Regular Session 2017-2018 House Bill 1448 P.N. 2921

SENATE AMENDED

PRIOR PRINTER'S NOS. 1848, 2060, 2109

PRINTER'S NO. 2921

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

HOUSE BILL

No.

1448

Session of

2017

INTRODUCED BY CUTLER, MILLARD, GREINER, PICKETT, B. MILLER,

SOLOMON, HICKERNELL, JAMES, TOPPER, FEE, V. BROWN, KAUFFMAN,

PEIFER, OBERLANDER, PHILLIPS-HILL, WARD, SAYLOR, ROEBUCK,

HILL-EVANS, ZIMMERMAN, MICCARELLI AND KORTZ, MAY 25, 2017

AS AMENDED ON THIRD CONSIDERATION, IN SENATE, JANUARY 23, 2018

AN ACT

Amending the act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), entitled "An

act relating to the public school system, including certain

provisions applicable as well to private and parochial

schools; amending, revising, consolidating and changing the

laws relating thereto," providing for higher education

accountability and transparency.

The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

hereby enacts as follows:

Section 1. The act of March 10, 1949 (P.L.30, No.14), known

as the Public School Code of 1949, is amended by adding an

article to read:

ARTICLE XX-H

HIGHER EDUCATION ACCOUNTABILITY

AND TRANSPARENCY

Section 2001-H. Definitions.

The following words and phrases when used in this article

shall have the meanings given to them in this section unless the

context clearly indicates otherwise:

"College Navigator website." The College Navigator website

or its successor website operated by the United States

Department of Education and required pursuant to 20 U.S.C. §

1015a (relating to transparency in college tuition for

consumers).

"Department." The Department of Education of the

Commonwealth.

"Graduation rates." The percentages of full-time

undergraduate students enrolled for credit toward a degree,

diploma, certificate or other formal credential who are awarded

a degree, diploma or certificate within each of the following:

(1) 100% of the normal completion time for the student's

program.

(2) 125% of the normal completion time for the student's

program.

(3) 150% of the normal completion time for the student's

program.

"Institution of higher education." The term includes any of

the following:

(1) A community college operating under Article XIX-A.

(2) A university within the State System of Higher

Education.

(3) The Pennsylvania State University, the University of

Pittsburgh, Temple University, Lincoln University or any

other institution designated as State-related by the

Commonwealth.

(4) The Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology.

(5) A COLLEGE ESTABLISHED UNDER ARTICLE XIX-G.

(5) (6) An institution of higher education which is

operated not for profit, located in and incorporated or

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chartered by the Commonwealth and entitled to confer degrees

as set forth in 24 Pa.C.S. § 6505 (relating to power to

confer degrees) and is designated as a "college" or

"university" as provided for by the standards and

qualifications prescribed by the State Board of Education

under 24 Pa.C.S. Ch. 65 (relating to private colleges,

universities and seminaries).

(6) (7) A private school licensed under the act of

December 15, 1986 (P.L.1585, No.174), known as the Private

Licensed Schools Act.

(8) A FOREIGN CORPORATION APPROVED TO OPERATE AN

EDUCATIONAL ENTERPRISE UNDER 22 PA. CODE CH. 36 (RELATING TO

FOREIGN CORPORATION STANDARDS).

"Net tuition and fees." The average total cost of attendance

minus the average amount of grant or scholarship aid awarded to

a first-time, full-time undergraduate student enrolled for

credit toward a degree, diploma, certificate or other formal

credential from the Federal Government, the Commonwealth or the

institution of higher education.

"PHEAA." The Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance

Agency.

"Retention rate." The percentage of first-year, full-time

undergraduate students enrolled for credit toward a degree,

diploma, certificate or other formal credential who continue to

be enrolled at an institution of higher education in the

following school year.

"School entity." A school district, intermediate unit, area

vocational-technical school, charter school, cyber charter

school, or regional charter school.

"Total debt." The average per-student cumulative principal

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borrowed from a loan program, including Federal and State loan

programs, institutional loans and private alternate loans made

by a bank or lender.

Section 2002-H. College Navigator and High Priority

Occupations.

(a) Duties of department.--The department shall make

available on the department's publicly accessible Internet

website, in a single location, information that includes, at a

minimum, the following:

(1) A direct link to the College Navigator website with

a description of the uses and features of the College

Navigator website.

(2) A direct link to the High Priority Occupations

publicly accessible Internet website of the Department of

Labor and Industry with a description of what high priority

occupations are and how they are identified.

(b) Duty of PHEAA.--PHEAA shall include a link on its

publicly accessible Internet website to information contained on

the department's website under subsection (a).

annually provide the information required under subsection (a)

to students in grades nine through twelve.

Section 2003-H . Comparison tool.

(a) Duty of department.-- If the United States Department of

Education discontinues the publication of the College Navigator

website, the department shall make available on the department's

publicly accessible Internet website a search tool that allows

an individual to compare institutions of higher education that

meet certain criteria selected by the individual, including the

offering of a particular major or program of study.

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(b) Requirements.--The comparison tool required under this

section must:

(1) Be accessible from the department's publicly

accessible Internet website.

(2) Allow a user to identify and compare institutions of

higher education by the following :

(i) Programs of study available.

(ii) Name.

(iii) Physical address.

(iv) Total enrollment for the previous academic

year.

(v) Net tuition and fees per year based on the

previous academic year.

(vi) Percentages of students receiving:

(A) Pell grants.

(B) Federal Supplemental Education Opportunity

grants.

(D) National Science and Mathematics Access to

Retain Talent grants.

(E) Teacher Education Assistance for College and

Higher Education grants.

(vii) Average total debt borrowed for undergraduate

study.

(viii) Graduation and retention rates, including

information on average time, in years, to attainment of a

degree, diploma, certificate or other formal credential

for a full-time student.

(ix) Percentage of undergraduate students who have

defaulted on their Federal student loans within three

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years of entering repayment.

(x) Status as a nonprofit institution or for-profit

institution.

(3) Be accessible to the public without requiring

registration or use of a user name, password or other user

identification.

(4) I nclude a link to the publicly accessible Internet

website of the Department of Labor and Industry and a link to

the publicly accessible Internet website of each of the

institutions of higher education selected .

(5) Include a direct link to the High Priority

Occupations publicly accessible Internet website of the

Department of Labor and Industry with a description of what

high priority occupations are and how they are identified.

must generate a comparison chart in a grid format that:

(1) Lists the institutions of higher education that

match a user's search criteria.

(2) Provides information for each institution of higher

education listed as outlined in subsection (b)(2).

(d) Duty of institutions.-- If the department is required to

develop the comparison tool under subsection (a), each

institution of higher education shall provide the information

listed in this section, as available, to the department not

later than January 1 of each year. If the information required

under this subsection is available in an institution of higher

education's Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System

report, the institution of higher education may comply with the

reporting requirements of this subsection by sending an

electronic copy of the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data

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System report to the department. The department shall update the

comparison tool as soon as practicable after receiving

information from each institution of higher education.

(e) Websi te.-- PHEAA shall include a link on its publicly

accessible Internet website to the comparison tool required

under this section.

Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.

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