A Democratic bill with 13 Republican cosponsors · See all 27 cosponsors
Last activity — Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The College Transparency Act aims to establish a secure and privacy-protected postsecondary student data system. This system will be developed and maintained by the Commissioner of the National Center for Education Statistics. The goal is to accurately evaluate student enrollment, progression, completion, and postcollegiate outcomes, as well as higher education costs. It is designed to provide students and families with accurate and customizable information for making educational decisions. The system will also work to reduce the reporting burden on institutions of higher education.
Yes· 3 of 21
- Scored +5
Would students be better off under this?
The bill creates a system to help students make informed postsecondary decisions.
- Scored +5
Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see?
The bill enhances transparency regarding postsecondary outcomes and institutional performance.
- Scored +5
Does this give people more control over their personal data?
The bill establishes strong data privacy and security protocols for student information.
The opposite
- Scored -2
Would immigrants be better off under this?
The bill explicitly prohibits the collection of citizenship status to protect students.
- Scored -2
Does this give the government more power to monitor people inside the country?
The collection of student-level data could be perceived as increased federal data collection.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Enhanced decision-making for students and families: The system will provide accurate, complete, and customizable information to assist students and families in making decisions about postsecondary education (Section 2, subsection (l)(1)(A)(iii)).
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Increased transparency and institutional improvement: The data system is intended to assist with transparency and the analysis of Federal aid programs (Section 2, subsection (l)(1)(A)(ii)).
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Reduced administrative burden for schools: The system aims to reduce the reporting burden on institutions of higher education (Section 2, subsection (l)(1)(A)(iv)).
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Protection of student privacy: The bill mandates the use of modern, relevant privacy- and security-enhancing technology and requires the Commissioner to follow Federal data minimization practices (Section 2, subsection (l)(1)(C)(iii-v)).
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Consumer-friendly access to data: The Commissioner must make summary aggregate information available through a user-friendly website and analytic tool that allows users to customize and filter information (Section 2, subsection (l)(4)(A)).
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Opportunities for students to correct records: A process will be established for students to request access to their personal information for inspection and to request corrections to inaccuracies (Section 2, subsection (l)(3)(C)(iv)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
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Privacy risks regarding sensitive information: While the bill includes protections, it requires the collection of various student-level data elements, such as race, ethnicity, age, gender, and Federal Pell Grant or loan recipient status (Section 2, subsection (l)(2)(C)).
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Potential for unauthorized access: The bill acknowledges the need for security protocols to protect against unauthorized access, use, and disclosure of data (Section 2, subsection (l)(8)).
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Risk of unlawful disclosure: There is a risk that individuals with access to the system could willfully disclose personally identifiable information (Section 2, subsection (l)(7)(A)).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would students be better off under this? — The bill creates a system to help students make informed postsecondary decisions. Would people in their twenties and thirties be better off under this? — The system provides valuable data for students making college decisions. Would households on low incomes be better off under this? — Improved visibility of financial aid and outcomes can help low-income students navigate college. Would veterans be better off under this, taking everything together? — The bill specifically addresses tracking outcomes for veterans' educational benefits. Would Black Americans be better off under this? — The disaggregation of data allows for better tracking of outcomes for minority-serving institutions. Would Asian Americans be better off under this? — The disaggregation of data allows for better tracking of outcomes for minority-serving institutions. Would Hispanic Americans be better off under this? — The disaggregation of data allows for better tracking of outcomes for minority-serving institutions. Would middle-income households be better off under this? — The bill provides better comparison tools for educational costs and returns. Would Native Americans be better off under this? — The disaggregation of data allows for better tracking of outcomes for minority-serving institutions. Would women be better off under this? — The bill includes gender-disaggregated data to track educational outcomes. Would immigrants be better off under this? — The bill explicitly prohibits the collection of citizenship status to protect students.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see? — The bill enhances transparency regarding postsecondary outcomes and institutional performance. Does this protect people from being watched or searched? — The bill includes strict protections and prohibitions to safeguard student privacy. Does this give the federal government more power? — The bill expands the scope of data collection and centralized tracking by the federal government.
- Education And Technology
- Does this give people more control over their personal data? — The bill establishes strong data privacy and security protocols for student information. Does this make college cost less? — The bill provides better information on costs and financial aid to help students manage expenses. Does this put more money into scientific research? — The data system provides a platform for vetted research and evaluation.
- Social Issues And Justice
- Does this narrow the gap between how men and women are treated? — The bill includes requirements to disaggregate data by gender to track outcomes. Does this narrow racial gaps in how people are treated? — The bill includes requirements to disaggregate data by race and ethnicity to track outcomes.
- Economy And Finance
- Does this give people more protection from unfair business practices? — The bill enhances consumer protection by providing better data for students making education decisions.
- National Security And Foreign Policy
- Does this better protect the country from computer attacks? — The bill mandates strict cybersecurity standards for the new data system. Does this increase the pay, pensions or support veterans receive? — The bill facilitates tracking outcomes for veterans to assess the use of educational benefits. Does this give the government more power to monitor people inside the country? — The collection of student-level data could be perceived as increased federal data collection.
- 11/11/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 11/9/2026
- 3 Cosponsors added.
- 10/6/2026
- 2 Cosponsors added.
- 9/15/2026
- 2 Cosponsors added.
- 9/8/2026
- 2 Cosponsors added.
- 9/3/2026
- 2 Cosponsors added.
- 9/1/2026
- 2 Cosponsors added.
- 6/29/2026
- 2 Cosponsors added.
- 11/4/2025
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 10/28/2025
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 8/5/2025
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 7/29/2025
- Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.
- 8 Cosponsors added.
- Introduced in House
One bill Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
Suzanne BonamiciDemocrat · Oregon
Mike BostRepublican · Illinois
Don BaconRepublican · Nebraska
Joaquin CastroDemocrat · Texas
Angie CraigDemocrat · Minnesota
Diana DeGetteDemocrat · Colorado
Rosa DeLauroDemocrat · Connecticut
Brian FitzpatrickRepublican · Pennsylvania
Marie PerezDemocrat · Washington
Mike KellyRepublican · Pennsylvania
Thomas KeanRepublican · New Jersey
Jennifer KiggansRepublican · Virginia
Stephen LynchDemocrat · Massachusetts
Michael LawlerRepublican · New York
Nicole MalliotakisRepublican · New York
Daniel MeuserRepublican · Pennsylvania
Seth MagazinerDemocrat · Rhode Island
Ryan MackenzieRepublican · Pennsylvania
Zachary NunnRepublican · Iowa
August PflugerRepublican · Texas
Scott PetersDemocrat · California
Mike QuigleyDemocrat · Illinois
Brad ShermanDemocrat · California
Elise StefanikRepublican · New York
Mikie SherrillDemocrat · New Jersey
Shri ThanedarDemocrat · Michigan
Nikema WilliamsDemocrat · Georgia