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House Passes Legislation to Support Innovation, Strengthen Transparency in Higher Education

WASHINGTON, D.C., July 23, 2014
The House of Representatives today approved two bipartisan legislative proposals that will spur innovation and strengthen transparency in higher education. The bills are part of a broader effort to improve postsecondary education through reauthorization of the Higher Education Act.

“I am pleased the House has advanced bipartisan reforms to strengthen our nation’s higher education system,” said House Education and the Workforce Committee Chairman John Kline (R-MN). “Over the last several weeks, we’ve worked to find areas of common ground that would help more Americans realize the dream of a postsecondary education. By supporting innovation and strengthening transparency, these legislative efforts will make a difference in the lives of students and families. I urge our Senate colleagues to send these bipartisan bills to the president’s desk without delay.”

Authored by Representative Matt Salmon (R-AZ) and cosponsored by Reps. Susan Brooks (R-IN) and Jared Polis (D-CO), the Advancing Competency-Based Education Demonstration Project Act (H.R. 3136):
  • Promotes innovation in higher education by directing the secretary of education to implement competency-based education demonstration projects.
                                                                                                
  • Provides accountability by requiring an annual evaluation of each demonstration project to determine program quality.
                                                                                              
  • Delivers greater flexibility to institutions that want to provide students a more personalized, cost-effective education.

H.R. 3136 passed the House by a vote of 414 to 0. To learn more about the bill, click here. 

Authored by Representative Virginia Foxx (R-NC) and cosponsored by Rep. Luke Messer (R-IN) and John Kline (R-MN), the Strengthening Transparency in Higher Education Act (H.R. 4983): 

  • Requires the secretary of education to create a consumer-tested College Dashboard that would display key information students need when deciding which school to attend.
                                  
  • Instructs the secretary to provide a link to the page of each institution listed on a student’s FAFSA to make sure students know this information is available.
            
  • Streamlines and eliminates unnecessary information and federal transparency initiatives.

H.R. 4983 passed the House by voice vote. To learn more about the bill, click here.

Earlier today, the House also passed legislation (H.R. 5134) introduced by Rep. Foxx that would extend the National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity and the Advisory Committee on Student Financial Assistance for one year.

To learn more about the committee’s effort to reform the Higher Education Act, visit /highered/ 

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