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Bill

SD 2116

An Act relative to student access and return on investment of college and career pathways programs

194th Legislature (2025-2026) Introduced by John Cronin

Requires Massachusetts colleges and career programs to publicly report student access, completion rates, employment outcomes, and return on investment metrics for transparency.

House concurred
0
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Bill Summary · SD 2116

Legislative bill overview

SD 2116 requires Massachusetts colleges and career pathway programs to improve transparency regarding student access, completion rates, and return on investment (ROI) metrics. The bill mandates institutions provide data on program costs, graduate employment outcomes, and earnings potential to help prospective students make informed enrollment decisions.

Why is this important

Students increasingly carry significant education debt, making it critical they understand whether programs lead to employment and income sufficient to justify costs. This transparency measure addresses concerns that some career pathway programs may not deliver adequate economic returns, particularly for underserved populations who may have fewer alternative educational options.

Potential points of contention

  • Data collection burden: Institutions may face significant administrative costs and complexity in collecting, standardizing, and reporting ROI metrics across diverse programs
  • Definition challenges: Disagreement over how to standardize ROI calculations (which employment outcomes count, time horizons, cost allocation methods) could complicate compliance
  • Privacy concerns: Tracking graduate employment and earnings raises questions about student data privacy and whether institutions should be collecting/publishing such information
  • Unintended consequences: Programs with lower immediate ROI but high social value (social services, education, nonprofits) might face enrollment pressure despite community importance

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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