Higher education data advocates are pushing Congress to advance the College Transparency Act, which would lift a longstanding ban on the federal government collecting student-level records. Multiple higher-education organizations argue the current data environment leaves outcomes gaps—especially for students who don’t receive federal financial aid. The article describes how the Department of Education relies on aggregate and institution-level reporting through surveys and systems like College Scorecard, while Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System outcomes are limited to first-time, full-time students. Community college stakeholders say these restrictions can cover less than half of their student population. Supporters say a new database within the National Center for Education Statistics would improve the quality and coverage of outcome measures, including graduation rates and earnings. The provision is framed as a privacy-and-data modernization issue, with critics historically raising concerns about how student-level data should be protected. For universities, the policy question is operational: whether improved reporting will lead to more precise accountability, clearer consumer information, and potentially stronger scrutiny of institutional outcomes beyond federal-aid recipients.