The College Transparency Act establishes a new federal student data system to be developed and maintained by the National Center for Education Statistics over the next four years, requiring colleges to submit anonymized student information on enrollment, completion, costs, and outcomes. The system will track post-graduation earnings and employment by matching student records with data from the Internal Revenue Service, Veterans Affairs, Census Bureau, and other federal agencies, while maintaining strict privacy protections that prohibit collection of health records, discipline data, grades, and citizenship information. Students, families, and researchers will be able to access aggregate information through a public-facing website showing college costs, completion rates, and employment outcomes, though the bill explicitly prohibits data sales, use by law enforcement, and creation of federal college rankings. The legislation aims to reduce reporting burdens on colleges while providing transparent, meaningful information to help students and families make informed decisions about higher education. Strong security standards and penalties for unauthorized data disclosure protect student privacy throughout the system.
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