Yellowhammer Times

U.S. Senators Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) and Jon Husted (R-OH) have introduced the Debt, Earnings, and Cost Information Disclosure for Education (DECIDE) Act in Washington. The proposed legislation seeks to codify section 4 of President Donald Trump’s Executive Order 13864. The aim is to provide students with more detailed information about the financial commitments associated with attending a four-year university.

The bill would require the College Scorecard to offer clearer data on loan amounts, debt risk, and repayment timelines for students considering higher education. According to Senator Tuberville, “The most important commodity we have in the United States is our youngpeople, yet more and more of them are finding themselves buried in student loandebt. The cost of higher education is out of control. While attending college may not be for everyone, it is important for those pursuing undergraduate and graduate degrees to understand the financial impact it will have on them and their futures. I’m proud to join Sen. Husted in introducing this legislation to increase transparency around costs of higher education.”

Senator Husted added, “Students deserve to know exactly what financial burdens and realistic outcomes come with attending a college. As college tuition continues to increase, my bill would help students make informed decisions about their futures and avoid being shackled by debt for years to come.”

College tuition has risen significantly since 1963—by nearly 500%. The DECIDE Act aims to give students and families access to clearer data outlining possible consequences from taking on student loans before making decisions about which colleges or universities they might attend.

President Trump issued Executive Order 13864 in March 2019 as part of an initiative that created the College Scorecard tool. This interactive resource allows prospective students and families to compare metrics such as attendance costs, graduation rates, median earnings after graduation, loan default rates, average debt levels, employment rates among graduates, among other statistics.

If enacted into law, this new bill would ensure that section 4 of EO 13864 becomes permanent policy by requiring ongoing publication of these key data points through the College Scorecard.

Senator Tommy Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate where he serves on several committees including Armed Services; Agriculture; Veterans’ Affairs; Health, Education, Labor & Pensions (HELP); and Aging.