Congressman Carson Introduces Bill to Make College Search More Transparent

Press Release

Congressman André Carson (IN-7) today introduced legislation that would clarify college employment placement statistics, providing more robust information to college seekers as they review their higher education options and assess which institutions and courses of study will provide the best career opportunities following graduation.

The Higher Education and Employment Transparency Act seeks to empower college-bound individuals as they make decisions regarding which colleges or universities they will attend and which majors they will pursue. 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 the way in which institutions report job placement rates, specifically requiring that data indicate if jobs require post-secondary education and whether or not the position is paid or unpaid.

"As the debate on student loan interest rates continues, college-bound individuals are worried about whether or not they are making a wise investment in pursuing higher education. Too often, the information 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 and to ensure the choice they make doesn't leave them buried in unmanageable student loan debt."

Congressman Carson serves as the chairman of the Congressional Higher Education Caucus, which provides a forum for discussion and strategic planning on how Congress can better address the challenges facing our system of higher education.

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