GOP Education Leaders Unveil “College Cost Central” Website to Seek Input from Parents & Students

http://edworkforce.house.gov/issues/108th/education/highereducation/collegecostcentral.htm.

“Skyrocketing tuition increases are having a devastating effect on students and families,” said Rep. John Boehner (R-OH), chairman of the Education & the Workforce Committee. “The consumers of higher education – students and parents – need more information so they can fully exercise their power in the college marketplace.”

“The College Cost Central website is a step in the right direction, and we will continue to do more to engage students and parents in our efforts to strengthen higher education by increasing sunshine and transparency,” continued Boehner. “Today, we’re asking for their input through a new survey and we’re providing a new information source. But we won’t stop there; through reauthorization of the Higher Education Act, we will continue our efforts to empower the consumers of higher education by providing them with more accessible and understandable information to help shed light on the often-confusing world of postsecondary education.”

Students and parents are encouraged to visit the College Cost Central website and complete a survey on college costs and what the federal government can and should do to help keep college affordable.

Tomorrow, Rep. Howard P. “Buck” McKeon, chairman of the 21st Century Competitiveness Subcommittee, is expected to offer legislation that would hold colleges accountable for tuition increases, and provide students and parents with greater access to easily understandable information on the cost of higher education.

“I have long been concerned about decades of dramatic increases in the cost of higher education that are pricing students and families out of the college market,” said McKeon. “I believe we can no longer stand by and allow hard-working students to miss out on the opportunity for a college degree simply because of skyrocketing tuitions. The future of our nation requires that we move past the rhetoric and provide real reform – millions of students and families are depending on us.”

“I’m pleased to join Chairman Boehner in announcing the College Cost Central website, which demonstrates our commitment to working with the consumers of higher education. And by offering legislation to hold institutions accountable for cost increases, I believe we will take another step closer to a higher education system that is driven by the needs of students and parents,” McKeon continued.

“Since 1965, the Higher Education Act has made the dream of college a reality for millions of students and their families,” said Boehner. “We have an obligation to ensure the billions of dollars we are investing in higher education are continuing to put college within reach for needy students and families. The College Cost Central website is part of our larger effort to do what is best for the consumers of higher education.”