College Transparency Act

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)).

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)).

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)).

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)).

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)).

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)).

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)).

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)).

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)).