DoED Signals Support for Transparency Initiative College Scorecard

The Department of Education will retain College Scorecard, an initiative that helps prospective students make informed enrollment decisions by providing easy access to data about institutions' graduation outcomes, reports Inside Higher Ed. Data provided by College Scorecard highlights factors like the debt burden carried by a college or university's graduates, allowing would-be students to weigh factors that would have an impact on their lives long after graduation.

College Scorecard was not introduced without controversy. When it was first made available in 2015, many colleges and universities spoke out against its ranking of institutions, suggesting that the methodology used to assess them was flawed. From that feedback, College Scorecard was updated. Today, more than 600 developers have used the College Scorecard application to create their own search tools for prospective students.    

As we've shared, transparency in higher ed has become a hot-button issue of late. The conversation is particularly relevant for adult learners, a population that often lacks the kind of tailored data that's available to younger, full-time students.

While there are no assurances that College Scorecard will be a long-term solution, it's encouraging to see continued progress being made to help students make educated choices about their education.

To read the full article on Insider Higher Ed, click here.

CAEL is a strong advocate for implementing policies that help adults make smart education choices. To learn more CAEL's policy priorities, register below for CAEL's June 20 webinar, Policy and Advocacy Agenda for 2017.