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Urging Passage of the College Transparency Act to Enhance Postsecondary Data Systems

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

The Institute for Higher Education Policy (IHEP), the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU), and New America recently submitted comments to the Senate HELP Committee, urging Congress to pass the College Transparency Act (CTA). This bipartisan legislation aims to strengthen postsecondary data systems by creating a student-level data network that connects and leverages federal and institutional data. The act would improve value transparency by providing complete information about aggregate student outcomes, thereby informing students, families, and policymakers about college programs and student outcomes.

Key Takeaways:

  • The College Transparency Act (CTA) is a bipartisan policy solution that addresses information gaps in federal postsecondary data and strengthens the nation's data systems.
  • IHEP, APLU, and New America urge Congress to pass CTA as is, citing its ability to provide accurate and reliable information on college costs and outcomes.
  • Existing federal postsecondary data are incomplete, making it difficult to access timely and accurate information about student access, success, costs, and outcomes.
  • CTA would create a student-level data network that connects and leverages federal and institutional data, ensuring complete information about aggregate student outcomes is available to the public and policymakers.
  • Currently, earnings data in the College Scorecard are limited to students who receive federal Title IV aid, omitting one in three students who do not receive federal aid.
  • CTA has been through a careful legislative drafting process, with consideration to maximizing the benefits of improved higher education data while protecting privacy and upholding security.
  • Other policy options have been deemed insufficient to achieve the comprehensive approach needed to accurately inform students, families, and policymakers.

Statistics:

  • One in three students who do not receive federal aid are omitted from existing federal data collections that inform the Department of Education's College Scorecard.
  • 70% of students who earn a undergraduate degree will borrow money to finance their education (See [1] Repayment of Federal Student Loans 2020, Federal Student Aid).
  • Currently, 43 million borrowers in the United States owe a total of over $1.7 trillion in federal student loans.

Sources:

  • IHEP, APLU, New America Urge Passage of the College Transparency Act to Strengthen Postsecondary Data Systems, Institute for Higher Education Policy, https://www.ihep.org/press/ihep-aplu-new-america-urge-passage-of-the-college-transparency-act-to-strengthen-postsecondary-data-systems/ (no date provided)
  • Repayment of Federal Student Loans 2020, Federal Student Aid, https://ifap.ed.gov/freepromotingresponsibleborrowing/forborrowers/DistressedBorrowers/DistressedBorrowersTextPage.html (no date provided)

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