Press Releases

Today, the House Committee on Education and Workforce, led by Chairman Tim Walberg (R-MI), requested three Government Accountability Office (GAO) studies to examine major issues affecting students, colleges, and taxpayers: state and public university tenure reforms, barriers students face when transferring college credits, and the growing use of artificial intelligence (AI) in college admissions and scholarship decisions.
 
The requests come as states reconsider traditional faculty tenure systems, some students continue to lose credits when transferring between institutions, and colleges increasingly turn to AI tools in the admissions process. With taxpayers providing billions of dollars in federal student aid each year, the Committee is seeking greater insight into how these practices affect institutional accountability, college costs, and student success.
 
On the request to examine faculty tenure and recent state reforms, Chairman Walberg writes: “These efforts reflect growing skepticism about whether traditional tenure protections continue to serve students, institutions, and the public interest, or whether they instead limit accountability and flexibility at public colleges and universities. Given taxpayers’ substantial investment in higher education, Congress has an ongoing interest in understanding whether tenure systems promote institutional efficiency, educational quality, and student success.”
 
On the request to examine barriers to transferring college credits, Chairman Walberg writes: “Students who must repeat coursework because their credits do not transfer may face additional costs, use additional financial aid, or exhaust their financial aid eligibility. The Committee wants to understand what states are doing to ease credit transfers and ensure students have better information before they enroll.”
 
On the request to examine the use of AI in college admissions, Chairman Walberg writes: “AI may help schools operate more efficiently at a time when many are receiving a high volume of applications, but students and families have raised concerns about whether applications are being considered fairly when AI tools are used. The Committee wants to understand how widespread these practices are and what colleges are doing to ensure AI outputs are accurate and treat applicants impartially.”
 
Read the full letter on tenure here.
Read the full letter on transfers here.
Read the full letter on AI here.