<p>"Congress has taken some steps to mandate greater transparency from colleges. The 1990 Student Right to Know Act, for example, required colleges and universities that receive federal aid to disclose graduation rates. And the 2008 Higher Education Opportunity Act required schools to offer a way for consumers to determine actual costs after student aid is taken into account.</p>
<p>But many colleges have done a poor job of complying with federal disclosure rules, and much of the available information is not in one place. The administrations new efforts would enforce reporting requirements and provide some new tools.</p>
<p>The new federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has developed a preliminary version of a one-page shopping sheet with data from the colleges that will allow students to learn how much they will need to pay, what they will owe, how the school ranks nationally in net cost, and whether students who have graduated are earning enough money to repay their loans.</p>
<p>The Department of Education has also created a preliminary version of a college scorecard with data to help students compare colleges on affordability and value. A scorecard for all colleges should be available later this year. (By federal regulation, for-profit schools are already required to report similar information, including student earnings and debt, to the government.) Some of this information can be gleaned from federal records, but making it readily available to students would be a new use of the federal data. "</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/20/opinion/what-college-students-need-to-know.html?ref=opinion[/url]”>http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/20/opinion/what-college-students-need-to-know.html?ref=opinion</a></p>
<p>"The Administration is planning to add a new tool to the College Affordability and Transparency Center that would assist prospective students and their families in comparing colleges before they choose using key measures of college affordability and value. The purpose of the tool is to make it easier for students and their families to identify and choose high-quality, affordable colleges that provide good value.</p>
<p>Below is a sample screenshot of the College Scorecard. Using the form on the right, tell us what you think of it. (Note: The sample below would apply to 4-year colleges and universities and be made available using our Smart Disclosure principles. Download the PDF to see a larger version.)"</p>
<p>[College</a> Scorecard | The White House](<a href=“Priorities | The White House”>Priorities | The White House)</p>