WASHINGTON
The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee approved the College Transparency Act last month, a bill that would allow the federal government to collect extensive personal data on every college student without consent or opt-out provisions. Only Senator Ashley Moody, a Florida Republican, voted against it.
The legislation would require colleges to report student attendance, program of study, credential-seeking status, race, gender and economic status to a federal database. It also includes a catchall provision for "other data elements that are necessary," giving the government discretion to expand data collection later.
Proponents say the data would measure institutional success. Critics counter that the system focuses on post-graduation outcomes—potentially penalizing schools if graduates become stay-at-home parents or make other life choices that deviate from specific income targets.
The bill conspicuously avoids requiring disclosure of information that would actually help families choose colleges: university administrators' political views, how schools ensure race-neutral admissions, foreign funding sources, research priorities, or campus free speech protections.
The committee's approval resurrects a proposal that died in 2022. That year, House Republicans overwhelmingly rejected the bill when sponsors tried to attach it as the Levin Amendment to legislation on China. The strong House opposition had blocked any Senate consideration.
The timing is notable. Public concern over data privacy is high, with Americans already anxious about constant collection by facial recognition cameras, digital assistants, and AI systems. The committee's decision hands the federal government broad new surveillance powers over students while stripping individuals of control over their personal information.
The bill now faces the full Senate. Whether it can survive there remains uncertain given the House's decisive rejection two years ago.
