Legislation to Increase Transparency of College Tuition and Fees Advances

Trenton – In an effort to make colleges and universities more transparent, the Senate Higher Education Committee today passed legislation sponsored by Senator Shirley Turner which would require institutions of higher education to provide a breakdown of their tuition and fees to both prospective and current students.

The bill, S-1877, would require both public and independent institutions of higher education, as well as proprietary institutions that offer academic degrees, to provide a financial aid ‘shopping sheet’ annually to each student enrolled in the institution.

“Under current law, only prospective students are required to receive tuition information and the estimated debt they will incur by attending a school,” said Senator Turner (D-Hunterdon/Mercer). “However, a student’s financial aid package can easily change during their time in college to include more loans, and tuition often increases every year. Student debt is out of control and it’s important students are fully aware of the financial obligations they are undertaking.”

The bill was released from a committee by a vote of 5-0.