American International College (AIC) President Hubert Benitez, DDS, PhD, is backing a bipartisan effort on Capitol Hill to ensure students and their families have the best information possible when considering higher education opportunities.
President Benitez voiced his support for legislation to remove the federal ban on collecting and reporting comprehensive student outcomes data. “AIC fully supports actions and initiatives that empower students and families to make informed decisions on institutions and academic programs,” said Dr. Benitez. “This is important to all, and especially to individuals who are first-generation college students and those who come from diverse backgrounds, which are served by institutions such as ours.”
The legislation, known as the College Transparency Act, is being reintroduced by U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) Bill Cassidy (R-La.), ranking member of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kan.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), and 12 others.
U.S. Representatives Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.) and Joe Wilson (R-S.C.) introduced the companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Senator Warren’s office states the CTA will empower students and families with the resources they need to make informed decisions by modernizing the college reporting system to include accurate and privacy-protected information on student outcomes such as enrollment, completion, and post-college earnings across colleges and majors.
“Students and their families need a clear understanding of how colleges support their students – including data on their enrollment, transfer, and graduation rates – so they can make informed decisions when choosing a college,” said Senator Warren. “The College Transparency Act would close the information gap so that students and families finally have the tools needed to choose the best school for them.”
“College costs and student debt continue to soar. Students should have all the facts at their disposal and understand the value of their investment and likely outcomes,” said Dr. Bill Cassidy. “The College Transparency Act gives students and parents a tool to make better decisions about where to attend college.”
Several higher education leaders are joining Dr. Benitez in supporting the legislation. They include the President of the University of Massachusetts System, Marty Meehan; Louisiana State University President William F. Tate IV; the President of Kansas State University, Richard Linton; the University of Rhode Island President, Marc B. Parlange; the President of the University of Iowa Barbara Wilson; and Tony Frank, the Chancellor of the Colorado State University System.