In order to accomplish President Obama’s stated goal of the United States again leading the world in college completion by the year 2020, the U.S. Department of Education continues to develop online resources with information about college affordability to assist students and families in selecting a college that meets their needs.
The Department of Education, together with the White House, is currently developing the College Scorecard, which the president announced as part of the college affordability proposal outlined in State of the Union. It will be a new tool available in the College Affordability and Transparency Center (http://collegecost.ed.gov/catc/).
“The College Scorecard is a planning tool and another resource for families that focuses on affordability and value. It provides a snapshot of an institution that would assist prospective students and families to compare colleges before they choose,” says Ajita Talwalker, special assistant in the Office of the Under Secretary/Department of Education.
The idea is that people would check out the Scorecard early in the college search process. It aims to look at five indicators: cost, graduation, student loan retainment, student loan debt and earning potential, while not overwhelming people with information at first glance. If an institution appears to be of interest and a good fit, they can explore other easily identified and accessible sites with more detailed information about the college or university.
The Scorecard will provide initial information about affordability and value. College Navigator (https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/) can then provide information about the demographics of an institution, diversity, the majors offered and numerous other factors. Concurrently, the Department of Education also is working with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau on the Financial Aid Shopping Sheet.
A draft of the Scorecard is currently available at https://www.whitehouse.gov/priorities/, with ample room for comments.
People are able to provide a range of comments, particularly about things that may seem unclear in the mock-up of the document. This includes phrasing of the questions, charts and layouts. Comments and questions related to cost, graduation rates and student loan debt also are welcomed.
