5
(a) Know Before You Go. – The Authority shall provide information on a Web site, 6
website, under a section entitled "Know Before You Go," to students and parents to assist in 7
selection of major and career options in the State and in each prosperity zone of the State, as 8
provided in this section. The information shall be updated annually. 9
(a1) Definitions. – The following definitions shall apply in this section: 10
(1) Private institutions of higher education. – Includes postsecondary institutions 11
that award postsecondary degrees, as defined in G.S. 116-15(a2)(1). 12
(2) Prosperity zone s of the State. – The eight permanent prosperity zones 13
identified in G.S. 143B-28.1. 14
(3) Public institutions of higher education. – Includes the constituent institutions 15
of The Unive rsity of North Carolina and the community colleges under the 16
jurisdiction of the State Board of Community Colleges. 17
(4) Vocational and technical school. – A school licensed as a proprietary school 18
under G.S. 115D-90. 19
(b) Career Options. – The Authority shall, as data is available, provide information on 20
projected employment needs in the labor economy economy in the State and in each prosperity 21
zone of the State, including highest demand career areas, and associated salary ranges for those 22
areas of employment, college majors which may fulfill those needs, and institutions of higher 23
education that may provide those majors. The Authority may use existing sources of public 24
information, such as the employment projections produced by the federal Department of Labor, 25
Bureau of Labor Statistics, to develop this information. 26
(c) Major Options. – The Authority shall, as data is available, provide information based 27
on aggregate data for outcomes of public and private institutions of hi gher education and 28
vocational and technical schools in North Carolina. Outcome information for each public and 29
private institution of higher education and vocational and technical school shall include, but is 30
not limited to, the following: 31
(1) Completion r ates within the expected number of semesters for the degree 32
sought. 33
(2) Transfer rates of students to other institutions. 34
General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 2 House Bill 581-First Edition
(2a) Average tuition for public and private institutions of higher education and 1
vocational and technical schools. 2
(3) Percentage of students receiving financial aid, by type of aid. 3
(4) Average and median amount of loan debt upon student graduation, by 4
major.major, and among graduat es from four -year institution s of h igher 5
education, community colleges, and vocational and technical schools. 6
(4a) Average monthly student loan payment from four -year institutions of higher 7
education, community colleges, and vocational and technical schools. 8
(5) Average and median salary, by major.major, and among graduates from 9
four-year institutions of higher education, community colleges, and vocational 10
and technical schools. 11
(6) Percentage of graduates employed within six months of graduation, by 12
major.major, and among graduates from four -year institution s of higher 13
education, community colleges, and vocational and technical schools. 14
(7) Percentage of graduates enrolled in graduate school within six months of 15
graduation, by major. 16
(d) Public and Private Institutions of Higher Education. – For the purposes of this section, 17
"public institutions of higher education" shall include the constituent institutions of The 18
University of North Carolina and the community colleges under the jurisdiction of the State 19
Board of Community Colleges and "private institutions of higher education" shall include 20
postsecondary institutions that award postsecondary degrees, as defined in G.S. 116-15(a2)(1)." 21
SECTION 2. G.S. 115C-12 is amended by adding a new subdivision to read: 22
"(41a) To Compile Data for the "Know Before You Go" Program. – The State Board 23
and the Department of Public Instruction shall collaborate with the 24
Department of Commerce and the Department of Labor in collecting data for 25
local boards of education to provide to sophomore students to enable them to 26
make informed decisions about postsecondary education choic es an d their 27
professional futures through the "Know Before You Go " programs under 28
G.S. 115C-47(34b)." 29
SECTION 3. G.S. 115C-47 is amended by adding a new subdivision to read: 30
"(34b) To Provide Sop homores with "Know Before You Go " Information. – Each 31
local board of education shall provide for a program for students in their 32
sophomore year of high school with the information contained on the "Know 33
Before You Go" website pursuant to G.S. 116-209.16A and the information 34
compiled by the Department of Public Instruction under G.S. 115C-12(41a) 35
to allow students to make informed decisions about postsecondary education 36
choices and their professional futures." 37
SECTION 4. Through the longitudinal data system established pursuant to Chapter 38
116E of the General Statutes, the Department of Commerce, the Department of Labor, and the 39
Department of Public Instruction shall collect and compile data on an annual basis for the "Know 40
Before You Go" website maintained by the State Education Assistance Authority pursuant to 41
G.S. 116-209.16A and for the programs operated by local boards of education providing 42
information to students under G.S. 115C-47(34b). For purposes of this section, the definitions 43
provided in G.S. 116-209.16A(a1) shall apply. As soon as practicable, the data compiled shall 44
include at least the following: 45
(1) The most in-demand jobs in the State and in each prosperity zone of the State, 46
including starting salary and education level required for those jobs. 47
(2) The breakdown of average cost for all public and private institutions of higher 48
education and vocational and technical schools in the State, respectively. 49
General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
House Bill 581-First Edition Page 3
(3) The average three -year student loan default rate for all public and private 1
institutions of higher education and vocational and technical schools in the 2
State. 3
(4) The average total student loan debt for in-State graduates of public and private 4
institutions of higher education for four-year degrees and graduate programs. 5
(5) The average graduat ion rate for all public and private institutions of higher 6
education and vocational and technical schools in the State. 7
(6) The completion rates for apprenticeship programs, high school credential 8
programs, career and technical education programs, and mili tary first -term 9
enlistments. 10
(7) The share of college graduates working in an occupation that does not require 11
a college degree for each major. 12
(8) The average starting salary in the State and in each prosperity zone of the State 13
for individuals graduating from public and private institutions of higher 14
education. 15
(9) The average starting salary in the State and in each prosperity zone of the State 16
for individuals that have completed an apprenticeship program, high school 17
credential program, or career and technical education program. 18
(10) The average starting salary in the State and in each prosperity zone of the State 19
for individuals graduating from a vocational and technical school in the State. 20
SECTION 5.(a) Grant Program Established. – From the funds app ropriated by 21
subsection (b) of this section, the Department of Public Instruction shall establish the Career Path 22
Options Grant Pilot Program for the 2025-2026 school year for local boards of education to apply 23
for funds to provide students with the information required under G.S. 115C-47(34b), as enacted 24
by this act, to make informed decisions about postsecondary education choices and their 25
professional futures. The Department shall establish application criteria for grants. Grant funds 26
shall be used to pr omote and distribute program materials, including printing and distribution 27
costs. Funds may also be used for hiring or paying supplemental compensation to career coaches 28
or career development coordinators to support students through the program. 29
SECTION 5.(b) Appropriation. – There is appropriated from the General Fund to 30
the Department of Public Instruction the sum of five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000) in 31
nonrecurring funds for the 2025-2026 fiscal year to implement the grant program established by 32
this section. 33
SECTION 6. Sections 1 and 3 of this act become effective January 1, 2026. Section 34
5 of this act becomes effective July 1, 2025. The remainder of this act is effective when it 35
becomes law. 36