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Murphy-Myrick Amendment Passes House - Helps Students and Families Plan for College Costs

  (Washington, D.C.) – Today, the U.S. House of Representatives unanimously passed the bipartisan “Truth-in-Tuition” amendment to the College Opportunity and Affordability Act of 2007. The amendment was introduced by U.S. Representatives Patrick Murphy (D-PA) and Sue Myrick (R-NC).  It helps students and families plan for higher education by making sure that colleges and universities give every student a clear picture of the total cost of their degree. 
 
            “I hear all the time about the struggles students and families have paying for college. When schools can set multi-year contracts with food vendors, landscapers, their basketball coaches, and even their presidents; it's hard for average Americans to understand why schools can't set multi-year tuition rates so they know the total estimated cost of their child's education. I’m proud to reach across the aisle and work with Congressman Murphy in passing legislation to fix that problem,” said Rep. Myrick.
 
“Its time to be straight with American families about how much a college education is going to cost.  With this measure, students will know how much their education is going to cost from the start – and that means fewer surprise tuition hikes and plenty of time to plan financially,” said Congressman Patrick Murphy. “I was proud to work with Congresswoman Myrick to make college more affordable, more accessible and to make costs more predictable for families.”
 
Truth-in-Tuition is not a new idea.  All public universities in Illinois, as well as Central Michigan, the University of Minnesota, George Washington University, and many more colleges have implemented this policy with great success.
 
Under the plan, schools can either present each incoming class of students with a multi-year tuition and fee schedule, or they can give each student a non-binding estimate of what their education will cost them individually.
 
There are no price caps, and it does not freeze the price of tuition.  Schools are free to set tuition rates as they see fit.  But they have to show families and students what they will charge them for their education over the course of their studies.