The Advanced Coursework Equity Act seeks to address the significant underrepresentation of various student groups, including Black, Latino, Native American, students with disabilities, English learners, and low-income students, in advanced elementary and secondary school programs. Its core purpose is to expand access to these courses, advance equitable enrollment practices, and equip more students with critical STEM skills for future success. The bill highlights disparities in participation in programs like Advanced Placement and dual enrollment, and in early math courses like Algebra 1. To achieve these goals, the Act authorizes a **grant program** administered by the Secretary of Education, allocating funds to State Educational Agencies (SEAs), Local Educational Agencies (LEAs), and non-profit entities. SEAs receive the largest share (at least 80%) to award subgrants to LEAs, while LEAs can also apply directly for grants (at least 15%), particularly those with high student poverty ratios. A smaller portion (up to 4%) is for non-profits to serve rural and underserved students. Grant applicants, including SEAs and LEAs, must submit detailed plans outlining how they will implement **open enrollment** or **universal screening** for advanced courses. Universal screening requires using at least two objective assessments, combined in a non-biased way, to identify qualified students who are then automatically enrolled unless a parent opts out. Open enrollment allows any student to join an advanced course without prior academic performance or test score requirements. Funds from these grants must be used for activities such as community engagement, training school leaders and teachers on equity strategies, and expanding enrollment for underrepresented students. Required activities also include implementing open enrollment or universal screening within one year and launching new advanced courses or expanding existing ones, including gifted and talented programs, 8th-grade Algebra I, and dual enrollment. Permitted uses include purchasing curricula, covering advanced coursework fees for low-income students, and strengthening school climate through implicit bias training and diverse educator recruitment. Grantees are required to establish ambitious 3-year enrollment and performance goals for all student subgroups and report annually on their progress, disaggregated by race, ethnicity, sex, disability status, and socioeconomic status. The bill also includes a **bonus payment** for SEAs and LEAs that achieve the greatest growth towards their equity goals, with a portion of these funds directed to subgrantees or schools demonstrating similar progress. The Act authorizes $266,000,000 annually for fiscal years 2027 through 2029 to support these initiatives.