Congressman Carson Focuses in on Higher Education, Introduces Legislation and Announces New Congressional Caucus

Press Release

Congressman André Carson (IN-7) today zoned in on issues of higher education, introducing legislation that would clarify college employment placement statistics and announcing the creation of the Congressional Higher Education Caucus to encourage more intentional assessment of higher education challenges in America.

The Higher Education and Employment Transparency Act, introduced in the House today, seeks to empower college-bound individuals as they make decisions regarding which college or university they will attend. This legislation requires that the Department of Education (via the College Navigator website) and all institutions receiving federal student aid dollars provide a link to up-to-date information on Occupational Employment Statistics, data that shows recent employment trends in major occupations by geographic regions. This information is critical for current and prospective students to properly assess job outlook following graduation.

In addition, the bill directs the Department of Education to create clear guidelines for institutions reporting job placement rates, so they indicate if jobs require post-secondary education and whether or not the position is paid or unpaid.

"College-bound individuals rightly ask if they are making a wise investment. But the answer is often unclear because they must wade through a lot of information when deciding where they will pursue their education. Too often, what they receive only scratches the surface of how well a school will prepare them to achieve their selected career," Congressman Carson said. "This bill will make that search easier and require institutions to be more transparent about how their graduates will fare in an increasingly competitive job market."

Congressman Carson went on to say, "My goal is to give students access to all the information they need to pick the school that will best help them reach their career goals without the burden of crippling debt."

Additionally, Congressman Carson today announced the creation of the Congressional Higher Education Caucus, which will provide a forum for robust discussion and strategic planning on how Congress can better address the challenges facing our system of higher education.

"Members of Congress talk a lot about the problems facing students, but it is rare to come together and discuss real solutions. My hope is that the Higher Education Caucus will encourage open, honest, bipartisan conversations about these critical issues."

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