20 USC § 2394 - Voluntary selection and participation

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t20/s2394"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_prima_facie"
title: "20 USC § 2394 - Voluntary selection and participation"
title_number: 20
title_name: "EDUCATION"
section_number: "2394"
section_name: "Voluntary selection and participation"
chapter_number: 44
chapter_name: "CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION"
subchapter_number: "II"
subchapter_name: "GENERAL PROVISIONS"
part_number: "A"
part_name: "Federal Administrative Provisions"
positive_law: false
currency: "119-84"
last_updated: "2026-04-17"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
source_credit: "(Pub. L. 88–210, title II, § 214, formerly title III, § 314, as added Pub. L. 109–270, § 1(b), Aug. 12, 2006, 120 Stat. 743; renumbered title II, § 214, and amended Pub. L. 115–224, title II, § 201(a)(2), (5), (6), July 31, 2018, 132 Stat. 1621.)"
---


# § 2394. Voluntary selection and participation

No funds made available under this chapter shall be used—

**(1)** to require any secondary school student to choose or pursue a specific career pathway or program of study; or

**(2)** to mandate that any individual participate in a career and technical education program, including a career and technical education program that requires the attainment of a federally funded skill level, standard, or certificate of mastery.

---

**Source Credit**: (Pub. L. 88–210, title II, § 214, formerly title III, § 314, as added Pub. L. 109–270, § 1(b), Aug. 12, 2006, 120 Stat. 743; renumbered title II, § 214, and amended Pub. L. 115–224, title II, § 201(a)(2), (5), (6), July 31, 2018, 132 Stat. 1621.)

## Editorial Notes

### Prior Provisions

A prior section 2394, , as added , , , related to voluntary selection and participation, prior to the general amendment of this chapter by .

Another prior section 2394 and prior sections 2394a to 2394e were omitted in the general amendment of this chapter by .

Section 2394, , as added , , , stated findings and purpose of Congress.

Section 2394a, , as added , , ; amended , , , authorized grants for tech-prep education programs.

Section 2394b, , as added , , ; amended , , , related to use of grant funds.

Section 2394c, , as added , , ; amended , , , related to applications for grants.

Section 2394d, , as added , , , related to reports.

Section 2394e, , as added , , ; amended , , , defined terms for purposes of tech-prep education grant program.

### Amendments

2018—Par. (1). , substituted “career pathway or program of study” for “career path or major”.

## Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date of 2018 Amendment

Amendment by  effective , see , set out as a note under .

### Short Title

, as added by , , , which provided that part E of title III of , enacting part E (§ 2394 et seq.) of former subchapter III of this chapter, could be cited as the “Tech-Prep Education Act”, was omitted in the general amendment of  by , , .