Student Right to Know Before You Go Act of 2015

Student Right to Know Before You Go Act of 2015

This bill amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 to modify reporting requirements for institutions of higher education (IHEs) that participate in title IV federal financial aid programs. Currently, to retain title IV eligibility, IHEs must report data to the Department of Education (ED) through the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS).

This bill requires IHEs to submit additional student enrollment data to ED to enable coding and reporting on students' level of academic preparation. It also requires ED to calculate additional outcome measures by institution and program, including:

• the percentage of students who receive federal, state, or institutional grants or loans;
• the average amount of federal loan debt upon graduation;
• the average amount of total federal loan debt of students who do not complete a program of study;
• student transfer rates;
• rates of continuation to higher levels of education; and
• the percentage of students who receive the degree they initially sought.

ED must report additional outcome measures established by this Act, as well as all existing student data in IPEDS, based on these student types:

• receipt or non-receipt of federal Pell Grants,
• receipt or non-receipt of Stafford Loans,
• participation in the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Program,
• enrollment status, and
• enrollment intensity.

ED must also, in cooperation with the Social Security Administration, make publicly available data on employment metrics and median annual earnings 2 years, 6 years, and 15 years after program completion. ED must report the data by:

• education program,
  
• credential received,
  
• institution, and
  
• state of employment.
  

Written by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. All summary versions on Congress.gov