Bipartisan Bill Aims to Empower Students with College Data
Bipartisan senators and representatives have sponsored the Student Right to Know Before You Go Act, aiming to empower prospective college students with better data. The legislation, H.R. 1937 and S. 915, is currently under consideration in both the Senate and House committees.
The act seeks to address the skills gap by providing students with detailed information on graduation rates, earnings outcomes, and student turnover for each school and degree program. This data will be reported to the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS). The legislation updates reporting requirements under the Higher Education Act of 1965.
The Department of Education will calculate and provide earnings metrics for each program, credential, school, and state of employment. This move comes amidst a 7.9 percent graduate unemployment rate in 2013, underscoring the need for informed decision-making.
The Student Right to Know Before You Go Act, if passed, will incentivize schools to track performance and seek improvements. It will arm potential college students with crucial data, helping them make informed choices about their education and future careers.
