U.S. House Of Representatives Passes Bipartisan College Transparency Act Led By Congressman Krishnamoorthi

Statement

On Friday, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the bipartisan COMPETES Act (Creating Opportunities for Manufacturing, Pre-Eminence in Technology and Economic Strength Act), legislation to increase American competitiveness with China, which included the bipartisan College Transparency Act, introduced by Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi, to enable students and families to shop for and make more informed choices about education after high school. Specifically, the bill will establish a secure, privacy-protected system to provide prospective students with actionable and customizable information such as how likely they are to graduate from a particular school or program and how much their future earnings potential will be. This information is disaggregated by race, ethnicity and gender to identify inequities in students' success, and allows prospective students and families to shop for programs that meet their needs.

The bipartisan legislation, which has also been introduced in the Senate by Senators Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Tim Scott (R-SC) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), amends the existing college reporting system, which is currently incomplete and inefficient since current law prohibits the federal government from collecting and reporting this data. As a result, the current system leaves millions of American families in the dark without fully understanding the return on investment as they make their decisions concerning this enormous investment in their children's future. Further, when students make misinformed decisions about where to pursue an education, the student loan crisis is exacerbated, and the strength of the American workforce suffers.

"I'm glad that my colleagues in the House have passed the College Transparency Act to shine desperately-needed light on college outcomes and affordability for students and their families," said Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-08). "Higher education is one of the biggest investments American families make, and they deserve the best available information to make informed decisions and finally be able to shop for their educations. Our legislation will provide them with an operational student-level data system to ensure they have more complete information about college access, success, costs, and outcomes. When students are able to make the right choices for their futures, they're also making the right choices for our country's future."

Congressman Krishnamoorthi's speech urging his colleagues to vote in support of his bill is available here.

"The U.S. Chamber of Commerce applauds the strong bipartisan approval of the amendment combining the College Transparency Act and the JOBS Act," said Allison L. Dembeck, Vice President of Education and Labor Advocacy for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. "Thanks to the hard work of Representatives Krishnamoorthi, Steil, Levin, and Gonzalez and their staff, both have now passed the House. Allowing students to use Pell grants to access high-quality, shorter-term education and training programs while giving them access to accurate information on the affordability, employment, and income outcomes of these and other postsecondary education programs enables students to make knowledgeable decisions about their education. Together these bills help address the skills gap because they will allow students to find and attend programs that not only interest them, but also meet employer needs, ultimately increasing our country's competitiveness and making our economy stronger. We look forward to conference and working with members to further improve the legislation."

"Deciding where to go to college, what to study, and how much to pay is one of the most important decisions of a student's life," said Mamie Voight, President for the Institute for Higher Education Policy (IHEP). "The College Transparency Act will ensure students can make this decision knowing which programs and institutions align with their circumstances and goals and offer a valuable degree or credential. By strengthening, streamlining, and modernizing our postsecondary data system, all while protecting student privacy, institutions can deliver stronger outcomes for today's students, policymakers at all levels can build a more equitable higher education system, and employers can build a stronger, more dynamic workforce. This bill is a win for students, families, employers, policymakers, and society as a whole."

"We're extraordinarily grateful for Rep Krishnamoorthi's and his bipartisan colleagues' leadership in getting the College Transparency Act passed in the House," said Association of Public and Land-grant Universities President Peter McPherson. "We're one gigantic step closer to finally solving the vexing challenge that is our nation's deeply flawed higher education outcomes data. It's long past time we provide students, families, policymakers, and colleges and universities with the information they need. I know for public universities the data the College Transparency Act provides will enormously help efforts to enhance student success, boost graduation rates, and close equity gaps."

"It's crazy that students are making one of the most important and expensive decisions of their lives without critical, reliable, information about how students like them do in particular programs at particular schools," said Amy Laitinen, Director of Higher Education for New America. "The College Transparency Act (change language if need be to reflect it was an amendment?) would fix that. We applaud the House of Representatives for passing this common sense and bipartisan policy."

"Post-secondary education is an important investment and students need to be able to access to high-quality information in order to make informed decisions about which programs are right for them," said Megan Evans, Senior Government Affairs Manager for the National Skills Coalition. "The National Skills Coalition is thrilled to see the see the College Transparency Act move through the House of Representatives. The legislation will not only help students access the data they need but also assist businesses and colleges in identifying postsecondary programs that lead to the best outcomes. We are excited to work with Representatives Krishnamoorthi and Steil and Senators Cassidy and Warren to help shepherd this legislation into law.

"Many community colleges students move through higher education in non-linear pathways, such as transferring to other institutions and obtaining short term credentials, CTA will allow us to see the real impact community colleges have in students' lives beyond their time in our institutions," said Jee Hang Lee President and CEO, Association of Community College Trustees.

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