IIB 
114TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 3178 
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 
JULY 12, 2016 
Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, 
Labor, and Pensions 
AN ACT 
To simplify and streamline the information regarding institu-
tions of higher education made publicly available by the 
Secretary of Education, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Strengthening Trans-
parency in Higher Education Act’’. 
SEC. 2. COLLEGE DASHBOARD WEBSITE. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—Section 132 of the Higher 
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1015a) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (a)— 
(A) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘first- 
time,’’; 
(B) in paragraph (3) in the matter pre-
ceding subparagraph (A), by striking ‘‘first- 
time,’’; and 
(C) in paragraph (4), by striking ‘‘first- 
time,’’; 
(2) in subsection (b)— 
(A) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘first- 
time,’’; and 
(B) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘first- 
time,’’; 
(3) by striking subsections (c) through (g), (j), 
and (l); 
(4) by redesignating subsections (h), (i), and 
(k) as subsections (c), (d), and (e), respectively; and 
(5) by striking subsection (d) (as so redesig-
nated) and inserting the following new subsection: 
‘‘(d) CONSUMER INFORMATION.— 
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‘‘(1) AVAILABILITY OF TITLE IV INSTITUTION 
INFORMATION.—The Secretary shall develop and 
make publicly available a website to be known as the 
‘College Dashboard website’ in accordance with this 
section and prominently display on such website, in 
simple, understandable, and unbiased terms for the 
most recent academic year for which satisfactory 
data are available, the following information with re-
spect to each institution of higher education that 
participates in a program under title IV: 
‘‘(A) A link to the website of the institu-
tion. 
‘‘(B) An identification of the type of insti-
tution as one of the following: 
‘‘(i) A four-year public institution of 
higher education. 
‘‘(ii) A four-year private, nonprofit in-
stitution of higher education. 
‘‘(iii) A four-year private, for-profit 
institution of higher education. 
‘‘(iv) A two-year public institution of 
higher education. 
‘‘(v) A two-year private, nonprofit in-
stitution of higher education. 
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‘‘(vi) A two-year private, for-profit in-
stitution of higher education. 
‘‘(vii) A less than two-year public in-
stitution of higher education. 
‘‘(viii) A less than two-year private, 
nonprofit institution of higher education. 
‘‘(ix) A less than two-year private, 
for-profit institution of higher education. 
‘‘(C) The number of students enrolled at 
the institution— 
‘‘(i) as undergraduate students; and 
‘‘(ii) as graduate students, if applica-
ble. 
‘‘(D) The student-faculty ratio. 
‘‘(E) The percentage of degree-seeking or 
certificate-seeking undergraduate students en-
rolled at the institution who obtain a degree or 
certificate within— 
‘‘(i) 100 percent of the normal time 
for completion of, or graduation from, the 
program in which the student is enrolled; 
‘‘(ii) 150 percent of the normal time 
for completion of, or graduation from, the 
program in which the student is enrolled; 
and 
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‘‘(iii) 200 percent of the normal time 
for completion of, or graduation from, the 
program in which the student is enrolled. 
‘‘(F) The average net price per year for 
undergraduate students receiving Federal stu-
dent financial aid under title IV based on an in-
come category selected by the user from a list 
containing the following income categories: 
‘‘(i) $0 to $30,000. 
‘‘(ii) $30,001 to $48,000. 
‘‘(iii) $48,001 to $75,000. 
‘‘(iv) $75,001 to $110,000. 
‘‘(v) $110,001 to $150,000. 
‘‘(vi) Over $150,000. 
‘‘(G) A link to the net price calculator for 
such institution. 
‘‘(H) The percentage of undergraduate 
students who obtained a certificate or degree 
from the institution who borrowed Federal stu-
dent loans under title IV, and the average Fed-
eral student loan debt incurred by an under-
graduate student who obtained a certificate or 
degree from the institution and borrowed Fed-
eral student loans under title IV in the course 
of obtaining such certificate or degree. 
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‘‘(I) A link to national and regional data 
from the Bureau of Labor Statistics on starting 
salaries in all major occupations. 
‘‘(J) A link to the webpage of the institu-
tion containing campus safety data with respect 
to such institution. 
‘‘(2) OTHER
INFORMATION.—The Secretary 
shall publish on Internet webpages that are linked to 
through the College Dashboard website for the most 
recent academic year for which satisfactory data is 
available the following information with respect to 
each institution of higher education that participates 
in a program under title IV: 
‘‘(A) ENROLLMENT.— 
‘‘(i) The percentages of male and fe-
male undergraduate students enrolled at 
the institution. 
‘‘(ii) 
The 
percentages 
of 
under-
graduate students enrolled at the institu-
tion— 
‘‘(I) full-time; and 
‘‘(II) less than full-time. 
‘‘(iii) In the case of an institution 
other than an institution that provides all 
courses and programs through distance 
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education, of the undergraduate students 
enrolled at the institution— 
‘‘(I) the percentage of such stu-
dents who are from the State in which 
the institution is located; 
‘‘(II) the percentage of such stu-
dents who are from other States; and 
‘‘(III) the percentage of such stu-
dents who are international students. 
‘‘(iv) The percentages of under-
graduate students enrolled at the institu-
tion, disaggregated by— 
‘‘(I) race and ethnic background; 
‘‘(II) classification as a student 
with a disability; 
‘‘(III) recipients of a Federal Pell 
Grant; 
‘‘(IV) recipients of assistance 
under a tuition assistance program 
conducted by the Department of De-
fense under section 1784a or 2007 of 
title 10, United States Code, or other 
authorities available to the Depart-
ment of Defense or veterans’ edu-
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the State in which the institution is 
located; and 
‘‘(II) full-time students enrolled 
in the institution who are not resi-
dents of such State. 
‘‘(vi) In the case of a public institu-
tion of higher education that offers dif-
ferent tuition rates for students who are 
residents of a geographic subdivision small-
er than a State and students not located in 
such geographic subdivision and notwith-
standing subsection (b)(1), the costs de-
scribed in clauses (i) and (ii) for— 
‘‘(I) full-time students enrolled at 
the institution who are residents of 
such geographic subdivision; 
‘‘(II) full-time students enrolled 
at the institution who are residents of 
the State in which the institution is 
located but not residents of such geo-
graphic subdivision; and 
‘‘(III) full-time students enrolled 
at the institution who are not resi-
dents of such State. 
‘‘(D) FINANCIAL AID.— 
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‘‘(i) The average annual grant amount 
(including Federal, State, and institutional 
aid) awarded to an undergraduate student 
enrolled at the institution who receives fi-
nancial aid. 
‘‘(ii) The percentage of undergraduate 
students enrolled at the institution receiv-
ing 
Federal, 
State, 
and 
institutional 
grants, student loans, and any other type 
of student financial assistance known by 
the 
institution, 
provided 
publicly 
or 
through the institution, such as Federal 
work-study funds. 
‘‘(iii) The cohort default rate (as de-
fined in section 435(m)) for such institu-
tion. 
‘‘(E) FACULTY INFORMATION.— 
‘‘(i) The ratio of the number of course 
sections taught by part-time instructors to 
the number of course sections taught by 
full-time faculty, disaggregated by course 
sections intended primarily for under-
graduate students and course sections in-
tended primarily for graduate students. 
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‘‘(ii) The mean and median years of 
employment for part-time instructors. 
‘‘(3) OTHER DATA MATTERS.— 
‘‘(A) COMPLETION
DATA.—The Commis-
sioner of Education Statistics shall ensure that 
the information required under paragraph 
(1)(E) includes information with respect to all 
students at an institution, including students 
other than first-time, full-time students and 
students who transfer to another institution, in 
a manner that the Commissioner considers ap-
propriate. 
‘‘(B) 
ADJUSTMENT
OF
INCOME
CAT-
EGORIES.—The Secretary may annually adjust 
the range of each of the income categories de-
scribed in paragraph (1)(F) to account for a 
change in the Consumer Price Index for All 
Urban Consumers as determined by the Bureau 
of Labor Statistics if the Secretary determines 
an adjustment is necessary. 
‘‘(4) INSTITUTIONAL
COMPARISON.—The Sec-
retary shall include on the College Dashboard 
website a method for users to easily compare the in-
formation required under paragraphs (1) and (2) be-
tween institutions. 
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‘‘(5) UPDATES.— 
‘‘(A) DATA.—The Secretary shall update 
the College Dashboard website not less than an-
nually. 
‘‘(B) TECHNOLOGY
AND
FORMAT.—The 
Secretary shall regularly assess the format and 
technology of the College Dashboard website 
and make any changes or updates that the Sec-
retary considers appropriate. 
‘‘(6) CONSUMER TESTING.— 
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—In developing and 
maintaining the College Dashboard website, the 
Secretary, in consultation with appropriate de-
partments and agencies of the Federal Govern-
ment, shall conduct consumer testing with ap-
propriate persons, including current and pro-
spective college students, family members of 
such students, institutions of higher education, 
and experts, to ensure that the College Dash-
board website is usable and easily understand-
able and provides useful and relevant informa-
tion to students and families. 
‘‘(B) 
RECOMMENDATIONS
FOR 
CHANGES.—The Secretary shall submit to the 
authorizing committees any recommendations 
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that the Secretary considers appropriate for 
changing the information required to be pro-
vided on the College Dashboard website under 
paragraphs (1) and (2) based on the results of 
the consumer testing conducted under subpara-
graph (A). 
‘‘(7) PROVISION
OF
APPROPRIATE
LINKS
TO 
PROSPECTIVE
STUDENTS
AFTER
SUBMISSION
OF 
FAFSA.—The Secretary shall provide to each student 
who submits a Free Application for Federal Student 
Aid described in section 483 a link to the webpage 
of the College Dashboard website that contains the 
information required under paragraph (1) for each 
institution of higher education such student includes 
on such Application. 
‘‘(8) INTERAGENCY COORDINATION.—The Sec-
retary, in consultation with each appropriate head of 
a department or agency of the Federal Government, 
shall ensure to the greatest extent practicable that 
any information related to higher education that is 
published by such department or agency is con-
sistent with the information published on the College 
Dashboard website. 
‘‘(9) REFERENCES
TO
COLLEGE
NAVIGATOR 
WEBSITE.—Any reference in this Act to the College 
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