LSU president continues to push for national college scorecard

LSU President F. King Alexander is among higher education leaders in the country who are backing President Barack Obama’s proposed scorecard for U.S. colleges in the hope it will steer more federal aid to them and away from underperforming for-profit institutions. “Student aid won’t be around in 10 years if we don’t do something to distinguish the good guys from bad guys,” Alexander tells Bloomberg. While a cross-section of college presidents have voiced opposition to the concept, leaders of some public schools are emerging as advocates. They say the measure will showcase the value they offer while stemming the distribution of federal loans and grants to so-called diploma mills that saddle students with debt and poor job prospects. The Education Department is preparing to release a draft ratings plan this year and a final version next year that could bolster better-performing public colleges that charge less than their private counterparts. Federal officials say the scorecard will emphasize access, affordability and graduation rates, in contrast to rankings such as those from U.S. News & World Report that focus more on an institution’s selectivity and wealth. Alexander has spoken out in favor of the proposal several times since it was first announced about a year ago. Most recently, Alexander praised the idea earlier this month in a story by London weekly magazine Times Higher Education.