When it comes to choosing which college to attend, students and parents consider many factors, ranging from distance to majors offered. In addition to academic and social factors, the rise in tuition and other living expenses has made attending the right college even more critical. Accurate information about each institution makes it possible to compare financial and academic factors, as well as postsecondary prospects, but that oftentimes is not enough to guarantee a successful undergraduate and career entry experience. College graduates face many hurdles after graduation, and they can be very different for students depending on their socioeconomic status, which makes access to higher education data important for all stakeholders in this matter.
To address concerns about college prospects and outcomes, the College Transparency Act of 2017, introduced last month in the Senate, aims to create a postsecondary data system. Some of the goals include accurately evaluating student enrollment patterns, providing “customizable” information for students and families, and reducing the “reporting burden” on higher education institutions. The bill was introduced by Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), and Orrin Hatch (R-UT), who serve on the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, making it a rare bipartisan effort to address an issue affecting millions of students.
If the bill is approved, this data system would offer an aggregated look at higher education outcomes (though it’s important to note that it wouldn’t solve the issues found in measuring graduation and transfer rates, financial aid, earnings, or employment). Currently, most of the information that can be found only includes first-time, full-time and Pell Grant recipients. This bill would expand the students who are included, something that puts student privacy at greater risk. Already there is a divide among Americans on data collection, and this bill would only raise more concerns on confidentiality and security of sensitive information. Student privacy hasn’t been addressed by the federal government in recent years, and the only relevant legislation is the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), though that was enacted over thirty years ago, so it doesn’t account for the expansion of technology across all grade levels.
In addition, research and information that is already available points to inequalities in earning a college degree, such as the ability to pay off student loans, and other adverse college experiences that may include mental health challenges and sexual assault. Currently, there is a growing threat to student protection, and it has worsened with the release of the Fiscal Year 2018 federal budget. The White House Office of Management and Budget’s publication seeks student loan program reform by streamlining student loan repayment into a single income-driven repayment plan, eliminating the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, and eliminating subsidized loans. While this reform is expected to reduce the deficit by $143 billion over the next ten years, the life-long consequences for millions of students could be much worse. Other cuts will affect low-income families and their children, leaving them at greater risk of cyclical poverty as a result of not attending college.
In his press release supporting the College Transparency Act of 2017, Senator Hatch noted that the current college reporting system does not reflect the “realities of today’s students, and it leaves many critical questions unanswered.” Rather than collecting information that violates student privacy, Congress should focus on reform that does help vulnerable students have successful postsecondary careers and provide pathways to greater economic security.
