Scoring a major victory for student privacy rights, the 21st Century Competitiveness Subcommittee Wednesday adopted an amendment offered by Rep. Virginia Foxx (N.C.-5th District) to comprehensive higher education reform legislation proh
The Mt. Airy News
Scoring a major victory for student privacy rights, the 21st Century Competitiveness Subcommittee Wednesday adopted an amendment offered by Rep. Virginia Foxx (N.C.-5th District) to comprehensive higher education reform legislation prohibiting the creation of a federal database to track individual postsecondary education students.
The privacy amendment — strongly supported by Education & the Workforce Committee Chairman John Boehner (R-Ohio) and Subcommittee Chairman Howard P. “Buck” McKeon (R-Calf.) — was adopted during consideration of the College Access & Opportunity Act (H.R. 609), legislation to reform and renew the Higher Education Act.
A subcommittee vote to approve the overall bill is expected today.
“Creating a federal database of personal information about every facet of a student’s life is not necessary for evaluating academic institutions and would violate the personal privacy of students,” said Foxx. “This amendment will help ensure that privacy isn’t threatened simply because a student chooses to enroll in college.”
Republicans have spoken out against proposals to establish a so-called “unit record” system, which would create a massive federal database to compile and maintain personally identifiable information about individual college students. Such a system would collect and maintain information on all students enrolled in postsecondary education, including personal information such as Social Security number, address, date of birth, attendance record and financial information.
“It is essential that we enact safeguards to ensure students’ personal information is protected, and I applaud Rep. Foxx for offering this important amendment to protect individual student privacy rights,” said Boehner.
“The Higher Education Act is about expanding access to college for students, not expanding access to college students’ personal information,” said McKeon. “Rep. Foxx’s amendment will ensure personal privacy rights are protected.”
