Bill Cassidy (R-LA)
College Transparency Act
A bill to establish a postsecondary student data system.
A Republican bill with 12 Democratic cosponsors · See all 25 cosponsors
Last activity — Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 537.
Cleared committee, waiting for its first floor vote
A committee approved it and it is on the calendar of the chamber it started in.
This is further than most bills get, and still no promise of a vote: the calendar is a queue, and the majority leadership decides what is called. A bill can sit here until the Congress ends.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- On Calendar
What this bill would do
This bill, known as the College Transparency Act, directs the Commissioner of the National Center for Education Statistics to create and maintain a secure postsecondary student data system. The system is intended to evaluate student enrollment, completion, and postcollegiate outcomes, as well as higher education costs and financial aid. It aims to provide students and families with accurate and customizable information to assist in educational decision-making. The bill also mandates the creation of a Postsecondary Student Data System Advisory Committee to assist in determining data elements. Furthermore, the act requires periodic data matching with other federal agencies to assess student outcomes and economic indicators. Finally, it includes strict provisions to ensure data privacy, security, and the reduction of reporting burdens on institutions.
Yes· 3 of 26
- Scored +7
Would students be better off under this?
The bill is primarily designed to benefit students through transparency and improved decision-making tools.
- Scored +7
Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see?
The bill significantly increases transparency regarding education costs and student outcomes.
- Scored +6
Does this protect people from being watched or searched?
The bill establishes rigorous protections to ensure student data privacy.
The opposite
- Scored -2
Does this give the government more power to monitor people inside the country?
The creation of a centralized federal database for student tracking could increase surveillance concerns.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Improved Decision Making for Students and Families: The system will provide accurate, complete, and customizable information to help individuals make better decisions regarding postsecondary education (Section 2, paragraph 1, subparagraph A, clause iii).
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Reduced Reporting Burdens for Schools: The system is designed to reduce the reporting burden on institutions of higher education by allowing them to use the same data to satisfy multiple requirements (Section 2, paragraph 1, subparagraph A, clause iv; and Section 2, paragraph 1, subparagraph B).
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Enhanced Transparency and Analysis: The data system will assist with transparency, institutional improvement, and the analysis of Federal aid programs (Section 2, paragraph 1, subparagraph A, clause ii).
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Data Accuracy and Privacy Protections: The bill mandates the use of modern, privacy-enhancing technology and requires that the Commissioner follow Federal data minimization practices to ensure only the minimum amount of data is collected (Section s 2, paragraph 1, subparagraph C, clause iii; and Section 2, paragraph 1, subparagraph C, clause v).
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Student Rights to Information and Correction: The system requires that students be notified about what data is included and how it is used, and it establishes a process for students to inspect their personal information and request corrections to inaccuracies (Section 2, paragraph 1, subparagraph C, clause vi; and Section 2, paragraph 3, clause iv).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
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Prohibition of Certain Data Types: The Commissioner is prohibited from including specific information in the system, such as individual health data, student discipline records, exact addresses, citizenship status, or course grades (Section 2, paragraph 2, subparagraph F).
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Strict Limitations on Data Usage: The data collected cannot be used by Federal agencies for purposes other than vetted research or those explicitly authorized by the Act, and it specifically cannot be used for law enforcement activity or any activity resulting in adverse action against a student or family, such as debt collection or immigration law enforcement (Section 2, paragraph 5, subparagraph D; and Section 2, paragraph 5, subparagraph E).
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Prohibition on Federal Rankings: The data collection and analysis cannot be used by the Secretary or any Federal entity to establish a Federal ranking system of institutions or a system that results in a summative Federal rating of institutions (Section 2, paragraph 5, subparagraph F).
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 is primarily designed to benefit students through transparency and improved decision-making tools. Would households on low incomes be better off under this? — Transparency in aid and costs can help low-income families plan more effectively. Would people with disabilities be better off under this? — The bill mandates accessibility in data presentation for people with disabilities. Would veterans be better off under this, taking everything together? — The bill specifically aims to assess the use of educational benefits for veterans. Would people in their twenties and thirties be better off under this? — The system provides better information for those entering postsecondary education. Would middle-income households be better off under this? — Enhanced transparency assists in financial planning for higher education. Would Black Americans be better off under this? — The system includes racial disaggregation to track and ensure equitable outcomes. Would Asian Americans be better off under this? — The system includes racial disaggregation to track and ensure equitable outcomes. Would Hispanic Americans be better off under this? — The system includes racial disaggregation to track and ensure equitable outcomes. Would men be better off under this? — The system includes gender as a data element for analysis. Would Native Americans be better off under this? — The system includes racial disaggregation to track and ensure equitable outcomes. Would white Americans be better off under this? — The system includes racial disaggregation to track and ensure equitable outcomes. Would women be better off under this? — The system includes gender as a data element for analysis.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see? — The bill significantly increases transparency regarding education costs and student outcomes. Does this protect people from being watched or searched? — The bill establishes rigorous protections to ensure student data privacy. Does this give the federal government more power? — The bill expands federal oversight and data collection requirements for postsecondary institutions.
- Education And Technology
- Does this give people more control over their personal data? — The bill includes strict privacy and security mandates to protect student data. Does this make college cost less? — The bill increases transparency regarding higher education costs and financial aid to assist in decision making. Does this reduce what student borrowers owe or repay? — The system aims to streamline the application process for student loan benefit programs. Does this put more money into scientific research? — The system provides non-personally identifiable data for vetted research purposes.
- Social Issues And Justice
- Does this expand the rights of people with disabilities? — The bill requires accessibility for users with disabilities in the presentation of information. Does this narrow the gap between how men and women are treated? — The system includes gender as a data element for analyzing student outcomes. Does this narrow racial gaps in how people are treated? — The system tracks race and ethnicity to ensure institutions can be analyzed for diverse student outcomes.
- Economy And Finance
- Does this give people more protection from unfair business practices? — The bill enhances consumer protection by providing transparent data to help students make informed higher education decisions.
- National Security And Foreign Policy
- Does this better protect the country from computer attacks? — The bill mandates high cybersecurity standards for the new student data system. Does this increase the pay, pensions or support veterans receive? — The data system tracks veteran outcomes to assess the use and impact of educational benefits. Does this give the government more power to monitor people inside the country? — The creation of a centralized federal database for student tracking could increase surveillance concerns.
- 8/4/2026
- Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. Reported by Senator Cassidy with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. Without written report.
- Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 537.
- 7/30/2026
- Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
- 12/17/2025
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 12/4/2025
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 10/15/2025
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 9/11/2025
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 7/29/2025
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
- 21 Cosponsors added.
- Introduced in Senate
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.
Tammy BaldwinDemocrat · Wisconsin
Jim BanksRepublican · Indiana
Katie BrittRepublican · Alabama
Shelley CapitoRepublican · West Virginia
John CornynRepublican · Texas
Kevin CramerRepublican · North Dakota
Joni ErnstRepublican · Iowa
Chuck GrassleyRepublican · Iowa
John HickenlooperDemocrat · Colorado
Maggie HassanDemocrat · New Hampshire
Cindy Hyde-SmithRepublican · Mississippi
Jon HustedRepublican · Ohio
Amy KlobucharDemocrat · Minnesota
Mark KellyDemocrat · Arizona
Timothy KaineDemocrat · Virginia
Ben LujánDemocrat · New Mexico
Christopher MurphyDemocrat · Connecticut
Roger MarshallRepublican · Kansas
Tim ScottRepublican · South Carolina
Tina SmithDemocrat · Minnesota
Tommy TubervilleRepublican · Alabama
Thomas TillisRepublican · North Carolina
Chris Van HollenDemocrat · Maryland
Raphael WarnockDemocrat · Georgia
Elizabeth WarrenDemocrat · Massachusetts