H.R.3994 - Understanding Student Parent Outcomes Act of 2025 (119th Congress)
Summary
H.R.3994, the Understanding Student Parent Outcomes Act of 2025, aims to improve data collection related to student parents pursuing higher education. The bill directs the Commissioner of Education Statistics to establish a common definition for "parenting student" and to develop data elements for IPEDS to collect disaggregated data on this population. This includes information on enrollment, retention, completion rates, net price, marital status, employment, income, program type, enrollment status, Pell Grant receipt, childcare usage, and dependent children characteristics.
Expected Effects
The bill would lead to a more comprehensive understanding of the challenges and needs of student parents in higher education. This enhanced data collection would inform policy decisions and resource allocation to better support this demographic. The Secretary of Education is also tasked with conducting a study on best practices for improving outcomes for student parents, further contributing to evidence-based strategies.
Potential Benefits 4/5
- Improved data collection on student parents, leading to better-informed policies.
- Enhanced support services at institutions of higher education for student parents.
- Increased awareness of the challenges faced by student parents.
- Potential for increased enrollment, retention, and completion rates for student parents.
- Identification and dissemination of best practices for supporting student parents.
Potential Disadvantages
- Potential increased administrative burden on institutions of higher education to collect and report the new data elements.
- Possible privacy concerns related to the collection and disaggregation of sensitive student data.
- Costs associated with conducting the study and providing technical assistance to states and institutions.
- Risk that the collected data may not be effectively utilized to improve outcomes for student parents.
- The definition of 'parenting student' may be difficult to standardize across diverse family structures.
Constitutional Alignment 4/5
The bill appears to align with the Constitution's general welfare clause (Preamble). By promoting education and supporting families, the bill aims to improve the well-being of a specific segment of the population. The Tenth Amendment reserves powers not delegated to the federal government to the states, but this bill focuses on data collection and studies, which fall under Congress's power to regulate education and promote research.
Impact Assessment: Things You Care About
This action has been evaluated across 19 key areas that matter to citizens. Scores range from 1 (highly disadvantageous) to 5 (highly beneficial).