ASMSU, MSU’s undergraduate student government, is seeking to provide feedback for President Barack Obama’s newly proposed federal college rating system.
By 2018 President Obama plans to make higher education more affordable by holding colleges accountable for their performance, and basing how much financial aid that school receives on their “value.” That value will be based on criteria such as average tuition, loan debt, transfer rates, graduate earnings and more, including criteria suggested by the public.
“The department will develop these ratings through public hearings around the country to gather the input of students and parents, state leaders, college presidents and others,” according to the White House website.
ASMSU hopes to provide such feedback for the Department of Education on how colleges should be rated, and it is introducing legislation at the Association of Big Ten Students conference hosted by Northwestern University this weekend. If passed, the legislation would create a Big Ten committee to create a more comprehensive framework for how the Big Ten believes colleges should be rated by the government.
“The reasons people go to college are so varied ... that I am worried about a federal college rating system that tries to cover all the bases with one metric,” ASMSU Vice President for Governmental Affairs KC Perlberg said.
ASMSU believes that forming a committee to submit feedback is the only way to make sure their voices are heard by the federal government on this issue.
“I am worried that this federal plan is going to continue the trend of placing the inherent value of a degree on metrics that have nothing to do with it, like how much money you make,” Perlberg said.
ASMSU hopes to include specific Big Ten student issues in their framework for college ratings and also wants to make sure the size and structure of each college is taken into consideration when rating.
“I think students and student governments know best how to judge the quality of their own education,” said Remington Moll, a fisheries and wildlife doctoral student.
The Association of Big Ten Students conference this weekend will play a large role in whether or not a Big Ten committee is formed, which has an impact on the clout of ASMSU’s feedback. With the backing of the entire Big Ten, Perlberg believes they have a better chance of instituting change at a federal level.
A statement from MSU shows its support for the new rating system.
“MSU strongly believes in transparency and is hopeful the new ratings, similar to other nationally recognized ratings, will provide additional insight for students to help them choose the right school,” the statement read.
