Graduation Reporting for Accuracy and Decision-Making Act
Bill: S.4410 | Sponsor: Sen. Romney, Mitt (R-UT)
Policy area: Education

Summary:
Graduation Reporting for Accuracy and Decision-Making Act or the GRAD Act
This bill expands consumer information disclosure requirements related to student completion or graduation rates at institutions of higher education (IHEs) that participate in federal student-aid programs.
Currently, such IHEs must disclose the completion or graduation rate of first-time, full-time, certificate- or degree-seeking undergraduate students. This bill expands disclosure requirements to include the completion or graduation rates of non-first-time and half-time certificate- or degree-seeking undergraduate students. The bill also sets forth new time periods for calculating the completion or graduation rates for programs of study that are less than four years.

To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to provide for comprehensive 
                    student achievement information.

    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 ``Graduation Reporting for Accuracy 
and Decision-Making Act'' or the ``GRAD Act''.

SEC. 2. CONSUMER INFORMATION ABOUT COMPLETION OR GRADUATION TIMES.

    (a) Transparency in College Tuition for Consumers.--Section 
132(i)(1)(J) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
1015a(i)(1)(J)) is amended to read as follows:
                    ``(J)(i) For programs of study 4 years of length or 
                longer--
                            ``(I) the percentages of first-time, full-
                        time, degree- or certificate-seeking 
                        undergraduate students enrolled at the 
                        institution who obtain a degree or certificate 
                        within each of the times for completion or 
                        graduation described in subclauses (I) through 
                        (III) of clause (iii);
                            ``(II) the percentages of first-time, part-
                        time, degree- or certificate-seeking 
                        undergraduate students enrolled at the 
                        institution who obtain a degree or certificate 
                        within each of the times for completion or 
                        graduation described in subclauses (I) through 
                        (III) of clause (iii);
                            ``(III) the percentages of non-first time, 
                        full-time, degree- or certificate-seeking 
                        undergraduate students enrolled at the 
                        institution who obtain a degree or certificate 
                        within each of the times for completion or 
                        graduation described in subclauses (I) through 
                        (III) of clause (iii); and
                            ``(IV) the percentages of non-first-time, 
                        part-time, degree- or certificate-seeking 
                        undergraduate students enrolled at the 
                        institution who obtain a degree or certificate 
                        within each of the times for completion or 
                        graduation described in subclauses (I) through 
                        (III) of clause (iii).
                    ``(ii) For programs of study less than 4 years--
                            ``(I) the percentages of first-time, full-
                        time, degree- or certificate-seeking 
                        undergraduate students enrolled at the 
                        institution who obtain a degree or certificate 
                        within each of the times for completion or 
                        graduation described in subclauses (I) through 
                        (IV) of clause (iii);
                            ``(II) the percentages of first-time, part-
                        time, degree- or certificate-seeking 
                        undergraduate students enrolled at the 
                        institution who obtain a degree or certificate 
                        within each of the times for completion or 
                        graduation described in subclauses (I) through 
                        (IV) of clause (iii);
                            ``(III) the percentages of non-first-time, 
                        full-time, degree- or certificate-seeking 
                        undergraduate students enrolled at the 
                        institution who obtain a degree or certificate 
                        within each of the times for completion or 
                        graduation described in subclauses (I) through 
                        (IV) of clause (iii); and
                            ``(IV) the percentages of non-first-time, 
                        part-time, degree- or certificate-seeking 
                        undergraduate students enrolled at the 
                        institution who obtain a degree or certificate 
                        within each of the times for completion or 
                        graduation described in subclauses (I) through 
                        (IV) of clause (iii).
                    ``(iii) For purposes of this subparagraph, the 
                times for completion or graduation are as follows:
                            ``(I) The normal time for completion of, or 
                        graduation from, the student's program.
                            ``(II) 150 percent of the normal time for 
                        completion of, or graduation from, the 
                        student's program.
                            ``(III) 200 percent of the normal time for 
                        completion of, or graduation from, the 
                        student's program.
                            ``(IV) 300 percent of the normal time for 
                        completion of, or graduation from, the 
                        student's program.
                    ``(iv) In making publicly available the percentages 
                described in this subparagraph, the Secretary shall 
                display each percentage in a consistent manner and with 
                equal visibility.''.
    (b) Institutional and Financial Assistance Information for 
Students.--Section 485(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
U.S.C. 1092(a)) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (1), by striking subparagraph (L) and 
        inserting the following:
            ``(L) each completion or graduation rate for each type of 
        student and program described in clauses (i) and (ii) of 
        section 132(i)(1)(J);''; and
            (2) in paragraph (3), by striking ``within 150 percent of 
        the normal time for completion of or graduation from the 
        program'' and inserting ``within the time for completion or 
        graduation described in section 132(i)(1)(J) applicable to such 
        student and such program''.
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