Cassidy, Warren push College Transparency Act to boost student data access
Sens. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) reintroduced a bipartisan bill on Tuesday intended to increase transparency in the college application process and allow students to see enrollment and graduation statistics.
The College Transparency Act aims to assist students in selecting schools that can help secure better employment options and repay debt.
Sens. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) reintroduced a bipartisan bill on Tuesday intended to increase transparency in the college application process and allow students to see enrollment and graduation statistics.
The College Transparency Act aims to assist students in selecting schools that can help secure better employment options and repay debt.
If Congress passes the bill, it would mandate the commissioner of the National Center for Education Statistics to design a data system to “evaluate student enrollment patterns, progression, completion, and postcollegiate outcomes, and higher education costs and financial aid.”
The commissioner would also evaluate federal aid programs and ensure student privacy.
The measure “would make sure basic information like enrollment, transfer, and graduation rates are available to students and their families so they can make informed decisions about their futures,” Warren explained in a July 29 press release.
Senator Cassidy says the bill would add to the education reforms of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed into law by President Trump on July 4.
“The One Big Beautiful Bill made historic reforms to our broken higher education system, lowering college costs and increasing Americans’ access to quality education options,” Senator Cassidy said in the release. “The College Transparency Act builds on that success by empowering students and families with information to make the best college decision so they can succeed.”
U.S. Reps. Mike Kelly (R-PA) and Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) also introduced a House version of the College Transparency Act.
Data from March indicates that recent college graduates have a 5.8 percent unemployment rate, roughly the same rate for adults over 25 with no college experience.
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Additionally, a recent survey found that almost 25 percent of Gen Z workers wish they hadn’t attended college. Others said that, given the chance, they would pursue a trade or work in a field that didn’t require a college degree.
The College Transparency Act has appeared in the House in 2023 and 2021 but has not gotten past committee discussions.
Campus Reform has contacted Sens. Cassidy and Warren for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
