On this page, you'll find proposals to increase student and family awareness of institutional policies or provide students and borrowers with additional information.

H.R.6606 — Opportunities for Success Act of 2025 

Sponsor: Rep. Bonamici [D-OR]
Introduced: 12/11/2025
NASFAA Summary: This bill would reauthorize and expand Federal Work-Study beginning in FY 2027 by increasing funding, prioritizing “work-based learning,” and updating how funds are allocated to institutions based on Pell enrollment and student need. It adds incentives and set-asides for schools that serve and graduate more Pell recipients, tightens eligibility for institutions with very low Pell/zero-SAI enrollment, and allows more flexible use and carryover of funds. The bill requires institutions to dedicate minimum shares of FWS dollars to students with exceptional need, work-based learning, and community service. It also creates a pilot grant program to build work-based learning positions, requires national surveys and reporting on FWS experiences and outcomes, and directs ED and GAO to provide data, guidance, and a study on best practices to better connect FWS to students’ educational and career goals.

H.R.6498 — Student Financial Clarity Act of 2025

Sponsor: Rep. Guthrie [R-KY]
Introduced: 12/09/2025
NASFAA Summary: This bill would expand and standardize federal consumer information on college costs, financial aid, and student outcomes. The bill requires the Department of Education to publicly report detailed institution- and program-level data on the College Scorecard, including required costs, net price, grant and scholarship aid, student debt and repayment, completion outcomes, and post-enrollment earnings. This information must be updated annually, downloadable, comparable across institutions and programs, and disaggregated by student characteristics such as income, race and ethnicity, enrollment status, and type of federal aid received. The legislation also directs the Secretary to create a Universal Net Price Calculator that allows prospective students to estimate annual and total net price for specific programs and institutions based on individual circumstances and recent cost data. Institutions participating in Title IV would be required to make a net price calculator publicly available on their websites using either the federal tool or an equivalent institutional version. 

H.R.6502 — College Financial Aid Clarity Act of 2025

Sponsor: Rep. McClain [R-MI]
Introduced: 12/09/2025
NASFAA Summary: This bill would require institutions of higher education to use standardized content, terminology, and formatting in financial aid offer forms. Institutions that participate in federal student aid programs would be required to provide financial aid offers titled “Financial Aid Offer” that clearly distinguish between grants, scholarships, loans, work-study, required costs, and other costs, and that present information in a consistent, plain-language format. Institutions would also need to include detailed disclosures about the costs of attendance, net price, loan terms, aid renewal, student employment, and next steps for accepting, adjusting, or declining aid, with supplemental information provided through links or accompanying documents when appropriate. Financial aid offers would need to include both annual and program-level cost and aid information, links to federal tools such as the net price calculator, College Financing Plan, and College Scorecard, and disclosures clarifying that loans must be repaid and that aid amounts may change.

H.R.6359 — Pregnant Students’ Rights Act

Sponsor: Rep. Hinson [R-IA]
Introduced: 12/02/2025
NASFAA Summary: This bill would require institutions participating in federal student aid programs to disseminate information to prospective and enrolled students about the rights, accommodations, and resources available to pregnant students and students who may become pregnant while enrolled. Institutions would be required to provide information on campus and community resources, available accommodations, and how to file Title IX discrimination complaints with the institution or the Department of Education. The information would have to be shared through multiple channels, including an annual email to enrolled students, student handbooks, orientations, student health or counseling centers, and the institution’s public website. It would not create new rights or additional disclosure requirements beyond those specified.

H.R.6350 — College Athletics Reform Act

Sponsor: Rep. Trahan [D-MA]
Introduced: 12/02/2025
NASFAA Summary: This bill would establish federal protections for college athletes’ name, image, and likeness (NIL) rights by prohibiting athletic associations, conferences, and institutions from restricting athletes’ ability to receive NIL compensation, obtain professional representation, or be penalized for doing so, while limiting mandatory disclosure of NIL agreement terms and requiring certain written contract standards. The bill would also expand athletics-related disclosure requirements under Section 485 of the Higher Education Act, requiring institutions to report detailed, sport-by-sport information on athletically related student aid, including the number, duration, and average amount of scholarships; whether scholarships cover tuition or full cost of attendance; and the total amount of revenue shared directly with athletes, along with expanded reporting on athletics revenues, expenses, participant counts, and Title IX compliance.

H.R.6134 — STUDENT Act

Sponsor: Rep. Feenstra [R-IA]
Introduced: 11/19/2025
NASFAA Summary: This bill would require that federal loan disclosures include the total amount of interest the borrower would pay over the full life of the loan, calculated using the standard repayment plan and based on the borrower’s total outstanding principal across all loans.

S.2802 — Student Debt Alternative and CTE Awareness Act

Sponsor: Sen. Husted [R-OH]
Introduced: 09/15/2025
NASFAA Summary & Analysis: This bill would require the Department of Education to publicly share detailed information about career and technical education (CTE) programs and related funding opportunities. Within 60 days of enactment, the Department must post on its website data on CTE programs’ average completion time, cost, and employment outcomes, as well as state-level information about available programs, Perkins CTE funding, and Workforce Pell Grants. This information must be kept current and continuously updated. The bill also amends the FAFSA to include a one-page summary highlighting CTE programs as viable alternatives to four-year degrees, based on the data posted by the Department, along with a required acknowledgment box for applicants.

S.2764 — STUDENT Act

Sponsor: Sen. Ernst [R-IA]
Introduced: 09/10/2025
NASFAA Summary & Analysis: This bill would require the Department of Education to disclose the total amount of interest a borrower would pay over the life of a federal student loan. The disclosure must be included in loan documents and based on the standard repayment plan for the borrower’s total outstanding principal.

S.2700 — DECIDE Act

Sponsor: Sen. Husted [R-OH]
Introduced: 09/03/2025
NASFAA Summary & Analysis: This bill would require the Department of Education to expand the College Scorecard with more detailed program- and institution-level data. For each program, it would report median earnings 10 years after enrollment, median federal loan debt for completers (including Stafford, Graduate PLUS, and Parent PLUS loans), as well as default and repayment rates. At the institutional level, it would include overall cohort default and repayment rates, plus default and repayment rates for Graduate and Parent PLUS loans. The bill defines “repayment rate” as the share of borrowers making progress or otherwise repaying two years after entering repayment, excluding private loans and loans from other institutions.

H.R.5121 — Fairness in Higher Education Accreditation Act

Sponsor: Rep. Stefanik [R-NY]
Introduced: 09/03/2025
NASFAA Summary & Analysis: This bill would modify the criteria for recognizing accrediting agencies for colleges and universities. It prohibits accreditors from setting standards or making decisions based on the race, color, sex, or national origin of an institution’s students, faculty, or staff, including those in leadership roles or who receive honors. The bill requires accreditors to permit institutions to adopt their own lawful policies related to these factors, regardless of the institution’s mission, and bars accreditors from considering such factors in the accreditation process. It also requires that accreditors ensure institutions uphold a right to “free inquiry,” defined as adherence to First Amendment protections for public institutions and institutional free speech and academic freedom policies for private ones. Religious institutions meeting specified criteria are exempt from this requirement. 

H.R.4806 — College Transparency Act

Sponsor: Rep. Krishnamoorthi [D-IL]
Introduced: 07/29/2025
NASFAA Summary & Analysis: This bill would provide federal funding to colleges that offer apprenticeship programs leading to industry-recognized credentials. The bill would support these institutions by helping them expand access, build capacity, and improve outcomes for students in work-based learning pathways.

H.R.4312 — SCORE Act

Sponsor: Rep. Bilirakis [R-FL]
Introduced: 07/10/2025
NASFAA Summary & Analysis: This bill would require institutions to tell students how much of their student fees are being used to support sports programs, and how that money is being used. Schools must collect and share this information every year by October 15. Institutions that make $50 million or more in a year from media deals (like TV contracts) would not be allowed to use student fees to fund sports programs the following year. Additional provisions of this bill allow collegiate athletes to hire an agent (where the agent must disclose if they are registered with an interstate intercollegiate athletic association), and institutions must provide comprehensive academic support and career counseling services, medical and health benefits, grant-in-aid, and a degree completion plan for student athletes.

H.R.3994 — Understanding Student Parent Outcomes Act of 2025

Sponsor: Rep. Ross [D-NC]
Introduced: 06/12/2025
NASFAA Summary & Analysis: This bill would update data collection and support for student parents by directing the CES to define “parenting student” and develop related data elements for inclusion in federal data systems like IPEDS. These data points—such as enrollment, financial aid status, childcare use, and student demographics—must be disaggregated by parental and caregiver status, race, ethnicity, and gender. The bill also mandates the inclusion of relevant experts in federal data advisory groups and requires data collection to begin no later than the 2026–2027 academic year. In addition, the Department of Education must provide technical assistance to states and institutions to help them collect and manage parenting student data effectively. The Act also calls for a national study of best practices that support student parents, examining enrollment trends, the impact of campus-based childcare, and integration of services like SNAP, TANF, and Head Start.

H.R.3985 — Helping Student Parents Succeed Act

Sponsor: Rep. McBath [D-GA]
Introduced: 06/12/2025
NASFAA Summary & Analysis: This bill would require colleges and universities to establish and publicly share policies and resources for expectant and parenting students. Institutions must post a clear policy on leaves of absence related to pregnancy, childbirth, or adoption, including how students can make up missed work. They must also provide comprehensive information on available campus and community resources—such as lactation accommodations, parenting-related support services, and financial aid options, including dependent care allowances and emergency aid. 

H.R.3943 — Opportunity To Address College Hunger Act

Sponsor: Rep. Bonamici [D-OR]
Introduced: 06/12/2025
NASFAA Summary & Analysis: This bill would require colleges and universities participating in the Federal Work-Study program to notify eligible students of their potential eligibility for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The notification, developed by the Department of Education in consultation with the Department of Agriculture, must include information on SNAP eligibility, application procedures, and contact details for the local SNAP office, tailored to the student’s state of residence. The notice must also include documentation confirming the student’s participation in work-study, which can be used to demonstrate SNAP eligibility. The bill also directs federal agencies to provide guidance to states and institutions on identifying and contacting potentially eligible students, including those receiving Pell Grants.

H.R.3847 — Student-athlete Protections and Opportunities through Rights, Transparency, and Safety Act

Sponsor: Rep. McClain [R-MI]
Introduced: 06/09/2025
NASFAA Summary & Analysis: This bill would establish federal protections and standards for student athletes' name, image, and likeness (NIL) rights. It defines “compensation” broadly but explicitly excludes traditional forms of student financial aid—including grants-in-aid, Federal Pell Grants, and state or federal grants unrelated to athletic participation. It requires institutions to provide education on financial literacy, career preparation, and NIL opportunities to student-athletes receiving aid. Institutions must also guarantee continued access to grant-in-aid for up to 10 years for degree completion, even if an athlete stops competing, and cannot reduce or cancel aid based on performance, injury, or roster decisions. Institutions that do not meet these requirements risk losing eligibility for ED funding.

S.1557 — Net Price Calculator Improvement Act

Sponsor: Sen. Grassley [R-IA]
Introduced: 05/01/2025
NASFAA Summary & Analysis: This bill would allow the creation of a centralized website to allow students to compare estimates of their net price for individual institutions across multiple colleges at once. It would include the institution’s net price, as well as all components of the institution’s Cost of Attendance, as well as the estimated total need-based grant aid and merit-based grant aid, from Federal, State, and institutional sources, that may be available to the student.

H.R.3153/S.1558 — Understanding the True Cost of College Act of 2025

Sponsor: Rep. Kim [R-CA]/Sen. Grassley [R-IA]
Introduced: 05/01/2025
NASFAA Summary & Analysis: This bill would mandate standard terminology and a standard format for financial aid aid offers. The standardized items—such as the cost of attendance (listed direct and indirect costs), tuition, and fees—would need to be included on the first page of the aid offer. The aid offer must also include housing, food, books, supplies, and transportation, among other items in the cost of attendance. Grants and scholarships would need to be grouped together in their own section with a disclosure that grant aid does not need to be repaid. Subsidized and unsubsidized loans would need to be clearly labeled and include a disclosure that loans have to be repaid. Additionally, this bill would not permit that Federal Work-Study (FWS) be included in the financial aid category and a disclosure would need to indicate to students that FWS positions are subject to the availability of qualified employment and that these funds are paid over time throughout their employment.

S.1317/H.R.2778 — Safeguarding American Education From Foreign Control Act

Sponsor: Sen. Banks [R-IN]
Introduced: 04/07/2025
Sponsor: Rep. Houchin [R-IN]
Introduced: 04/09/2025
NASFAA Summary & Analysis: This bill would strengthen disclosure requirements for U.S. colleges and universities that receive gifts or enter into contracts with foreign sources. The bill lowers the reporting threshold to any value for foreign sources linked to a “covered nation” and maintains a $250,000 threshold for others. Institutions must file reports biannually, and the Department of Education must transmit these disclosures to the FBI and the Director of National Intelligence within 10 days. Additionally, within 90 days of enactment, ED must send all past and current records related to foreign gift reporting and compliance investigations to those agencies.

H.R.2634 — Free Speech On Campus Act

Sponsor: Rep. Kiley [R-CA]
Introduced: 04/03/2025
NASFAA Summary & Analysis: This bill would require public colleges and universities participating in Title IV programs to educate new students on their First Amendment rights. Institutions must provide a written statement affirming free speech protections and offer educational programming on free expression during orientation. They must also post the statement publicly on their websites.

S.1296 — Defending Education Transparency and Ending Rogue Regimes Engaging in Nefarious Transactions (DETERRENT) Act

Sponsor: Sen. Tillis [R-NC]
Introduced: 04/03/2025
NASFAA Summary & Analysis: This bill would amend foreign gift and contract reporting requirements for institutions by decreasing the foreign gift reporting threshold for institutions from $250,000 down to $50,000, and a $0 threshold for “countries of concern.” Additionally, the legislation would create a new “Investment Disclosure Report” requirement for private institutions with endowments over $6 billion or with “investments of concern” above $250 million. Under this provision, institutions would need to annually disclose to the Department of Education investments with a “country of concern” or a foreign entity of concern. Then, those institutions’ reports would be made publicly available in a searchable database.

H.R.1852 — IHE Nonprofit Clarity Act

Sponsor: Rep. Biggs [R-AZ]
Introduced: 03/05/2025
NASFAA Summary & Analysis: This bill would ensure that any institution of higher education classified as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit under the Internal Revenue Code is automatically recognized as a nonprofit institution of higher education for the purposes of the Higher Education Act. This would standardize the definition of nonprofit colleges and universities, potentially affecting eligibility for federal funding and regulatory oversight.

H.R.1641 — Student Debt Alternative and CTE Awareness Act

Sponsor: Rep. Williams [R-TX]
Introduced: 02/26/2025
NASFAA Summary & Analysis: This bill would require the Department of Education to publicly disclose information about career and technical education (CTE) programs, including costs, completion rates, and job prospects, as well as funding opportunities under the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act. It would also mandate that the FAFSA application include a one-page summary on CTE programs and require applicants to acknowledge that CTE is a viable alternative to a four-year degree.

H.R.1174 — Ensuring Distance Education Act

Sponsor: Rep. Owens [R-UT]
Introduced: 02/10/2025
NASFAA Summary & Analysis: This bill would modify the 90/10 rule by allowing revenue from certain distance education programs to count toward the non-federal revenue requirement, regardless of where the program is offered. This change would allow for-profit institutions to meet the 90/10 rule by including tuition and fees paid for online programs as part of their non-federal revenue.

H.R.1090 — Truth in Tuition Act of 2025

Sponsor: Rep. Perez  [D-WA]
Introduced: 02/06/2025
NASFAA Summary & Analysis: This bill would require colleges and universities to provide clearer tuition and fee information to admitted students. Institutions must either offer a multi-year tuition and fee schedule or provide a single-year schedule along with a nonbinding multi-year estimate of net costs after financial aid, assuming no significant changes in a student’s financial situation. These estimates may include projected percentage or dollar changes in costs and must outline expenses for the normal duration of a student's program. Schools opting for single-year tuition schedules must also disclose the average deviation between past estimates and actual costs.

S.163 — Protecting Students on Campus Act of 2025

Sponsor: Sen. Cassidy [R-LA]
Introduced: 01/21/2025
NASFAA Summary & Analysis: This bill would require colleges receiving federal student aid to share information about Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, including a link to the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) complaint webpage. The Department of Education must run a public awareness campaign on Title VI rights, with materials displayed in high-traffic campus areas and online. Congress will receive monthly briefings on Title VI complaints, investigations, and case resolution times. Colleges must report annually on discrimination complaints received, with audits for institutions with the highest complaint rates.

Legislative Tracker Overview   |   Archive: Consumer Information & Transparency