(The Center Square) – High school sophomores could soon get updates on what their potential college major would cost, and how much they’d make after graduation, under a new plan at the Wisconsin Capitol.
The Assembly’s Committee on Education recently approved the legislation.
The plan, AB 166, requires the University of Wisconsin system, along with private colleges in the state and Wisconsin’s technical colleges, to “report cost and student outcome data” to high schools. The idea is to make sure high school students know what they’re in for if they go to college or a technical school.
“We’re now asking children at sophomore year, junior year to start thinking about ‘what is your plan?’,” Rep. Lindee Brill, R-Sheboygan Falls, said. “So, we have kids at 14, 15, 16 years old starting to take four-year credits, starting to take tech classes.”
The colleges and universities would be required to share with high-schoolers:
● Average salaries for recent grads, and graduates from five, 10, and 15 years ago.
● Average debt loads for graduates and students who drop out, both overall and broken down by major.
● A school’s graduation rate, both in the aggregate and broken down by major.
● A school’s yearly total cost, and average net cost
● Financial aid that is available to students
● The 10 most popular degree programs
“The goal of this bill, of course, is to help students in high school make good choices, better choices on where they’re going to spend the next four years or more,” Rep. Paul Malotik, R-Grafton, said.
The proposal is headed for a vote in the full Assembly with support from both Republicans and Democrats. Though three Democrats did vote against the proposal in the committee. All three said the legislation would place another unfunded mandate on Wisconsin’s colleges and universities.
