Assuring Quality Outcomes in Higher Education Act of 2015

To require the Secretary of Education to complete a data analysis study on the impacts of all income- or employment-based outcome measures of quality in higher education before issuing or implementing regulations utilizing such metrics, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Assuring Quality Outcomes in Higher Education Act of 2015 2. DATA ANALYSIS REQUIREMENT FOR USE OF INCOME- OR EMPLOYMENT-BASED METRICS FOR MEASURING QUALITY IN HIGHER EDUCATION (a) In general During the period specified in subsection (c), the Secretary of Education shall not issue or otherwise implement any final rule with respect to any proposed regulation or other performance framework that utilizes any income- or employment-based metric or data, including any such regulation or framework relating to college ratings, teacher preparation, or gainful employment, or implement or enforce any existing regulation or performance framework that utilizes any such metric, until 90 days after— (1) the Secretary of Education conducts and makes publicly available a complete data analysis required under subsection (b) with respect to such regulation or performance framework; and (2) the Comptroller General of the United States makes publicly available a report that reviews such data analysis for data accuracy and completeness. (b) Data analysis The data analysis required under this subsection with respect to a regulation or performance framework shall— (1) analyze the impact of the income- or employment-based outcome metrics utilized under the regulation or performance framework (including any substantial employment thresholds and measures of short-term earnings, long-term earnings, and debt-to-earnings) on all postsecondary education programs and students at all categories of institutions of higher education that participate in a program under title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 ( 20 U.S.C. 1070 et seq. (A) the impact on, and educational alternatives for, students who— (i) receive Federal Pell Grants under subpart 1 of part A of title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 ( 20 U.S.C. 1070a et seq. (ii) are minority students; (iii) are older than age 24; (iv) are veterans; (v) are independent students; and (vi) are dependent students; (B) for each of the impacted student groups described in subparagraph (A), the extent to which students impacted by the income- or employment-based outcome metric would abandon pursuit of any educational alternative; (C) the impact on, and educational alternatives for, students who will be displaced from their postsecondary education program as a result of the proposed use of the income- or employment-based outcome metric, including— (i) the ability of educational alternatives to add capacity to absorb additional displaced students; (ii) the required additional Federal and State subsidies required to provide such additional capacity; and (iii) the number of displaced students who would abandon pursuit of any educational alternative; and (D) the impact on economic sectors— (i) with known elements of public or government service, such as social work and Federal, State, and local public or government service; and (ii) with projected workforce skills gaps, such as manufacturing, healthcare, and education; (2) analyze the degree of correlation between variables other than quality of education that could affect income and debt-to-income or employment outcomes, including— (A) regional and urban differences; (B) economic conditions at time of graduation; (C) patterns of discrimination (including those based on gender and race); (D) family income prior to enrollment; and (E) credential pursued or program of study; and (3) compare the various sources of income and debt data utilized under the regulation or performance framework, highlighting the differences between data sets, the availability of the data, the quality and completeness of the data, the student privacy issues with the use of data, and the data collection burden on the relevant institutions. (c) Period of prohibition The period specified in this subsection is the period beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act and ending on the date of the enactment of a law that extends the authorization or duration of the Higher Education Act of 1965 ( 20 U.S.C. 1001 et seq. (d) Definitions In this section: (1) Independent student The term independent student 20 U.S.C. 1087vv(d) (2) Institution of higher education The term institution of higher education 20 U.S.C. 1002 (3) Veteran The term veteran 20 U.S.C. 1087vv(c) (4) Educational alternative The term educational alternative 20 U.S.C. 1002

Summary: Assuring Quality Outcomes in Higher Education Act of 2015 This bill requires the Department of Education (ED) to conduct and publish an impact analysis prior to implementing any final rule or enforcing any existing regulation or framework that utilizes income- or employment-based metrics. The Government Accountability Office must review the impact analysis for accuracy and completeness. ED's impact analysis must include the effect of income- or employment-based metrics on all postsecondary education programs and students at all categories of institutions of higher education that participate in a title IV program under the Higher Education Act of 1965, the correlation between variables other than quality of education that could affect income and debt-to-income ratios or employment outcome, and the comparison of various income sources and debt data utilized under the regulation or performance framework. The requirement established by this Act terminates when a law is enacted that reauthorizes the Higher Education Act of 1965 for at least two fiscal years.