In Data at Work, we highlight new developments in postsecondary data and present news and analyses on data issues.
Feb 16, 2018
On January 19, the Office of Federal Student Aid (FSA) released a pre-solicitation notice for the Next Gen Payment Card Pilot Program, which would test a new way for FSA to disburse financial aid funds to current students.
Jan 29, 2018
The National Committee on Institutional Quality & Integrity (NACIQI), first established by the Higher Education Amendments of 1992 and reconstituted under the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008, advises the Secretary of Education on matters related to postsecondary accreditation.
Dec 20, 2017
IHEP released a new PostsecData fact-sheet this week, explaining how the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) measures student outcomes at colleges and universities across the country, and how those metrics have changed over time.
Dec 1, 2017
How many times have we heard that graduation rates count just a fraction of current college students because data focus on only those who are first-time, full-time (FTFT)?
Dec 1, 2017
On December 1, 2017, Representative Virginia Foxx (R-NC), chairwoman of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce introduced the PROSPER Act to reauthorize the Higher Education Act of 1965.
Nov 30, 2017
Since 2012, Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR), Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL), Senator Mark Warner (D-VA), and Representative Duncan Hunter (R-CA) have introduced four versions of the Student Right to Know Before You Go Act (SRTKBYG), designed to create a postsecondary student-level data network.
Nov 15, 2017
It's common for new leadership within the U.S. Department of Education (ED) to develop new priorities for ED, such as the proposed list of supplemental priorities for grant programs the Department announced in mid-October this year.
Nov 7, 2017
On November 2, the U.S. House Committee on Government Oversight and Reform passed H.R. 4174, the Foundations for Evidenced-Based Policymaking Act, by a voice vote. H.R. 4174 is the first bill based on the recommendations of the Commission on Evidenced-Based Policymaking.
Oct 18, 2017
High-quality postsecondary data is essential for understanding student outcomes and identifying inequities within our higher education system. Accurate and complete data can empower college choices, promote student success, and inform federal, state, and institutional policies.
Oct 12, 2017
New publicly available data on student outcomes, collected by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) for the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), tell a more nuanced story and do a better job of counting all students than in years past.
Oct 6, 2017
Late last month, 24 PostsecData members and partners sent a letter to Education Secretary Betsy DeVos as public comment on the Education Department's review of existing federal regulations.
Sep 29, 2017
On September 28, 2017, the U.S. Department of Education refreshed the College Scorecard consumer website and downloadable data files with new data for most elements.
Sep 22, 2017
Last week, PostsecData sent a letter signed by 27 partner organizations to the Department of Education, commending the National Center for Education Statistics’ (NCES) plan to introduce the 2017–18 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study, Administ
Jun 29, 2017
Policymakers have introduced a number of bills to build a more complete and modernized postsecondary education data infrastructure in recent Congressional sessions.
Apr 28, 2017
Cumulative student loan debt in the United States totals $1.3 trillion for just over 44 million total borrowers. The U.S.
Apr 25, 2017
Twelve members of the Postsecondary Data Collaborative (PostsecData) co-signed a letter that applauds the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s (CFPB) proposed Student Loan Servicing Market Monitoring initiative.
Mar 31, 2017
Last week, PostsecData sent a letter signed by 47 partner organizations to Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, encouraging her to support greater transparency in higher education.
Jan 23, 2017
The Department of Education (ED) recently released the first debt-to-earnin
Dec 16, 2016
Given that college rankings have continued to grow in quantity and scope, IHEP is releasing an updated comparison of five college rankings.
Aug 31, 2016
Central to debates on better data quality is a concern for and desire to track and reveal gaps in services for underrepresented students.
Jul 28, 2016
In partnership with the Workforce Data Quality Campaign (WDQC) and the State Higher Education Executive Officers Association (SHEEO), PostsecData released an infographic, Ma
Jul 26, 2016
In February, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) released a proposal to include a Pell Grant recipient cohort in the Outcome Measures (OM) survey component of the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS).
Mar 23, 2016
Last fall, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) released an Application Programming Interface (API) that makes publicly accessible all of the data used to build the College Scorecard. A variety of journalists and researchers have already started building new tools using these data.
Feb 10, 2016
In the President’s 2017 budget proposal this week, the Department of Education (ED) budget includes $15 million for the new InformED initiative.
Jan 20, 2016
Today, the Institute for Higher Education Policy (IHEP) released a paper, Making Sense of Student Loan Outcomes: How Using Repayment Rates Can Improve Student Success.
Sep 23, 2015
26 members of the Postsecondary Data Collaborative (PostsecData) applaud the Department of Education for the release of an abundance of data on higher education with the redesigned College Scorecard.
Sep 14, 2015
We have reached a critical point in the pursuit of a national postsecondary data infrastructure that is capable of providing students, policymakers, and institutions with the information they need.
Aug 13, 2015
Earlier this summer, the Office of Federal Student Aid (FSA) initiated a program comprised of self-assessments for the Guaranty Agencies (GAs).
Jul 23, 2015
As a champion of the free enterprise system, we at the U.S. Chamber firmly believe that competition drives innovation. Society benefits most when businesses can compete with one another to provide the highest quality product or service to their customers.
Jun 25, 2015
In preparation for Higher Education Act reauthorization, the House of Representatives and the Senate have been focusing on improvements to, and modernization of, the postsecondary data infrastructure.
Jun 1, 2015
A diverse array of stakeholders have expressed an unmistakable hunger for more comprehensive, higher-quality data on our nation’s postsecondary system.
May 8, 2015
On Wednesday, May 6, 2015, the Senate Health, Education, Labor & Pensions (HELP) Committee held a full committee hearing on “Reauthorizing the Higher Education Act: The Role of Consumer Information in College Choice.” In their opening remarks, Chairman
Apr 24, 2015
On April 24, 2015, 27 participants in the Postsecondary Data Collaborative (PostsecData), a coalition of organizations committed to high-quality postsecondary data, offered feedback on the Federal Postsecondary Data Transpare
Mar 26, 2015
On Wednesday, IHEP and members of the PostsecData Working Group, a diverse set of organizations committed to high-quality postsecondary data, released a list of principles to inform postsecondary data policy.
Mar 1, 2015
Last year, IHEP tested the findings in its March 2014 report,
Feb 18, 2015
Participants in the PostsecData Working Group, a coalition of higher education organizations committed to higher education data issues, came together to offer feedback on the
Jan 1, 2015
A letter signed by IHEP and 12 other organizations urges the Department of Commerce to retain question 12 of the American Community Survey (ACS), which asks respondents to “print below the speci
Dec 1, 2014
This is an excerpt from a statement offered by IHEP president Dr. Michelle Asha Cooper in response to the release of the Department of Education’s Postsecondary Institution Ratings System (PIRS) framework.
Dec 1, 2014
This letter by IHEP and partners advises that the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System's Graduation Rate component does not capture student diversity or student outcomes and includes recommended adjustments.
Nov 1, 2014
This memo provides a comparison of federal legislation establishing a student unit record data system.
Sep 1, 2014
In this September 2014 testimony, IHEP President Dr. Michelle Asha Cooper provided recommendations for the Postsecondary Institution Ratings System (PIRS).
Aug 1, 2014
This memo provides a snapshot comparison of the measures used in several major publications that publish annual college rankings.