ENROLLED Page 1 of 2 Regular Session, 2010 HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTI ON NO. 152 BY REPRESENTATIVES TUCKER, ARNOLD, BOBBY BADON, HENRY BURNS, CARMODY, CARTER, CHAMPAGNE, DOVE, GISCLAIR, GREENE, HARRISON, HENRY, HOWARD, KATZ, LIGI, LOPINTO, POPE, RICHARDSON, ROBIDEAUX, SIMON, SMILEY, JANE SMITH, ST. GERMAIN, TALBOT, TEMPLET, WADDELL, AND WILLMOTT A CONCURRENT RESOLUTI ON To direct the public postsecondary education management boards and the Board of Regents to publish, including on their respective websites, certain performance and cost data relative to public postsecondary education in Louisiana. WHEREAS, the cost of attending a postsecondary institution represents a significant investment of family income; and WHEREAS, most students or their parents must borrow a portion of the funds or incur other forms of debt to cover the cost of such attendance; and WHEREAS, significant variations in cost exist depending on student attendance patterns; and WHEREAS, information regarding student financial aid and hardship waivers are essential elements of determining out-of-pocket costs, and WHEREAS, in order to earn a living and repay loans, students need to successfully earn a meaningful degree; and WHEREAS, retention and graduation rates, as well as the average time it takes a student to earn a degree, vary substantially between the state's public postsecondary education institutions; and WHEREAS, in addition to information about academic offerings, it is vital that students and parents have access to certain performance and cost data in order to make informed, affordable choices with respect to postsecondary education. THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana hereby directs each public postsecondary education management board and the Board of Regents to ENROLLEDHCR NO. 152 Page 2 of 2 publish, including on their respective websites, certain performance and cost data relative to public postsecondary education in Louisiana. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that each postsecondary management board shall publish the following performance and cost data relative to its institutions: (1) For each four-year institution: the retention rate from freshman to sophomore year; four-year, six-year, and eight-year graduation rates as calculated using the methods of the National Center for Educational Statistics; the average time it takes to earn a baccalaureate degree in years and tenths of years; the average yearly cost of attendance as reported to the United States Department of Education, including tuition, fees, room, board, books, and other costs associated with attendance; the criteria for obtaining hardship waivers and the dollar amount of the associated cost reduction; and the federal, state, and institutional aid available as well as the associated criteria for obtaining such aid. (2) For each two-year institution: the retention rate from freshman to sophomore year; the two-year and three-year graduation rate; the rate of transfer to four-year institutions; the average time it takes to earn an associate degree; the average yearly cost of attendance for commuter students; and the federal, state, and institutional aid available at the institution as well as the associated criteria for obtaining such aid. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Board of Regents shall maintain a section of its website dedicated to publishing the most recent retention and graduation rates, computed using the methods of the National Center for Educational Statistics, and the current average time it takes for students to earn degrees at each public postsecondary education institution as computed by the Board of Regents. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a suitable copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the chairman of each public postsecondary education management board and of the Board of Regents. SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATI VES PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE