About the College Cost Transparency Initiative
Build a Transparent Future for Higher Education: Join the College Cost Transparency Initiative
Your institution has the opportunity to lead by example at a pivotal moment in higher education. Every student and family deserves clarity and honesty in navigating financial decisions. The College Cost Transparency Initiative (CCT) champions this cause, advocating for aid offers and financial aid communications that genuinely serve the needs of families rather than confusing or misleading them. As the debate around the standardization of financial aid information continues, CCT's principles and standards emerge as a beacon of integrity and clarity.
Why Commit to CCT’s Principles and Standards?
- Champion Transparency: Embrace a straightforward approach in financial aid offers, ensuring every family understands their investment and borrowing needs clearly.
- Empower Informed Decisions: Equip families with the comprehensive guidance and clear terminology they need to make informed choices about their educational futures.
- Lead with Honor: Align your institution with CCT’s expertise-driven standards, reflecting a commitment to the highest ideals of educational integrity and accountability.
Step Forward: Make Transparency Your Mission
The journey toward a future where college costs are transparent and understandable requires more than just aspirations; it demands action. By aligning with the CCT, your institution not only stands as a leader in ethical practice but also joins a community of educators committed to making a real difference in the lives of millions of students and their families.
Submit Your Commitment Today
Don’t just make a difference – be the difference. Join the coalition of forward-thinking institutions dedicated to providing clear, accurate, and actionable financial information to every student and family.
By taking this step, your institution is recognized as part of a nationwide movement toward greater transparency in higher education. Together, let's redefine the landscape of financial aid communication, ensuring every student can approach their educational journey with confidence and clarity.
Your commitment is the first step towards building a future where every family can make informed decisions about higher education.
Together, Let’s Commit to a Transparent Future in Higher Education.
About the College Cost Transparency Initiative
The higher education community is committed to providing students financial aid information about the cost of college that is clear, accurate, and transparent. This goal has never been more important as students and families grapple with college affordability in an increasingly complex financial aid system consisting of multiple grant and loan programs with different eligibility requirements.
In the fall of 2022, the leaders of 10 higher education associations representing college presidents, financial aid offices, and admissions and school counselors announced the formation of a task force — the College Cost Transparency Initiative (CCT) — to improve the clarity, accuracy, and understanding of student financial aid offers by producing a set of guiding principles and minimal standards to be used when communicating aid offers.
The CCT task force’s sole focus and mission was to courage and assist efforts by institutions to communicate with students and families about college costs in a way that is clear, accurate and helpful. Broader issues and concerns of importance to colleges and students, such as cost of attendance and sources of financial support for students, were not discussed or considered by the task force.
This work is generously sponsored by a grant from Strada Education Foundation.