The Association of Public and Land Grant Universities wants President Barack Obama¡¯s administration to instead embrace a more ¡°practical plan for transparency and accountability reform¡±, describing current proposals ¨C which would see universities rated on tuition fee rates, the amount of debt students accumulate, and the amount of money they are paid post-graduation ¨C as ¡°complex¡­ with numerous technical challenges and near certain inaccuracies¡±.

A would see institutions rated on what it calls a more accurate measure of student progress known as the , the net price of courses allowing for available grants and loans, employment rates post-graduation, and the number of students re-paying student loans.

¡°We agree with the administration¡¯s broad goals, but fear that its focus on a college ratings system threatens to undermine a much-needed opportunity to improve transparency and accountability in a meaningful way,¡± said APLU president Peter McPherson. ¡°APLU¡¯s plan provides an effective path forward that would ensure students and their families as well as the general public have greater access to key, accurate data about institutions.¡±

The Obama administration has previously indicated that the ratings system would commence at the start of the 2015-16 academic year, but the first versions could be available by late spring or early summer, it has been .

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Critics have raised concerns that the ratings could penalise institutions with lower graduation rates, including those which serve poorer communities.? ?

¡°Institutional outcomes cannot be evaluated without taking into consideration the level of preparation and entering characteristics of an institution¡¯s student body,¡± an APLU statement said.

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¡°In order to fairly compare all institutions, APLU recommends the creation of a student readiness adjustment, which would account for various factors of an institution¡¯s student body.¡±

Such an adjustment method would, the organisation says, enable policymakers to judge institutions on a more equal playing field.?

chris.parr@tesglobal.com