Introduced Version
SENATE BILL No. 285
_____
DIGEST OF INTRODUCED BILL
Citations Affected: IC 21-49-6.
Synopsis: Comparative college and career information. Tasks the
commission for higher education (commission) and the department of
workforce development with collecting and compiling certain
information concerning: (1) postsecondary education; (2) career and
technical education; (3) workforce qualifications; (4) workforce
earnings; and (5) workforce debt. Requires the commission to create an
interactive website known as the student horizon dashboard to provide
public access to certain collected and compiled information. Requires
the commission, with assistance from the department of education and
the department of workforce development, to create a report known as
the student graduate horizon scorecard (scorecard) for annual
distribution. Specifies that the scorecard must contain certain
information concerning high paying civilian and military careers and
in demand jobs. Requires the commission to prepare an annual report
for the legislative council. Requires state educational institutions and
career and technical education centers to collect and provide
information as requested by the commission.
Effective: July 1, 2025.
Byrne
January 13, 2025, read first time and referred to Committee on Education and Career
Development.
2025 IN 285—LS 6624/DI 152 Introduced
First Regular Session of the 124th General Assembly (2025)
PRINTING CODE. Amendments: Whenever an existing statute (or a section of the Indiana
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between statutes enacted by the 2024 Regular Session of the General Assembly.
SENATE BILL No. 285
A BILL FOR AN ACT to amend the Indiana Code concerning
higher education.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Indiana:
1 SECTION 1. IC 21-49-6 IS ADDED TO THE INDIANA CODE AS
2 A NEW CHAPTER TO READ AS FOLLOWS [EFFECTIVE JULY
3 1, 2025]:
4 Chapter 6. Workforce Transparency
5 Sec. 1. The following definitions apply throughout this chapter:
6 (1) "Armed forces of the United States" means the active or
7 reserve components of the:
8 (A) United States Army;
9 (B) United States Navy;
10 (C) United States Air Force;
11 (D) United States Marine Corps;
12 (E) United States Coast Guard; and
13 (F) Indiana National Guard.
14 (2) "Career and technical education" means any
15 postsecondary vocational, agricultural, occupational,
16 manpower, employment, or technical training or retraining of
17 less than a baccalaureate level that:
2025 IN 285—LS 6624/DI 152 2
1 (A) is offered by a state educational institution; and
2 (B) enhances an individual's career potential.
3 (3) "Commission" refers to the commission for higher
4 education established by IC 21-18-2-1.
5 (4) "Department of education" refers to the department of
6 education established by IC 20-19-3-1.
7 (5) "Department of workforce development" refers to the
8 department of workforce development established by
9 IC 22-4.1-2-1.
10 (6) "Student graduate horizon scorecard" refers to the
11 student graduate horizon scorecard created under section 4
12 of this chapter.
13 (7) "Student horizon dashboard" refers to the student horizon
14 dashboard created under section 3 of this chapter.
15 Sec. 2. (a) The commission, in cooperation with the department
16 of workforce development, shall collect and compile the following
17 information:
18 (1) The fifty (50) most in demand jobs in Indiana, including
19 starting salary and education requirements.
20 (2) The average cost for a bachelor's degree from each state
21 educational institution.
22 (3) The average cost for the completion of a career and
23 technical education program.
24 (4) The average monthly student loan payment for individuals
25 attending:
26 (A) a state educational institution; or
27 (B) a career and technical education center;
28 disaggregated by institution.
29 (5) The average three (3) year student loan default rate for all
30 state educational institutions and career and technical
31 education centers.
32 (6) The average total student loan debt for graduates of state
33 educational institutions for four (4) year degrees and graduate
34 programs.
35 (7) The average four (4) year graduation rate for all state
36 educational institutions.
37 (8) The average graduation rate for all career and technical
38 education centers.
39 (9) The completion rates for:
40 (A) apprenticeship programs;
41 (B) high school credential programs; and
42 (C) career and technical education programs.
2025 IN 285—LS 6624/DI 152 3
1 (10) The percentage of college graduates working in an
2 occupation that does not require a college degree,
3 disaggregated by major.
4 (11) The average starting salary for individuals graduating
5 from a state educational institution, disaggregated by state
6 educational institution.
7 (12) The average starting salary for individuals who have
8 completed:
9 (A) an apprenticeship program;
10 (B) a high school credential program; or
11 (C) a career and technical education program.
12 (13) Base pay for newly enlisted service members in the
13 armed forces of the United States.
14 (14) The average starting salary for individuals graduating
15 from a vocational school.
16 (b) The information collected and compiled under subsection (a)
17 must be:
18 (1) updated annually; and
19 (2) searchable using the student horizon dashboard.
20 Sec. 3. (a) The commission shall create an interactive website
21 known as the student horizon dashboard to provide public access
22 to the information described in section 2 of this chapter. The
23 student horizon dashboard must be available for use not later than
24 July 1, 2026.
25 (b) The student horizon dashboard must allow a user to
26 compare the following:
27 (1) The most popular state educational institutions and career
28 and technical education programs.
29 (2) The average annual cost:
30 (A) including average financial assistance; and
31 (B) not including average financial assistance;
32 of attending a state educational institution or career and
33 technical education program.
34 (3) For state educational institutions, the:
35 (A) average salary after attending;
36 (B) average salary for the state educational institution's
37 five (5) most popular majors;
38 (C) percentage of students who return, withdraw, or
39 transfer after their first year;
40 (D) full-time enrollment rate; and
41 (E) full-time graduation rate.
42 (4) For a state educational institution or a career and
2025 IN 285—LS 6624/DI 152 4
1 technical education program, the:
2 (A) average total debt after graduation;
3 (B) average monthly student loan payments disaggregated
4 by graduates and nongraduates;
5 (C) percentage of students receiving federal loans; and
6 (D) percentage of students not in default of student loans.
7 (c) The student horizon dashboard must allow a user to
8 disaggregate the information in subsection (b) by:
9 (1) major or course of study; and
10 (2) state educational institution or career and technical
11 education program.
12 Sec. 4. (a) The commission, with assistance from the department
13 of education and the department of workforce development, shall
14 create a report known as the student graduate horizon scorecard.
15 The student graduate horizon scorecard must contain the following
16 information:
17 (1) The fifty (50) highest paying four (4) year degrees.
18 (2) The twenty (20) highest paying career and technical
19 education and certificate programs.
20 (3) The twenty-five (25) most in demand jobs in Indiana and
21 their corresponding starting salaries and education
22 requirements.
23 (4) The following information concerning each branch of the
24 armed forces of the United States:
25 (A) The Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery score
26 necessary for enlistment.
27 (B) Base pay and benefits for enlistment.
28 (C) The average signing bonus.
29 (b) Beginning not later than July 1, 2026, and each July 1
30 thereafter, the commission, with assistance from the department of
31 education, shall publish and provide the student graduate horizon
32 scorecard to each public school, charter school, and state
33 accredited nonpublic school for distribution to students.
34 Sec. 5. (a) Beginning August 1, 2026, the commission shall
35 submit an annual report to the legislative council outlining the
36 effectiveness of state educational institutions and career and
37 technical education programs in aligning their curricula or
38 programs with the Indiana job market, including the degree to
39 which they contribute to filling the most in demand jobs in Indiana.
40 (b) The report to the legislative council under subsection (a)
41 must be submitted in an electronic format under IC 5-14-6.
42 Sec. 6. The commission, the department of education, and the
2025 IN 285—LS 6624/DI 152 5
1 department of workforce development shall share any data or
2 information necessary to comply with the requirements of this
3 chapter.
4 Sec. 7. (a) The commission, in carrying out its duties under this
5 chapter, may:
6 (1) use and incorporate existing data bases such as:
7 (A) the College Scorecard administered by the United
8 States Department of Education; and
9 (B) other data bases available to the commission; and
10 (2) require state educational institutions and career and
11 technical education centers to collect and provide information
12 to the commission.
13 (b) A state educational institution or career and technical
14 education center must submit to the commission any information
15 requested by the commission to carry out the commission's duties
16 under this chapter.
17 Sec. 8. The commission may adopt rules under IC 4-22-2 to
18 implement this chapter.
2025 IN 285—LS 6624/DI 152