Summary

Creates a secure, privacy-protected, student-level federal postsecondary data system to be built and run by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). The system will collect specified student-level and institutional data, permit periodic secure data matches with several federal agencies to report enrollment, financial indicators, and post-completion outcomes, publish aggregate consumer-facing reports, and make de-identified, restricted-use student-level data available to vetted researchers. The law also repeals a prior statutory prohibition on such a student-level system, requires institutions to submit nonstudent institutional data to NCES, establishes an advisory committee, and includes detailed privacy, access, and use limits (including prohibitions on sale, law-enforcement or immigration uses, and federal ranking systems).

• Creates a secure, student-level postsecondary data system at NCES to collect, link, and report student and institutional data.
• Requires NCES to complete the system and set required data elements within four years and to re-evaluate elements at least every three years.
• Permits periodic, secure data matches with seven named federal agencies to report earnings, employment, and other post-completion outcomes in aggregate.
• Prohibits inclusion or reporting of specified sensitive individual-level data (health, discipline, exact addresses, grades, immigration/citizenship, political or religious info).
• Bars sale of data and forbids use for law enforcement, immigration enforcement, debt collection, denying services, or creating federal ranking systems.
• Creates a secure process for vetted researchers to access de-identified student-level data and requires annual feedback reports to institutions and designated state entities.
• Repeals a prior statutory prohibition on creating a student-level postsecondary data system.
• Requires institutions to provide institutional (nonstudent) data to NCES/IPEDS beginning four years after enactment and instructs agencies to reduce IPEDS reporting burden.
• Establishes an advisory committee and detailed privacy, security, and penalty rules but does not authorize specific funding amounts.