{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.curtis.senate.gov/press-releases/curtis-colleagues-introduce-legislation-to-improve-education-transparency-at-community-colleges", "Curtis, Colleagues Introduce\u00a0Legislation to Improve Education Transparency at Community Colleges", "2026-05-04", "2026", "2026-05", "Republican", "Senate", "UT", "John R. Curtis", "C001114", "www.curtis.senate.gov", "curtis", "https://www.curtis.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON\u2014U.S. Senator John Curtis (R-UT) cosponsored legislation that would improve education transparency by ensuring that reported graduation rates accurately reflect the success of community colleges. The Time for Completion Act requires colleges and universities to report graduation and completion rates for a broader range of students, including non-first-time and part-time students.\n\nThe bill was introduced by Senator John Barrasso (R-WY), and is also co-sponsored by Senators Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) and Ted Budd (R-NC).\n\n\u201cOften having to balance work, family, and school, many of Utah\u2019s community and technical college students\u2019 success frequently isn\u2019t counted in current graduation metrics,\u201d said Senator Curtis. \u201cThe Time for Completion Act brings greater transparency and fairness to our education system, giving students and families the tools they need to make good decisions while ensuring our institutions are recognized for the full impact they have on our workforce.\u201d\n\n\u201cWyoming is fortunate to have eight wonderful community colleges. These schools represent the future of Wyoming\u2019s workforce. They deserve to have all of their students accurately accounted for in graduation rates,\u201d said Senator Barrasso. \u201cCurrent reporting requirements do not reflect the unique background of community college students. The Time for Completion Act will make sure prospective students have the most accurate information about graduation rates so they can choose the best school for them.\u201d\n\n\u201cWyoming\u2019s colleges are training the next generation of skilled workers our state depends on, and they deserve credit for every student they help succeed,\u201d said Senator Lummis. \u201cFar too often the workers earning degrees and certificates while holding down jobs or raising families go uncounted, and that shortchanges both the institutions and the students themselves. This legislation offers a long overdue fix in federal reporting and gives prospective students the honest picture they need to plan for their future.\u201d\n\nBackground:\n\nUnder current Higher Education Act (HEA) requirements, institutions receiving federal student aid must report graduation and completion rates only for full time, first time, certificate- or degree-seeking undergraduates who start and finish at the same institution. This excludes millions of nontraditional students, such as part-time, transfer, and returning students, from being reflected in this data.\n\nAs a result, publicly available graduation rates can significantly underestimate student success and mask gaps across different types of learners. These rates inform state performance-based funding and are required disclosures for institutions receiving federal student aid. They also guide institutional benchmarking, and students and families rely on this data to assess institutional quality and value.\n\nThe Time for Completion Act would provide a more accurate and comprehensive picture of institutional performance by counting a wider range of students in graduation and completion metrics. The bill expands disclosure requirements to include the completion or graduation rates of non-first-time and half-time, certificate- or degree-seeking undergraduates. It also amends the HEA so that part-time and other nontraditional students are included in federally reported graduation rate calculations.", 1, "2026-05-06T06:05:57Z", "2026-05-06T06:07:49Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.curtis.senate.gov/press-releases/curtis-colleagues-introduce-legislation-to-improve-education-transparency-at-community-colleges"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.3170659076422453, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}