H.R. 6498 · Where this bill is now
Waiting for a House vote
Approved by committee Jan 21, 2026; no House vote yet
What this bill does
In plain words · AI-written from the official summaryGives students clearer cost and earnings data
The Department of Education would expand its College Scorecard website with detailed information about costs, financial aid, student debt, and earnings for each program of study at participating colleges. It would also create a Universal Net Price Calculator on a dedicated ED website that lets you estimate what you'd actually pay at different schools and compare multiple colleges and programs side by side. Every college would be required to offer this calculator—either the government's version or their own that includes the same information.
How it affects you
If you're thinking about going to college or picking a program, you'd have much easier access to information about what school actually costs and what graduates typically earn in their field. Instead of hunting through different college websites for this information, you could compare schools and programs in one place and see personalized net price estimates based on your situation.
Read the official summary (Reported to House, Jan 21, 2026)
Student Financial Clarity Act of 2025
This bill requires certain actions to provide consumers (e.g., enrolled and prospective students) with additional financial information on institutions of higher education (IHEs) that participate in federal student aid programs.
Specifically, the Department of Education (ED) must update its College Scorecard website with additional information, including detailed data (e.g., costs, financial aid, student debt and repayment, and earnings) for each program of study at each IHE. (The College Scorecard is a comparison tool for information on school sizes, settings, graduation rates, average costs, and salary ranges per field of study.)
Additionally, ED must establish a Universal Net Price Calculator on a dedicated ED website and annually update the data. Among other elements, this calculator must (1) allow an individual to select and compare multiple IHEs and programs of study, (2) provide the individual with net price estimates for each selected IHE and each selected program of study, and (3) provide access to information in an electronic and downloadable format.
Each IHE must make publicly available on its website either the net price calculator developed by ED or the IHE's own calculator (if it includes, at a minimum, the same data elements of ED's calculator).
Written by AI (Claude) using only the official summary by the Congressional Research Service, the Library of Congress’s nonpartisan research staff. It can miss nuance, so check the official summary and the bill text for details.
1st SessionH. R. 6498
A BILL
Student Financial Clarity Act of 2025
Sponsor: Rep. Brett Guthrie (R-KY-2) · Introduced Dec 9, 2025 · Education · 2 versions of the text
Sources: Congress.gov actions and votes · bill text from GovInfo · latest official action Jan 21, 2026: “Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 395.”