[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 9]
[House]
[Pages 12732-12736]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




           STRENGTHENING TRANSPARENCY IN HIGHER EDUCATION ACT

  Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill 
(H.R. 4983) to simplify and streamline the information regarding 
institutions of higher education made publicly available by the 
Secretary of Education, and for other purposes, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 4983

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Strengthening Transparency 
     in Higher Education Act''.

     SEC. 2. COLLEGE DASHBOARD WEBSITE.

       (a) Establishment.--Section 132 of the Higher Education Act 
     of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1015a) is amended--
       (1) in subsection (a)--
       (A) in paragraph (2), by striking ``first-time,'';
       (B) in paragraph (3) in the matter preceding subparagraph 
     (A), by striking ``first-time,''; and
       (C) in paragraph (4), by striking ``first-time,'';
       (2) in subsection (b)--
       (A) in paragraph (1), by striking ``first-time''; and
       (B) in paragraph (2), by striking ``first-time'';
       (3) by striking subsections (c) through (g), (j), and (l);
       (4) by redesignating subsections (h), (i), and (k) as 
     subsections (c), (d), and (e), respectively; and
       (5) by striking subsection (d) (as so redesignated) and 
     inserting the following new subsection:
       ``(d) Consumer Information.--
       ``(1) Availability of title iv institution information.--
     The Secretary shall develop and make publicly available a 
     website to be known as the `College Dashboard website' in 
     accordance with this section and prominently display on such 
     website, in simple, understandable, and unbiased terms for 
     the most recent academic year for which satisfactory data are 
     available, the following information with respect to each 
     institution of higher education that participates in a 
     program under title IV:
       ``(A) A link to the website of the institution.
       ``(B) An identification of the type of institution as one 
     of the following:
       ``(i) A four-year public institution of higher education.
       ``(ii) A four-year private, nonprofit institution of higher 
     education.
       ``(iii) A four-year private, for-profit institution of 
     higher education.
       ``(iv) A two-year public institution of higher education.
       ``(v) A two-year private, nonprofit institution of higher 
     education.
       ``(vi) A two-year private, for-profit institution of higher 
     education.
       ``(vii) A less than two-year public institution of higher 
     education.
       ``(viii) A less than two-year private, nonprofit 
     institution of higher education.
       ``(ix) A less than two-year private, for-profit institution 
     of higher education.
       ``(C) The number of students enrolled at the institution--
       ``(i) as undergraduate students; and
       ``(ii) as graduate students, if applicable.
       ``(D) The student-faculty ratio.
       ``(E) The percentage of degree-seeking or certificate-
     seeking undergraduate students enrolled at the institution 
     who obtain a degree or certificate within--
       ``(i) 100 percent of the normal time for completion of, or 
     graduation from, the program in which the student is 
     enrolled;
       ``(ii) 150 percent of the normal time for completion of, or 
     graduation from, the program in which the student is 
     enrolled; and
       ``(iii) 200 percent of the normal time for completion of, 
     or graduation from, the program in which the student is 
     enrolled.
       ``(F) The average net price per year for undergraduate 
     students receiving Federal student financial aid under title 
     IV based on an

[[Page 12733]]

     income category selected by the user from a list containing 
     the following income categories:
       ``(i) $0 to $30,000.
       ``(ii) $30,001 to $48,000.
       ``(iii) $48,001 to $75,000.
       ``(iv) $75,001 to $110,000.
       ``(v) $110, 001 to $150,000.
       ``(vi) Over $150,000.
       ``(G) A link to the net price calculator for such 
     institution.
       ``(H) The percentage of undergraduate students who obtained 
     a certificate or degree from the institution who borrowed 
     Federal student loans and the average Federal student loan 
     debt incurred by an undergraduate student who obtained a 
     certificate or degree from the institution and borrowed 
     Federal student loans in the course of obtaining such 
     certificate or degree.
       ``(I) A link to national and regional data from the Bureau 
     of Labor Statistics on starting salaries in all major 
     occupations.
       ``(J) A link to the webpage of the institution containing 
     campus safety data with respect to such institution.
       ``(2) Additional information.--The Secretary shall publish 
     on Internet webpages that are linked to through the College 
     Dashboard website for the most recent academic year for which 
     satisfactory data is available the following information with 
     respect to each institution of higher education that 
     participates in a program under title IV:
       ``(A) Enrollment.--
       ``(i) The percentages of male and female undergraduate 
     students enrolled at the institution.
       ``(ii) The percentages of undergraduate students enrolled 
     at the institution--

       ``(I) full-time; and
       ``(II) less than full-time.

       ``(iii) In the case of an institution other than an 
     institution that provides all courses and programs through 
     distance education, of the undergraduate students enrolled at 
     the institution--

       ``(I) the percentage of such students who are from the 
     State in which the institution is located;
       ``(II) the percentage of such students who are from other 
     States; and
       ``(III) the percentage of such students who are 
     international students.

       ``(iv) The percentages of undergraduate students enrolled 
     at the institution, disaggregated by--

       ``(I) race and ethnic background;
       ``(II) classification as a student with a disability;
       ``(III) recipients of a Federal Pell Grant;
       ``(IV) recipients of assistance under a tuition assistance 
     program conducted by the Department of Defense under section 
     1784a or 2007 of title 10, United States Code, or other 
     authorities available to the Department of Defense or 
     veterans' education benefits (as defined in section 480); and
       ``(V) recipients of a Federal student loan.

       ``(B) Completion.--The information required under paragraph 
     (1)(E), disaggregated by--
       ``(i) recipients of a Federal Pell Grant;
       ``(ii) recipients of a loan made under part D (other than a 
     Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loan) who did not 
     receive a Federal Pell Grant;
       ``(iii) persons who did not receive a Federal Pell Grant or 
     a loan made under part D (other than a Federal Direct 
     Unsubsidized Stafford Loan);
       ``(iv) race and ethnic background;
       ``(v) classification as a student with a disability; and
       ``(vi) recipients of assistance under a tuition assistance 
     program conducted by the Department of Defense under section 
     1784a or 2007 of title 10, United States Code, or other 
     authorities available to the Department of Defense or 
     veterans' education benefits (as defined in section 480).
       ``(C) Costs.--
       ``(i) The cost of attendance for full-time undergraduate 
     students enrolled in the institution who live on campus.
       ``(ii) The cost of attendance for full-time undergraduate 
     students enrolled in the institution who live off campus.
       ``(iii) The cost of tuition and fees for full-time 
     undergraduate students enrolled in the institution.
       ``(iv) The cost of tuition and fees per credit hour or 
     credit hour equivalency for undergraduate students enrolled 
     in the institution less than full time.
       ``(v) In the case of a public institution of higher 
     education (other than an institution described in clause 
     (vi)) and notwithstanding subsection (b)(1), the costs 
     described in clauses (i) and (ii) for--

       ``(I) full-time students enrolled in the institution who 
     are residents of the State in which the institution is 
     located; and
       ``(II) full-time students enrolled in the institution who 
     are not residents of such State.

       ``(vi) In the case of a public institution of higher 
     education that offers different tuition rates for students 
     who are residents of a geographic subdivision smaller than a 
     State and students not located in such geographic subdivision 
     and notwithstanding subsection (b)(1), the costs described in 
     clauses (i) and (ii) for--

       ``(I) full-time students enrolled at the institution who 
     are residents of such geographic subdivision;
       ``(II) full-time students enrolled at the institution who 
     are residents of the State in which the institution is 
     located but not residents of such geographic subdivision; and
       ``(III) full-time students enrolled at the institution who 
     are not residents of such State.

       ``(D) Financial aid.--
       ``(i) The average annual grant amount (including Federal, 
     State, and institutional aid) awarded to an undergraduate 
     student enrolled at the institution who receives financial 
     aid.
       ``(ii) The percentage of undergraduate students enrolled at 
     the institution receiving Federal, State, and institutional 
     grants, student loans, and any other type of student 
     financial assistance known by the institution, provided 
     publicly or through the institution, such as Federal work-
     study funds.
       ``(iii) The cohort default rate (as defined in section 
     435(m)) for such institution.
       ``(E) Faculty information.--
       ``(i) The ratio of the number of course sections taught by 
     part-time instructors to the number of course sections taught 
     by full-time faculty, disaggregated by course sections 
     intended primarily for undergraduate students and course 
     sections intended primarily for graduate students.
       ``(ii) The mean and median years of employment for part-
     time instructors.
       ``(3) Other data matters.--
       ``(A) Completion data.--The Commissioner of Education 
     Statistics shall ensure that the information required under 
     paragraph (1)(E) includes information with respect to all 
     students at an institution, including students other than 
     first-time, full-time students and students who transfer to 
     another institution, in a manner that the Commissioner 
     considers appropriate.
       ``(B) Adjustment of income categories.--The Secretary may 
     annually adjust the range of each of the income categories 
     described in paragraph (1)(F) to account for a change in the 
     Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers as determined by 
     the Bureau of Labor Statistics if the Secretary determines an 
     adjustment is necessary.
       ``(4) Institutional comparison.--The Secretary shall 
     include on the College Dashboard website a method for users 
     to easily compare the information required under paragraphs 
     (1) and (2) between institutions.
       ``(5) Updates.--
       ``(A) Data.--The Secretary shall update the College 
     Dashboard website not less than annually.
       ``(B) Technology and format.--The Secretary shall regularly 
     assess the format and technology of the College Dashboard 
     website and make any changes or updates that the Secretary 
     considers appropriate.
       ``(6) Consumer testing.--
       ``(A) In general.--In developing and maintaining the 
     College Dashboard website, the Secretary, in consultation 
     with appropriate departments and agencies of the Federal 
     Government, shall conduct consumer testing with appropriate 
     persons, including current and prospective college students, 
     family members of such students, institutions of higher 
     education, and experts, to ensure that the College Dashboard 
     website is usable and easily understandable and provides 
     useful and relevant information to students and families.
       ``(B) Recommendations for changes.--The Secretary shall 
     submit to the authorizing committees any recommendations that 
     the Secretary considers appropriate for changing the 
     information required to be provided on the College Dashboard 
     website under paragraphs (1) and (2) based on the results of 
     the consumer testing conducted under subparagraph (A).
       ``(7) Provision of appropriate links to prospective 
     students after submission of FAFSA.--The Secretary shall 
     provide to each student that submits a Free Application for 
     Federal Student Aid described in section 483 a link to the 
     webpage of the College Dashboard website that contains the 
     information required under paragraph (1) for each institution 
     of higher education such student includes on such 
     Application.
       ``(8) Interagency coordination.--The Secretary, in 
     consultation with each appropriate head of a department or 
     agency of the Federal Government, shall ensure to the 
     greatest extent practicable that any information related to 
     higher education that is published by such department or 
     agency is consistent with the information published on the 
     College Dashboard website.
       ``(9) References to college navigator website.--Any 
     reference in this Act to the College Navigator website shall 
     be considered a reference to the College Dashboard 
     website.''.
       (b) Conforming Amendments.--The Higher Education Act of 
     1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001 et seq.), as amended by subsection (a) 
     of this section, is further amended--
       (1) in section 131(h) (20 U.S.C. 1015(h)), by striking 
     ``College Navigator'' and inserting ``College Dashboard''; 
     and
       (2) in section 132(a) (20 U.S.C. 1015a(a)), by striking 
     paragraph (1) and inserting the following new paragraph:
       ``(1) College dashboard website.--The term `College 
     Dashboard website' means the College Dashboard website 
     required under subsection (d).''.
       (c) Development.--The Secretary of Education shall develop 
     and publish the College

[[Page 12734]]

     Dashboard website required under section 132 of the Higher 
     Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1015a), as amended by 
     subsections (a) and (b) of this section, not later than one 
     year after the date of the enactment of this Act.
       (d) College Navigator Website Maintenance.--The Secretary 
     shall maintain the College Navigator website required under 
     section 132 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
     1015a), as in effect the day before the date of the enactment 
     of this Act, in the manner required under the Higher 
     Education Act of 1965, as in effect on such day, until the 
     College Dashboard website referred to in subsection (c) is 
     complete and publicly available on the Internet.

     SEC. 3. NET PRICE CALCULATORS.

       Subsection (c) of section 132 of the Higher Education Act 
     of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1015a), as redesignated by section 2(a)(4) 
     of this Act, is amended--
       (1) by redesignating paragraph (4) as paragraph (6); and
       (2) by inserting after paragraph (3) the following new 
     paragraphs:
       ``(4) Minimum requirements for net price calculators.--Not 
     later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of the 
     Strengthening Transparency in Higher Education Act, a net 
     price calculator for an institution of higher education shall 
     meet the following requirements:
       ``(A) The link for the calculator shall--
       ``(i) be clearly labeled as a net price calculator and 
     prominently, clearly, and conspicuously posted in locations 
     on the website of such institution where information on costs 
     and aid is provided and any other location that the 
     institution considers appropriate; and
       ``(ii) match in size and font to the other prominent links 
     on the webpage where the link for the calculator is 
     displayed.
       ``(B) The webpage displaying the results for the calculator 
     shall specify at least the following information:
       ``(i) The net price (as calculated under subsection (a)(2)) 
     for such institution, which shall be the most visually 
     prominent figure on the results screen.
       ``(ii) Cost of attendance, including--

       ``(I) tuition and fees;
       ``(II) average annual cost of room and board for the 
     institution for a full-time undergraduate student enrolled in 
     the institution;
       ``(III) average annual cost of books and supplies for a 
     full-time undergraduate student enrolled in the institution; 
     and
       ``(IV) estimated cost of other expenses (including personal 
     expenses and transportation) for a full-time undergraduate 
     student enrolled in the institution.

       ``(iii) Estimated total need-based grant aid and merit-
     based grant aid from Federal, State, and institutional 
     sources that may be available to a full-time undergraduate 
     student.
       ``(iv) Percentage of the full-time undergraduate students 
     enrolled in the institution that received any type of grant 
     aid described in clause (iii).
       ``(v) The disclaimer described in paragraph (6).
       ``(vi) In the case of a calculator that--

       ``(I) includes questions to estimate the eligibility of a 
     student or prospective student for veterans' education 
     benefits (as defined in section 480) or educational benefits 
     for active duty service members, such benefits are displayed 
     on the results screen in a manner that clearly distinguishes 
     such benefits from the grant aid described in clause (iii); 
     or
       ``(II) does not include questions to estimate eligibility 
     for the benefits described in subclause (I), the results 
     screen indicates that certain students (or prospective 
     students) may qualify for such benefits and includes a link 
     to information about such benefits.

       ``(C) The institution shall populate the calculator with 
     data from an academic year that is not more than 2 academic 
     years prior to the most recent academic year.
       ``(5) Prohibition on use of data collected by the net price 
     calculator.--A net price calculator for an institution of 
     higher education shall--
       ``(A) clearly indicate which questions are required to be 
     completed for an estimate of the net price from the 
     calculator;
       ``(B) in the case of a calculator that requests contact 
     information from users, clearly mark such requests as 
     optional and provide for an estimate of the net price from 
     the calculator without requiring users to enter such 
     information; and
       ``(C) prohibit any personally identifiable information 
     provided by users from being sold or made available to third 
     parties.''.

     SEC. 4. FUNDING.

       (a) Use of Existing Funds.--Of the amount authorized to be 
     appropriated to the Department of Education to maintain the 
     College Navigator website, $1,000,000 shall be available to 
     carry out this Act and the amendments made by this Act.
       (b) No Additional Funds Authorized.--No funds are 
     authorized by this Act to be appropriated to carry out this 
     Act or the amendments made by this Act.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from 
North Carolina (Ms. Foxx) and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hinojosa) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from North Carolina.


                             General Leave

  Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and 
include extraneous material on H.R. 4983.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from North Carolina?
  There was no objection.
  Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I rise today in support of the Strengthening Transparency in Higher 
Education Act.
  The Education and the Workforce Committee has held 14 hearings on 
higher education, and throughout these hearings, it has become 
increasingly clear that students and families face a deluge of data 
that often provides little to no useful information as they try to make 
the important decisions of where to pursue postsecondary educations.
  Despite repeated attempts to enhance transparency in the higher 
education system, students and families still struggle to access 
important information that will assist in their searches for the right 
colleges or universities. To make matters worse, data that is available 
often ignores a large portion of students enrolled in the postsecondary 
education system or fails to capture crucial information students and 
families need to view the entire landscape of higher education.
  That is why my colleague, Representative Luke Messer, and I authored 
the bill before us today. The Strengthening Transparency in Higher 
Education Act attempts to streamline existing Federal transparency 
efforts to avoid duplicative information and confusion for students by 
creating a consumer-tested college dashboard that would display only 
key information students need when deciding which schools to attend as 
well as ensuring that all students are appropriately represented in the 
data presented.
  Taxpayers provide a great deal of money to help students attend the 
institutions of their choice and to pursue their passions. Therefore, 
we should make every effort to see that students have the best 
information available to help them make good decisions for where to 
continue their educations. The Strengthening Transparency in Higher 
Education Act seeks to make that information more accessible and easier 
to understand.
  I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of this legislation, which 
passed with bipartisan support out of the Education Committee.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. HINOJOSA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I rise to express my support for H.R. 4983, the Strengthening 
Transparency in Higher Education Act.
  The underlying bill strengthens the state of transparency in higher 
education by establishing a new college dashboard Web site, which 
replaces the Network Navigator and ensures the inclusion of 
nontraditional students in the data matrix.
  The college dashboard Web site will provide better and more 
accessible information for students and families. Key information will 
consist of enrollment and completion data on full-time and part-time 
students as well as those segregated by Pell recipients--or race and 
ethnicity and disability--as well as information on net price, average 
student loan debt, and college costs.
  The bill promotes transparency on the use of adjunct faculty. For the 
first time, our Nation's colleges will be required to report the ratio 
of part-time to full-time instructors by degree level. In addition, 
this legislation creates a more accessible calculator with clearer, 
more individualized information on student costs. Finally, the bill 
requires that the college dashboard Web site be consumer-tested with 
other agencies and students and institutions and experts to ensure it 
provides understandable and relevant information.
  I am proud to say that Texas has been a leader in this area. The 
University of Texas' system, for example, has developed an impressive 
college productivity dashboard designed to increase transparency and to 
measure

[[Page 12735]]

productivity in a more effective way. Above all, the UT system's 
dashboard also provides students, families, and policymakers with 
robust data and information that they can use to make more informed 
decisions.
  Having better data and information has allowed the University of 
Texas to identify achievement gaps and to make improvements in areas 
that need reform. More accurate data on college participation and 
completion, for instance, can help to improve student outcomes, 
particularly for low-income students and students of color.
  In closing, I applaud Chairman Kline, Ranking Member Miller, and 
Ranking Member Foxx for working in a bipartisan manner to advance this 
legislation, and I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to 
vote in favor of H.R. 4983.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from 
Indiana (Mr. Messer), my distinguished colleague and cosponsor for this 
legislation.

                              {time}  1345

  Mr. MESSER. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this legislation, which 
will provide prospective students with better information to make more 
informed choices about pursuing their higher education.
  I want to commend Chairman Kline and subcommittee Chairwoman Foxx for 
bringing this measure forward. And I want to thank my colleague, the 
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hinojosa) for his leadership on this topic as 
well.
  In modern life, few decisions are bigger than whether to attend 
college and which college to attend. The right choice can be a head 
start towards a strong financial future. The wrong choice can leave a 
student without a degree and in tens of thousands of dollars of debt.
  There is no magic formula for finding the best fit, but having access 
to clear and relevant data can make the decision easier and less 
overwhelming. Unfortunately, when making this important choice, 
students and their families are often faced with a convoluted maze of 
statistics which don't allow them to make fully informed, cost-
conscious decisions.
  This legislation will ensure that students have the information they 
need to make good decisions for their future. Helping students more 
easily find the schools that are right for them will encourage their 
academic success, avoid unnecessary student debt, and enhance their 
professional prospects after graduation.
  I urge my colleagues to support this measure.
  Mr. HINOJOSA. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from 
Virginia (Mr. Scott), a distinguished member of the Education 
Committee.
  Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 
4983, the Strengthening Transparency in Higher Education Act. It is 
critical that prospective students have access to information on 
institutions that they may be interested in attending, and the bill 
before us would provide the platform for these students to gather this 
information.
  This information is essential to ensuring that students will be able 
to make an informed decision on which institution to attend.
  While providing students with additional information on institutions 
of higher learning is important, none of the bills before us actually 
will do anything to actually ensure that every student is given every 
chance possible of receiving an education past high school level.
  Studies have consistently shown the value of higher education, and 
have also shown that two-thirds of the jobs in the future will require 
some sort of education past the high school level.
  Unfortunately, many students today find higher education unaffordable 
and out of reach due to the increasing cost of attending college and 
high student loan interest rates. Currently, the Federal Government 
makes a significant profit on student loans, with the Congressional 
Budget Office estimating that the Federal Government will profit $135 
billion over the next 10 years off of student loans.
  We must continue to ensure that college remains affordable and 
accessible to all that seek it, and I look forward to working with my 
colleagues on the Education and the Workforce Committee towards that 
goal.
  On the bill before us today, however, I urge my colleagues to support 
H.R. 4983, the Strengthening Transparency in Higher Education Act.
  Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to our distinguished 
colleague from Tennessee (Mr. Roe).
  Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 
4983, the Strengthening Transparency in Higher Education Act.
  With the cost of a college education increasing, and outstanding 
student loan debt now at a staggering $1.2 trillion, it is more 
important than ever for students and their families to have the 
necessary information to make informed decisions about their 
educational pursuits.
  This legislation empowers students and their families by improving 
the dissemination of key information about colleges and universities 
through a consumer-tested college dashboard.
  This bill coordinates and streamlines information from multiple 
Federal agencies to assist students in comparing schools to determine 
which will best suit their unique needs.
  The only college completion rates currently available to students and 
their families are for the traditional, first-time, full-time student. 
At East Tennessee State University in my hometown, only about 60 
percent of the students fit this description, leaving a significant 
portion of students not represented by the data.
  Completion rates for other groups of students, such as veterans and 
Pell Grant recipients, are included in the college dashboard to ensure 
that this information is representative of all students.
  Surprisingly, despite spending approximately $32 billion each year to 
provide Pell Grants to over 9 million students, we have little 
information about the educational outcomes for these students. By 
taking a more thorough look at the results this program is producing, 
we can improve the likelihood of student success.
  In addition to providing students and parents with better 
information, this bill will give us new tools to help strengthen the 
Pell Grants program, while ensuring it is a good investment for 
taxpayers.
  To ensure that resource is utilized, students will be provided links 
to the college dashboard for each prospective school they look at, thus 
providing this important information to them at the pinnacle of their 
college search.
  I thank the chairwoman and the ranking member on this bipartisan 
legislation, and I encourage its support.
  Mr. HINOJOSA. Mr. Speaker, I am honored to yield 3 minutes to my 
colleague from New Jersey (Mr. Holt).
  Mr. HOLT. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend from Texas.
  This bill creates a new Department of Education Web site that 
includes data allowing prospective students to better understand the 
cost of specific institutions, and I thank the chairman and the ranking 
member for working with me to improve this bill before it came to the 
floor.
  The current Department of Education Web site is incomplete and 
misleading. The current Web site does not include the net price to a 
student according to that student's income level, which could cause, 
and does cause, lower and middle class students to reject schools that 
they, in fact, could afford.
  They or their parents would see average net price, calculated for all 
students, and immediately assume it is unaffordable for them. The 
changes that I have included in this bill allow a parent or a 
prospective student to find, upfront, on the home page, the average net 
price of attending, based on the family's income level. And this 
information may lead students to consider institutions they would have 
otherwise excluded.
  The difference between the average cost, calculated for all students, 
and the cost to a student, say, from a $40,000 income level, may be 
many thousands of dollars.

[[Page 12736]]

  Now, I should add, in conclusion, that while this bill that we take 
up today makes some progress, this and the other bills we will be 
considering fall short of what is really needed: a comprehensive effort 
to help more students afford college.
  We should be considering doubling the Pell Grants, reducing student 
loan interest rates, and doing all those other things that would be in 
a comprehensive higher education bill. I am sorry to say we are 
ignoring those solutions.
  Nevertheless, I welcome the modest improvements that we will see in 
the legislation being considered here, and I hope that soon we will get 
to the comprehensive higher education legislation that the students of 
America deserve.
  Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. HINOJOSA. Mr. Speaker I am honored to yield 3 minutes to my 
colleague from Maryland (Mr. Cummings).
  Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Ranking Member Hinojosa 
for the time, and I thank the chairman and Ranking Member Miller, and 
Chairwoman Foxx for their hard work on this legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4983, the Strengthening 
Transparency in Higher Education Act. This legislation will help 
prospective students and their families by providing more accessible 
information about the costs of attending our Nation's colleges and 
universities.
  The bill before us today includes provisions that I authored that 
will improve a tool already available to help students and their 
families assess the cost of attending college, the net price 
calculator.
  Currently, students and families have to guess where the calculators 
are located on the schools' Web pages, what each school calls the 
calculator, and whether the information it provides is accurate.
  Additionally, veterans and servicemembers must try to determine 
whether the estimates provided by such calculators accurately reflect 
the academic benefits they have earned through their service.
  As the ranking member of the Oversight and Government Reform 
Committee, one of my roles is to help government work more effectively 
and efficiently.
  My bill, the Net Price Calculator Improvement Act, H.R. 3694, 
addresses the challenges identified with current net price calculators 
by ensuring that they will provide consistent and comparable price 
information for colleges and universities based on up-to-date data.
  My legislation would also ensure that institutions place the 
calculators in consistent locations on their Web sites, and it would 
protect students who use the calculators from data mining.
  I applaud my colleagues on the Education and the Workforce Committee 
for including these critical provisions in H.R. 4983, and urge the 
passage of this legislation.
  As I close, let me note that the bill before us is an important first 
step in the process of reauthorizing the Higher Education Act, and it 
contains important reforms. However, our work will not be done by 
simply passing this bill.
  The bills before the House this week ignore the bread and butter of 
the Federal higher education policy, Federal student aid. We must 
reauthorize the Higher Education Act in its entirety as quickly as 
possible.
  Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. HINOJOSA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
  Before I close, I want to say that I look forward to working with my 
friends on the other side of the aisle as soon as possible so that we 
can complete, in its entirety, the reauthorization of higher education 
which is greatly needed here in our country.
  Mr. Speaker, I have no more speakers, and I yield back the balance of 
my time.
  Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I also want to thank our colleagues on both 
sides of the aisle for working together on what I think is an important 
piece of legislation that will help families and students in the 
future.
  I want to give particular thanks to the staffs on both sides of the 
aisle. The Education and the Workforce Committee has been very active 
this year and last year on presenting excellent legislation to this 
House, and I want to thank the staff for their good work.
  With that, Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on H.R. 
4983, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms. Foxx) that the House suspend the 
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 4983, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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