STATE News:

SANTA FE — The House of Representatives passed House Bill 17 Thursday to require private post-secondary institutions in New Mexico and online to disclose to every prospective student the total estimated cost of attendance for the prospective student’s program, as well as data about average future earnings for the student.

House Bill 17 will assist students in making the most cost-efficient enrollment decisions when choosing to attend private post-secondary institutions including nonprofit and for-profit institutions and significantly cut down on predatory recruitment practices. The bill allows New Mexico’s students to make the best-informed choices about their education and their futures.

Disclosing detailed information about the total cost of attendance and future earning data is important for any students. This is especially important to New Mexico’s families because only 22 percent of students from lower-income families participate in college compared with the national average of 34 percent.

“House Bill 17 is an important step towards giving access to higher education for New Mexico’s families by helping them make informed decisions about enrollment and college costs. Too many students are left with little choice but to go into untenable debt or give up on attending college because they don’t believe they can afford it,” said Representative Christine Chandler (D-Los Alamos). “House Bill 17 will help more of New Mexico’s students understand and assess the true cost of college, as well as give them a better grasp on their potential financial futures.”

House Bill 17 unanimously passed the House and now moves to the Senate for further consideration.