Senator Diane Allen

January 21, 2010

Contact: John Gorman / (609) 292-5199
Senator Diane Allen (R-7)

Senator Diane Allen (R-Burlington) was the prime sponsor of a new law that requires each four-year institution of higher education to provide information on graduation rates, costs, faculty and other important facts on its website.

“College is so expensive that most parents can’t afford to make mistakes when choosing where to send their children,” Senator Allen said. “This bill will help both parents and students make better choices about where to spend their precious educational dollars.”

Among other data, the “New Jersey College Student and Parent Consumer Information Act” will require schools to post four- and six-year graduation rates for different majors and demographic groups, as well as for student athletes. Cost data will include the total expenses for the current school year including tuition, student fees, housing, food and books as well as an estimate of the costs of completing a four-year or six-year program.

It will also require information on the average college indebtedness of students who commute, and students who live on campus. Information on faculty will include an overview of faculty employed as tenured professors, the percentage of faculty employed as full-time tenured professors and the percentage employed as adjunct or visiting professors.

“Students and parents are taking on huge debts to go to college,” Senator Allen continued. “They aren’t just paying for tuition and books. They are paying significant amounts of interest on debts that can take years to pay off. It’s only fair to give them all the information possible about the schools they are counting on to secure their futures.”

Senator Diane Allen (R-Burlington) was the prime sponsor of a new law that requires each four-year institution of higher education to provide information on graduation rates, costs, faculty and other important facts on its website. “College is so expensive that most parents can’t afford to make [...]