Newsweek: Donald Trump’s Department of Education (ED) has released a new earnings indicator for students and families to determine how much a college degree could be worth to them from universities across the U.S. For millions of American families, the perceived value of a college education is facing more scrutiny than ever before. While higher education often promises enhanced career prospects and higher earnings, new federal and independent assessments reveal that at some U.S. institutions, attendees earn less than peers who stopped at a high school diploma after five years.  With national student loan debt nearing $1.7 trillion and skepticism about what a college degree is actually worth on the rise, understanding which colleges deliver—and which do not—is crucial for students weighing the cost and benefit of a degree. ED has launched a new feature that will alert those who fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), if a chosen college’s graduates typically earn less than high school graduates.  The new earnings indicator now appears on a student’s FAFSA Submission Summary if they select a college where the median earnings of graduates, four years post-graduation, fall below those of the average high school graduate in the same state. When submitting the form online, students will see a yellow warning box indicating that some of their chosen colleges have lower earnings outcomes. The message reads: “Students graduating from some of the schools you selected don’t always earn more money than people with only a high school diploma….

• The new earnings indicator is now available through the College Scorecard and the FSA Data Center, providing real-time disclosures to students as they review and finalize college applications.

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