WeVote
Log In

Bill

Bill

S 5861

Relates to a net price calculator center for colleges on the website of the higher education services corporation

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Andrew Gounardes

Create a centralized net price calculator center on HESC's website to standardize and publish college cost data, boosting transparency for students and families.

REFERRED TO HIGHER EDUCATION
0
WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · S 5861

Summary of S 5861 — Net Price Calculator Center for Colleges on the Higher Education Services Corporation Website

Overview

S 5861 is a New York bill introduced on March 3, 2025, and referred to the Senate Committee on Higher Education. The primary sponsor is Senator Andrew Gounardes. The bill’s title indicates it would establish a “net price calculator center for colleges” on the website of the Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC). Related companion and prior-session bills are listed (A 6155 as companion; S 7857 as a related bill).

Purpose and intent

  • To create a centralized net price calculator center hosted on HESC’s website.
  • To promote transparency for college costs by providing access to net price estimates for students and families.
  • To standardize or streamline how net price information is presented to the public through HESC’s online platform.

Note: The exact statutory language is not provided here, so the summary reflects the bill’s stated focus based on the title and status.

Key provisions (high-level, as inferred from the title)

  • Establishment of a net price calculator center within or associated with HESC’s online presence.
  • Hosting and maintenance of college net price calculators on the center’s webpage or linked pages.
  • Potential requirements related to accessibility (e.g., ADA-compliant tools) and user-friendly presentation of financial aid and cost data.
  • Possible obligations for participating colleges (if any) to ensure their net price calculators are current and compatible with the center’s standards.
  • Provision of guidance, templates, or standardized inputs to facilitate comparability across institutions.

Note: Without the bill’s text, the above provisions are described as likely components based on typical net price calculator initiatives.

Affected parties

  • Primary: Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC) and higher education institutions that would interact with or utilize the center.
  • Students and families: Benefit from improved access to transparent net price information.
  • College financial aid offices: May interact with or rely on the centralized center for displaying or updating net price data.

Procedural and timeline aspects

  • Introduced: March 3, 2025.
  • Status: Referred to the Senate Higher Education committee (listed as “REFERRED TO HIGHER EDUCATION”).
  • Related actions: Duplicate entry for committee referral on the same date; related bills include S 7857 (prior-session) and A 6155 (companion).

Relationship to related bills

  • S 7857 (prior-session) — potentially a predecessor or related proposal.
  • A 6155 (companion) — a House version of the proposal; two listings indicate companion status.

Potential impact and considerations

  • Increased transparency in college pricing and aid, aiding consumer decision-making.
  • Centralization could reduce fragmentation if colleges’ individual net price tools are harmonized under a common standard.
  • Implementation considerations include funding for development/maintenance, accessibility compliance, data accuracy, and coordination with existing financial aid data at colleges and with federal net price calculator requirements.

Next steps

  • Await committee hearings and the full text to confirm specific duties, funding, timelines, and any triggers for implementation.
  • If advanced, monitor any amendments, companion bills, and voting outcomes in both chambers.

If you’d like, I can tailor this summary to emphasize specific stakeholders (students, colleges, policymakers) or compare with existing net price calculator requirements.

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

Sign in to ask a question.