Sounds good, but color me cynical

[annasdad]

<p>[Syracuse</a>, Vassar Among Colleges Said to Join Cost Pledge - Businessweek](<a href=“Businessweek - Bloomberg”>Businessweek - Bloomberg)</p>

<p>

Ten schools and university systems representing 5 percent of all enrolled U.S. college students will participate in the financial aid pledge, said the administration official, who described the agreement on condition of anonymity ahead of an announcement scheduled for today.</p>

<p>Under the initiative, participating institutions will provide students with data including the net costs after grants and scholarships of one year of school, estimated monthly payments for federal student loans after graduation, and statistics such as graduation, default and retention rates, the official said.

</p>

[samiamy]

<p>One would think all of this information would be researched by student and parents before they attend a college?</p>

[dodgersmom]

<p>

statistics such as graduation, default and retention rates

</p>

<p>Okay, so correct me if I’m mistaken here, but as I read this, the colleges are agreeing to make public the same data that is already published in each school’s common data set! Oh yeah, plus projected loan payments.</p>

[momofthreeboys]

<p>It’s a good marketing message as not all people know where all this data is located unlike us savvy CCers.</p>

[annasdad]

<p>dodgersmom, what percentage of high schools seniors and their parents getting FA letters know that common data sets even exist, much less would have a clue as to how to find them? I don’t know the answer, but I strongly suspect it’s rather low.</p>

<p>Yes, parents and students SHOULD better inform themselves. But the sorry fact is that many DON’T.</p>

[hudsonvalley51]

<p>“dodgersmom, what percentage of high schools seniors and their parents getting FA letters know that common data sets even exist, much less would have a clue as to how to find them? I don’t know the answer, but I strongly suspect it’s rather low.”</p>

<p>I realize this is purely anecdotal, but I’ve been asking parents (and some guidance counselors) if they know what the common data set is for more than four years now and the first person who answers in the affirmative will be…the first person.</p>

[dodgersmom]

<p>Understood. And I don’t find fault with the schools for repackaging the data in a way that makes it more accessible.</p>

<p>What bothers me is the implication that the schools are now releasing (for the first time) data that was previously confidential. That’s rather disingenuous . . . but, as noted, wonderful PR!</p>

[annasdad]

<p>^^ That parents don’t know is understandable. That a guidance counselor wouldn’t is disgraceful.</p>