119th Congress · introduced in the House · May 1, 2025
Understanding the True Cost of College Act of 2025
Official title from Congress.gov
Latest action (May 1, 2025): Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.
View on Congress.govPolicy area: Education
Congressional Research Service summary, version: Introduced in House (May 1, 2025)
Understanding the True Cost of College Act of 2025
This bill requires standardized financial aid terminology and offer forms.
Specifically, the Department of Education (ED) must develop standard terminology and a format for financial aid offer forms based on recommendations from representatives of certain groups, including students, veterans, and institutions of higher education (IHEs).
The consumer-friendly form must include specified details and disclosures, including the estimated cost of attendance, the net price that a student or family is estimated to pay, and the terms and conditions of financial aid.
In addition, ED must (1) test the form with representatives of students, students' families, IHEs, secondary school and postsecondary counselors, and nonprofit consumer groups; and (2) use the results to develop the final form.
Each IHE that participates in federal student aid programs must (1) use the standard form when offering financial aid to students, and (2) use the standard terminology and definitions developed by ED for all communications related to financial aid offers.
Includes amendment, cloture, and procedural votes. Each is labeled with its exact question; only a passage question is a vote to pass the bill.
No recorded roll calls on this bill in coverage.
Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Actions from Congress.gov, newest first.
LD-2 reports whose issue descriptions explicitly cite this bill (bill type and number validated against Congress.gov records). A citation does not establish the client's position or any contact with a member.
Loading lobbying reportsCoverage: reports for 2025 onward, posted Jan 1, 2025 through Oct 24, 2026.
9 citations.
AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF COMMUNITY COLLEGES · lobbying firm or registrant: AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF COMMUNITY COLLEGES
2026 Q3 report (Jul 1, 2026 – Sep 30, 2026) · posted Oct 19, 2026 · issue area: Education
$40,000
Spent on own lobbying
…H.R. FAFSA Verification Efficiency Act, all titles; H.R. 6498, Student Financial Clarity Act, all titles; H.R. 6502, College Financial Clarity Act, all titles; H.R. 3153, s. 1558, Understanding the True Cost of College Act, all titles; S. 4435, Improving Financial Aid Offers for Students Act, all titles. Senate; S. 4578, "Gatew…
Congress inferred from the report year; bill number and the title cited with it match Congress.gov records, and the bill predates the report. The amount is lobbying spending for every issue on this report, not this bill alone, and none of it is paid to any member of Congress. View filing
CAREER EDUCATION COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES (FKA ASS'N OF PRIVATE SECTOR COLLEGES A · lobbying firm or registrant: CAREER EDUCATION COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES (FKA ASS'N OF PRIVATE SECTOR COLLEGES A
2026 Q3 report (Jul 1, 2026 – Sep 30, 2026) · posted Oct 19, 2026 · issue area: Education
$100,000
Spent on own lobbying
…025 H.R. 6502 College Financial Aid Clarity Act of 2025 H.R. 1174 Ensuring Distance Education Act H.R. 1176 Clock Hour Program Student Protection Act S. 1558 / H.R. 3153 Understanding the True Cost of College Act S. 1559 / H.R. 3298 Know Before You Owe Federal Student Loan Act H.R. 7892 No Aid for Ghost Students Act 0f 2026 H.R…
Congress inferred from the report year; bill number and the title cited with it match Congress.gov records, and the bill predates the report. The amount is lobbying spending for every issue on this report, not this bill alone, and none of it is paid to any member of Congress. View filing
PRINCETON UNIVERSITY · lobbying firm or registrant: PRINCETON UNIVERSITY
2026 Q3 report (Jul 1, 2026 – Sep 30, 2026) · posted Oct 19, 2026 · issue area: Education
$140,000
Spent on own lobbying
…ing Princeton's financial aid and transfer programs Discussions regarding student access, completion & value Discussions regarding accreditation reform (S.1558/H.R.3153) Understanding the True Cost of College Act - All Support for the Institute of Eduction Sciences (IES) and the College Scorecard
Congress inferred from the report year; bill number matches Congress.gov records and the bill predates the report; no title was cited with it. The amount is lobbying spending for every issue on this report, not this bill alone, and none of it is paid to any member of Congress. View filing
PRINCETON UNIVERSITY · lobbying firm or registrant: PRINCETON UNIVERSITY
2026 Q2 report (Apr 1, 2026 – Jun 30, 2026) · posted Jul 20, 2026 · issue area: Education
$150,000
Spent on own lobbying
…ing Princeton's financial aid and transfer programs Discussions regarding student access, completion & value Discussions regarding accreditation reform (S.1558/H.R.3153) Understanding the True Cost of College Act - All Support for the Institute of Eduction Sciences (IES) and the College Scorecard
Congress inferred from the report year; bill number matches Congress.gov records and the bill predates the report; no title was cited with it. The amount is lobbying spending for every issue on this report, not this bill alone, and none of it is paid to any member of Congress. View filing
CAREER EDUCATION COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES (FKA ASS'N OF PRIVATE SECTOR COLLEGES A · lobbying firm or registrant: CAREER EDUCATION COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES (FKA ASS'N OF PRIVATE SECTOR COLLEGES A
2026 Q2 report (Apr 1, 2026 – Jun 30, 2026) · posted Jul 20, 2026 · issue area: Education
$100,000
Spent on own lobbying
…025 H.R. 6502 College Financial Aid Clarity Act of 2025 H.R. 1174 Ensuring Distance Education Act H.R. 1176 Clock Hour Program Student Protection Act S. 1558 / H.R. 3153 Understanding the True Cost of College Act S. 1559 / H.R. 3298 Know Before You Owe Federal Student Loan Act H.R. 7892 No Aid for Ghost Students Act 0f 2026 H.R…
Congress inferred from the report year; bill number and the title cited with it match Congress.gov records, and the bill predates the report. The amount is lobbying spending for every issue on this report, not this bill alone, and none of it is paid to any member of Congress. View filing
AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF COMMUNITY COLLEGES · lobbying firm or registrant: AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF COMMUNITY COLLEGES
2026 Q2 report (Apr 1, 2026 – Jun 30, 2026) · posted Jul 18, 2026 · issue area: Education
$40,000
Spent on own lobbying
…H.R. FAFSA Verification Efficiency Act, all titles; H.R. 6498, Student Financial Clarity Act, all titles; H.R. 6502, College Financial Clarity Act, all titles; H.R. 3153, s. 1558, Understanding the True Cost of College Act, all titles; S. 4435, Improving Financial Aid Offers for Students Act, all titles. Senate; H.R. 9414, S. 4…
Congress inferred from the report year; bill number and the title cited with it match Congress.gov records, and the bill predates the report. The amount is lobbying spending for every issue on this report, not this bill alone, and none of it is paid to any member of Congress. View filing
AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF COMMUNITY COLLEGES · lobbying firm or registrant: AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF COMMUNITY COLLEGES
2026 Q1 report (Jan 1, 2026 – Mar 31, 2026) · posted Apr 27, 2026 · issue area: Education
$40,000
Spent on own lobbying
…H.R. FAFSA Verification Efficiency Act, all titles; H.R. 6498, Student Financial Clarity Act, all titles; H.R. 5902, College Financial Clarity Act, all titles; H.R. 3153, s. 1558, Understanding the True Cost of College Act, all titles; legislation on financial aid offers, Senate
Congress inferred from the report year; bill number and the title cited with it match Congress.gov records, and the bill predates the report. The amount is lobbying spending for every issue on this report, not this bill alone, and none of it is paid to any member of Congress. View filing
PRINCETON UNIVERSITY · lobbying firm or registrant: PRINCETON UNIVERSITY
2026 Q1 report (Jan 1, 2026 – Mar 31, 2026) · posted Apr 20, 2026 · issue area: Education
$240,000
Spent on own lobbying
…nt access, completion & value Discussion regarding accreditation reform Discussions regarding the implementation of the student loan provisions in H.R1 (S.1558/H.R.3153) Understanding the True Cost of College Act Support for the Institute of Eduction Sciences (IES) and the College Scorecard
Congress inferred from the report year; bill number matches Congress.gov records and the bill predates the report; no title was cited with it. The amount is lobbying spending for every issue on this report, not this bill alone, and none of it is paid to any member of Congress. View filing
UNIVERSITY OF NEW HAMPSHIRE · lobbying firm or registrant: LEWIS-BURKE ASSOCIATES, LLC
2026 Q1 report (Jan 1, 2026 – Mar 31, 2026) · posted Apr 17, 2026 · issue area: Education
$40,000
Paid to lobbying firm
H.R. 3153, S. 1558, Understanding the True Cost of College Act of 2025, All provisions. H.R. 7892, No Aid for Ghost Students Act of 2026, All provisions. S. 4097, State…
Congress inferred from the report year; bill number and the title cited with it match Congress.gov records, and the bill predates the report. The amount is lobbying spending for every issue on this report, not this bill alone, and none of it is paid to any member of Congress. View filing