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1
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, Completing a higher education credential is a
3prerequisite for in-demand jobs of the 21st century economy;
4and
 
5    WHEREAS, Average earnings of college graduates vastly
6outpace those of workers with only a high school diploma; and
 
7    WHEREAS, Building and maintaining a highly educated and
8skilled workforce is critical to the future of the Illinois
9economy; and
 
10    WHEREAS, Affordability is a major barrier for students
11seeking college credentials as an entrance to the middle class;
12and
 
13    WHEREAS, Students of all backgrounds need accurate and
14timely information on the ability of higher education
15institutions to meet their educational aspirations and
16economic realities; and
 
17    WHEREAS, Lt. Governor Sheila Simon, as the State's point
18person on education reform, reports that higher education
19institutions provide standard cost and completion data to
20education authorities but do not present it to students in a

 

 

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1standard, easy-to-find and digest format; and
 
2    WHEREAS, A standardized, public report of this data to
3students and parents could help them make better decisions on
4where to seek high-quality, affordable, and marketable
5credentials and put taxpayer-funded, need-based college grants
6to better use; and
 
7    WHEREAS, The federal government has launched a web-based
8College Scorecard that presents the costs and outcomes of
9public, private, and for-profit higher education institutions
10across Illinois and the nation that students and states can
11access at no cost; therefore, be it
 
12    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
13NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE
14SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that all certificate and degree
15granting institutions operating in the State of Illinois are
16encouraged to prominently post links to the federal College
17Scorecard on their school websites, and also are encouraged to
18work together to design and post online an Illinois College
19Scorecard with complementary data regarding educational
20programs' costs and outcomes to better inform students and
21families regarding higher education and career choices; and be
22it further
 

 

 

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1    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
2presented to Lt. Governor Sheila Simon and the Illinois Board
3of Higher Education.