Should Colleges Provide Prospective Students a Four-Year Cost Estimate for Tuition & Fees? (H.R. 4715)
Do you support or oppose this bill?
What is H.R. 4715?
(Updated August 21, 2020)
This bill — the Truth in Tuition Act — would require colleges and universities to provide students and parents with a four-year, non-binding price schedule for tuition and fees to help students and families plan for the increasing costs of higher education. Colleges and universities would be allowed to include an increase or decrease of any size that’s determined to be appropriate by the institution.
The requirement would take effect 120 days after this bill’s enactment, but could be waived if there are one or more events causing an institution severe economic distress, dramatic reduction of state or federal aid, or other circumstances determined appropriate for a waiver by the Secretary of Education.
Argument in favor
A college education requires a significant financial investment, so students and their families should at least get a non-binding four year cost estimate for tuition and fees from colleges.
Argument opposed
College students and their families are responsible for their own budgeting around the cost of college, and a four-year, non-binding cost estimate may not be that helpful.
Impact
Prospective college students and their families; colleges and universities; and the Secretary of Education.
Cost of H.R. 4715
A CBO cost estimate is unavailable.
Additional Info
In-Depth: Sponsoring Rep. Matt Cartwright (D-PA) introduced this bill to help students and their families plan for the costs of higher education by requiring colleges and universities to provide a four-year price model for students and parents:
“Skyrocketing college tuition costs limit opportunity and place many students and their families in serious debt. Without having the full picture of college costs, students and their families are forced to take on more student loan debt than they originally anticipated. This bipartisan bill will help create a clear path forward so that unforeseen costs don’t inhibit students’ ability to achieve their education goals.”
Original cosponsor Rep. Peter Roskam (R-IL) added:
“A college education is a key factor in an individual’s future success and unpredictable costs should not make this an unattainable goal. Colleges and universities that rely on federal dollars owe it to students and families to provide truth in tuition. Making this process more transparent gives families the peace-of-mind to better plan for college and relieves some of the anxiety that comes along with it.”
This legislation has the support of 13 cosponsors in the House, including 12 Democrats and one Republican.
Media:
Summary by Eric Revell
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