I 
112TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 4061 
To support statewide individual-level integrated postsecondary education data 
systems, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 16, 2012 
Mr. HUNTER introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Education and the Workforce 
A BILL 
To support statewide individual-level integrated postsec-
ondary education data systems, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Student Right to Know 
Before You Go Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) Every year, millions of people in the United 
States will make the choice of whether to invest in 
higher education or job retraining programs, but 
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outcomes vary widely based on the program of study 
selected, the institution selected, and the maximum 
level of education attained. 
(2) A person who obtains an associate degree 
earns, on average, $1,500,000 over a lifetime, while 
individuals with the maximum accreditation of a 
high school diploma can expect to earn $1,300,000 
over a lifetime. By comparison, individuals with a 
baccalaureate degree earn, on average, $2,300,000 
in their lifetime. However, 28.2 percent of individ-
uals with associate degrees earn more than the me-
dian salary of baccalaureate degree-holders. It is not 
just maximum level of education attained, but also 
the earnings and employment prospects associated 
with specific programs of study, that determines the 
amount of an individual’s earnings. Furthermore, 
the employment and earnings projections of distinct 
degree and certificate programs and the cost of ob-
taining these credentials are not equal across institu-
tions. 
(3) On average, workers with a baccalaureate 
degree earn more than 84 percent over their lifetime 
compared with those who do not have a degree, and 
workers with an associate degree earn, on average, 
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$6,600 per year more than those with a high school 
diploma as their highest credential. 
(4) According to the National Center for Public 
Policy and Higher Education report in 2008, the 
cost of college increased 439 percent from 1982 to 
2007. In 2010, graduates who took out loans left 
college with an average of more than $25,000 of 
debt, more than double what it was 15 years ago. In 
2011, student debt in the United States outweighed 
credit card debt at nearly $1,000,000,000,000. 
(5) As of 2008, 84 percent of undergraduates 
had at least 1 credit card, up from 76 percent in 
2004. With the rising cost of college tuition and ex-
penses, students are increasingly turning to private 
credit to supplement traditional student aid; on av-
erage, students charge $2,200 towards direct edu-
cation expenses, with only 17 percent regularly pay-
ing off their balances each month. The average stu-
dent leaves college with an average credit card debt 
of more than $4,100, up from about $2,900 in 
2004. 
(6) Recent research shows that more than 1⁄2 of 
student loan borrowers are in deferment, forbear-
ance, delinquency, or default on their Federal stu-
dent loans within 5 years of leaving school. 
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(7) Greater access and transparency regarding 
the costs and benefits of higher education are crit-
ical to better prepare students, parents, and the 
public for the realities of college and the workforce. 
(8) Even though enrollment in colleges is on the 
rise, corresponding graduation and completion rates 
have not risen. At 2-year institutions of higher edu-
cation, about 27 percent of first-time, full-time stu-
dents who enrolled in the fall of 2005 completed a 
certificate or associate’s degree within 150 percent 
of the normal time required to complete such a de-
gree. 
(9) As unemployment among young adults re-
mains elevated, the economic value and employment 
potential of certain degrees has become an increas-
ingly important factor in selecting a major. Not all 
academic fields have the same employment and earn-
ings potential. Labor and employment statistics 
show that certain majors have a higher employment 
potential after college and a higher median starting 
salary. Furthermore, the employment and earnings 
outcomes for the same or similar accreditation vary 
widely across institutions of higher education. 
(10) To enhance the public’s knowledge and ac-
cess to improved information concerning the cost of 
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college, financial aid, prospective earnings, and post- 
graduation employment rates, States, institutions of 
higher education, and other stakeholders must col-
laborate to make these data points available to pro-
spective students, parents, and all taxpayers in a 
new, comprehensive, and easily accessible manner. 
(11) Such collaboration will allow for a more 
comprehensive statistical overview of the current 
landscape in American higher education and increase 
accountability and efficiency. 
(12) Research shows that certain courses of 
study correlate to improved earnings and employ-
ment; however, existing reporting requirements make 
it impossible for researchers to accurately analyze 
data at the institutional level. A State-based report-
ing system would ensure that students, parents, tax-
payers, and policymakers can make informed deci-
sions, maximizing their return on investment and 
bringing greater transparency to higher education in 
the United States. 
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) ADMINISTERING ENTITY.—The term ‘‘ad-
ministering entity’’ means— 
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(A) a State, including a State coordinating 
or governing board, State system office, or 
other State agency; 
(B) a multi-State compact; or 
(C) a data system operated by the Depart-
ment of Education. 
(2) EDUCATIONAL
INSTITUTION.—The term 
‘‘educational institution’’ means— 
(A) an institution of higher education, as 
defined in section 102 of the Higher Education 
Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1002); 
(B) a school or institution that offers a 
program of postsecondary education and that is 
an eligible provider of training services under 
section 122 of the Workforce Investment Act of 
1998 (42 U.S.C. 2842); and 
(C) any entity that provides postsecondary 
training programs that are approved by the 
Secretary of Labor under section 236 of the 
Trade Act of 1974 (19 U.S.C. 2296) for work-
ers who receive benefits under the trade adjust-
ment assistance program under chapter 2 of 
title II of that Act (19 U.S.C. 2271 et seq.). 
(3) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of Education. 
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