We soon plan to reintroduce legislation that will require the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) to create a comprehensive higher education comparison tool. This comparison tool will provide valuable information to students seeking to compare institutions of higher education and allow them to make more informed decisions regarding their higher education options.

Under this legislation, students will have the ability to compare institutions of higher education based on various factors such as programs of study, enrollment, net tuition and fees, student financial aid data, average total debt borrowed, graduation and retention rates, and student loan default rates. Additionally, students will be able to identify and compare High Priority Occupations in the Commonwealth, which will be searchable by county and include information on educational attainment, wages, and employment demand.

This legislation will enable prospective students to make informed decisions about their choice of institution and program of study, by considering factors such as affordability, student outcomes, employment demand and student loan repayment rates. This will result in improved student success and reduced student loan debt burdens.

This legislation will not require PDE to collect any new data. PDE is already required to collect the data the comparison tool would feature; this legislation would simply require that it’s made available to the public in one easy-to-access location.

Please join us in cosponsoring this important legislation. By providing students and their families with access to comprehensive and easily comparable information about institutions of higher education, we can help to ensure that they are able to make well-informed choices about their academic and financial futures.

Statutes/Laws affected:
Printer's No. 0177: P.L.30, No.14