Net Price Calculator Improvement Act
Bill: S.1448 | Sponsor: Sen. Grassley, Chuck (R-IA)
Policy area: Education

Summary:
Net Price Calculator Improvement Act
This bill establishes requirements concerning the information that must be provided to prospective students about the cost of attendance at an institution of higher education (IHE). Specifically, the bill establishes the minimum requirements for the net price calculator that an IHE must include on its website. An IHE's net price is the average yearly price actually charged to first-time, full-time undergraduate students receiving student aid at the IHE after deducting such aid.
The bill also authorizes the Department of Education to develop a universal net price calculator that enables users to answer one set of questions and receive net prices for several IHEs and compare those prices.

To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to make technical 
  improvements to the Net Price Calculator system so that prospective 
  students may have a more accurate understanding of the true cost of 
                                college.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Net Price Calculator Improvement 
Act''.

SEC. 2. MINIMUM STANDARDS FOR NET PRICE CALCULATORS.

    Section 132(h) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
1015a(h)) is amended--
            (1) by redesignating paragraph (4) as paragraph (6);
            (2) in paragraph (2), by inserting before the period ``, 
        and, not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of the 
        Net Price Calculator Improvement Act, shall meet the 
        requirements of paragraph (4)(C)'';
            (3) in paragraph (3), by inserting after the first sentence 
        the following: ``Not later than 1 year after the date of 
        enactment of the Net Price Calculator Improvement Act, such 
        calculator shall meet the requirements of paragraph (4).''; and
            (4) by inserting after paragraph (3) the following:
            ``(4) Minimum requirements for net price calculators.--Not 
        later than 1 year after the date of enactment of the Net Price 
        Calculator Improvement Act, a net price calculator for an 
        institution of higher education shall, at a minimum, meet the 
        following requirements:
                    ``(A) The link for the calculator--
                            ``(i) is clearly labeled as a `net price 
                        calculator' and prominently, clearly, and 
                        conspicuously (in such size and contrast (such 
                        as shade) that it is readily noticeable and 
                        readable) posted in locations on the 
                        institution's website where information on 
                        costs and aid is provided (such as financial 
                        aid, prospective students, or tuition and fees 
                        web pages);
                            ``(ii) matches in size and font to the 
                        other prominent links on the primary menu; and
                            ``(iii) may also be included on the 
                        institution's compliance web page, which 
                        contains information relating to compliance 
                        with Federal, State, and local laws.
                    ``(B) The input screen for the net price calculator 
                displays a chart of the net prices for students 
                receiving Federal student financial aid under title IV 
                (as required by subsection (i)(5)) for the most recent 
                academic year for which data are available, 
                disaggregated by income categories.
                    ``(C) The results screen for the calculator 
                specifies the following information:
                            ``(i) The individual net price (as 
                        calculated under paragraph (2)) for the 
                        individual student, which is the most visually 
                        prominent figure on the results screen, 
                        including a statement of--
                                    ``(I) the year for which the net 
                                price applies; and
                                    ``(II) the year from which the data 
                                was used to determine that net price.
                            ``(ii) Cost of attendance, including--
                                    ``(I) the total estimated cost for 
                                a student to complete the program of 
                                study, based on normal time for 
                                completion of, or graduation from, the 
                                student's particular program of study;
                                    ``(II) the total annual cost of 
                                attendance;
                                    ``(III) annual tuition and fees;
                                    ``(IV) average annual cost of room 
                                and board for the institution for a 
                                first-time, full-time undergraduate 
                                student enrolled in the institution;
                                    ``(V) average annual cost of books 
                                and supplies for a first-time, full-
                                time undergraduate student enrolled in 
                                the institution;
                                    ``(VI) estimated annual cost of 
                                other expenses (including personal 
                                expenses and transportation) for a 
                                first-time, full-time undergraduate 
                                student enrolled in the institution; 
                                and
                                    ``(VII) a statement of--
                                            ``(aa) the year for which 
                                        each cost described in this 
                                        clause applies; and
                                            ``(bb) the year from which 
                                        the data was used to determine 
                                        each cost described in this 
                                        clause.
                            ``(iii) Estimated total need-based grant 
                        aid and merit-based grant aid, from Federal, 
                        State, and institutional sources, that may be 
                        available to the individual student, showing 
                        the subtotal for each category and the total of 
                        all sources of grant aid, and disaggregated by 
                        academic year for normal time for completion 
                        of, or graduation from, the student's 
                        particular program of study.
                            ``(iv) Percentage of the first-time, full-
                        time undergraduate students enrolled in the 
                        institution who received any type of grant aid 
                        described in clause (iii), disaggregated by 
                        their first year and subsequent years of 
                        enrollment up to the number of years for normal 
                        completion of, or graduation from, their 
                        particular program of study.
                            ``(v) The disclaimer described in paragraph 
                        (6).
                            ``(vi) In the case of a calculator that--
                                    ``(I) includes questions to 
                                estimate a student's (or prospective 
                                student's) eligibility for veterans' 
                                education benefits (as defined in 
                                section 480) or educational benefits 
                                for active duty service members, such 
                                benefits are displayed on the results 
                                screen in a manner that clearly 
                                distinguishes them from the grant aid 
                                described in clause (iii); or
                                    ``(II) does not include questions 
                                to estimate eligibility for the 
                                benefits described in subclause (I), 
                                the results screen indicates--
                                            ``(aa) that certain 
                                        students (or prospective 
                                        students) may qualify for such 
                                        benefits;
                                            ``(bb) states why the 
                                        institution is not including 
                                        questions to estimate a 
                                        student's eligibility for such 
                                        benefits; and
                                            ``(cc) includes a link to 
                                        an appropriate Federal website 
                                        that provides information about 
                                        such benefits.
                    ``(D) The institution populates the calculator with 
                data from not earlier than 2 academic years prior to 
                the most recent academic year.
            ``(5) Prohibition on use of data collected by the net price 
        calculator.--A net price calculator for an institution of 
        higher education shall--
                    ``(A) clearly indicate which questions are required 
                to be completed for an estimate of the net price from 
                the calculator;
                    ``(B) in the case of a calculator that requests 
                contact information from users, clearly mark such 
                requests as `optional';
                    ``(C) prohibit any personally identifiable 
                information provided by users from being sold or made 
                available to third parties; and
                    ``(D) clearly state `Any information that you 
                provide on this site is confidential. The Net Price 
                Calculator does not store your responses or require 
                personal identifying information of any kind.'.''.

SEC. 3. UNIVERSAL NET PRICE CALCULATOR.

    Section 132(h) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
1015a(h)), as amended by section 2, is further amended by adding at the 
end the following:
            ``(7) Universal net price calculator.--
                    ``(A) In general.--The Secretary may develop a 
                universal net price calculator that is housed within 
                the Department of Education, with Department branding, 
                and that may be based on or utilize an existing 
                platform developed by a public or private entity, 
                that--
                            ``(i) enables users to answer one set of 
                        questions and receive net prices for any 
                        institution that is required to have a net 
                        price calculator under this subsection;
                            ``(ii) provides the information required 
                        under subparagraphs (C) and (D) of paragraph 
                        (4) for each institution for which a net price 
                        is being sought;
                            ``(iii) is developed in consultation with 
                        the heads of relevant Federal agencies; and
                            ``(iv) before being finalized and publicly 
                        released, is tested in accordance with 
                        subparagraph (B).
                    ``(B) Consumer testing.--
                            ``(i) In general.--If the Secretary 
                        develops a universal net price calculator under 
                        subparagraph (A), the Secretary, in 
                        consultation with the heads of relevant Federal 
                        agencies, shall establish a process to submit 
                        the universal net price calculator developed 
                        under this paragraph for consumer testing among 
                        representatives of students (including low-
                        income students, first generation college 
                        students, adult students, and prospective 
                        students), students' families (including low-
                        income families, families with first generation 
                        college students, and families with prospective 
                        students), institutions of higher education, 
                        secondary school and postsecondary counselors, 
                        and nonprofit consumer groups.
                            ``(ii) Length of consumer testing.--The 
                        Secretary shall ensure that the consumer 
                        testing lasts no longer than 6 months after the 
                        process for consumer testing is developed under 
                        clause (i).
                            ``(iii) Use of results.--The results of 
                        consumer testing under clause (i) shall be used 
                        in the final development of the universal net 
                        price calculator.
                            ``(iv) Reporting requirement.--Not later 
                        than 3 months after the date the consumer 
                        testing under clause (i) concludes, the 
                        Secretary shall submit to Congress the final 
                        universal net price calculator and a report 
                        detailing the results of such testing, 
                        including whether the Secretary added any 
                        additional items to the calculator as a result 
                        of such testing.
                            ``(v) Authority to modify.--The Secretary 
                        may modify the definitions, terms, formatting, 
                        and design of the universal net price 
                        calculator based on the results of consumer 
                        testing required under this paragraph and 
                        before finalizing the calculator.
            ``(8) Report from secretary.--Not later than 1 year after 
        the date of enactment of the Net Price Calculator Improvement 
        Act, the Secretary shall submit a report to Congress on steps 
        taken to raise awareness of net price calculators among 
        prospective students and families, particularly among students 
        in middle school and high school and students from low-income 
        families.''.
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