IHEP Celebrates House Passage of College Transparency Act in the America COMPETES Act

Washington, DC (February 4, 2022) – Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the America COMPETES Act of 2022 (H.R. 4521), which included an amendment to improve our federal postsecondary data infrastructure by enacting the College Transparency Act (H.R. 2030). This bill will now advance to conference with the Senate. In response to this legislative development, IHEP’s President and CEO, Mamie Voight, issued the following statement:  

“IHEP celebrates the House passage of the bipartisan, bicameral College Transparency Act (CTA) as an amendment to the America COMPETES Act. CTA will provide students, institutions, employers, and policymakers with the data they need to inform their decisions, strengthen student outcomes, build robust career pathways, and promote racial and economic equity through postsecondary opportunities. It will do so by strengthening, streamlining, and modernizing our postsecondary data infrastructure to answer pressing questions about higher education for today’s students. 

“As our nation continues to navigate the disruption caused by the COVID-19 public health and economic crisis, the need for the reforms proposed in CTA has never been more urgent. Students deserve to know which institutions will provide them with the best return on investment. Policymakers should be equipped to target resources to promote student success and scale effective interventions. And institutions and employers should be able to enhance opportunities to build a stronger, more dynamic workforce and to drive an equitable economic recovery for all.  

“CTA enjoys broad bipartisan support and is currently cosponsored by 70 House members and 34 Senate members. The bill has also been endorsed by more than 160 organizations, representing students, higher education institutions, employers, workforce and community development groups, veterans, and civil rights advocates. Today’s legislative milestone represents years of effort by countless individuals and organizations working tirelessly in the interest of students. 

“IHEP thanks Representatives Andy Levin (D-MI), Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), Anthony Gonzalez (R-OH), and Bryan Steil (R-WI) for sponsoring the amendment and leading at this critical moment. We also thank CTA’s lead cosponsors who introduced the bill on a bicameral basis: Representatives Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), Joe Wilson (R-SC), Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ), Bryan Steil (R-WI), and Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR) and Senators Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Tim Scott (R-SC), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI). We urge policymakers to protect this important provision in conference and we look forward to working with CTA’s cosponsors in both chambers to ensure this measure is enacted as part of the final America COMPETES Act so that students can finally have access to the information they deserve to inform their college decisions.”