WorthTheBill.org
Will your degree pay for itself?
Know what your degree is really worth.
The Trump administration is proposing a new financial rule for colleges that take federal student aid (Pell Grants, federal loans).
The idea is simple: If a program leaves graduates with debt they can't afford, that program could lose access to your tax dollars.
This site is a waiting room for the data. Right now, we are tracking the proposed rules. In 2027, when the federal government releases the actual earnings and debt numbers for every college major in America, this will be the place to look them up.
The Bottom Line For You
In plain English: Uncle Sam wants to know if your school is a good investment.
Under the proposed "Financial Do-No-Harm" rule, the government plans to grade every degree program based on hard numbers — not marketing brochures.
They are looking at three red flags:
- Too much debt. Your monthly loan payment would eat up more than 15% of your monthly paycheck.
- Too many defaults. Over 30% of graduates from your program stop paying their loans entirely within 5 years.
- False advertising. The school promised a $60k starting salary, but graduates are actually making $40k.
If a program fails these checks, the government could cut off its federal funding for new students.
Source: Federal Register Vol. 90, No. 45, Proposed GE Rule, March 2026; and 34 CFR 668.7.
What This Means For Your Pocket
Three new consumer protections coming your way (if the rules stick).
🛡️ A "Wage Warning" before you sign
Before you borrow, your school must show you a one-page sheet comparing your major's median debt to its median earnings.
Source: Proposed 34 CFR 685.304(b), Dept of Ed Framework, Feb 2026.
⚖️ Easier forgiveness if you were lied to
If your actual salary is 20% lower than what the school advertised, you can file a "Borrower Defense" claim with less paperwork. The government aims to process these in under a year.
Source: Dept of Ed Borrower Defense Plan, Jan 2026, p. 8.
📉 Automatic lower payments if your major flunks
If your degree gets flagged as "High Harm," you are automatically enrolled in an Income-Driven Repayment plan at 5% of your discretionary income — no application required.
Source: NPRM on IDR Reform, Docket ED-2025-OPE-0034.
The Big Data Repository — Coming in 2027
This is the main event.
Right now, colleges are being required to report program-by-program data to the Department of Education under a new system called STATS — program costs, how much students borrow, and whether they complete the program. The Department then combines that with federal tax and loan-repayment records to calculate what each program's graduates actually earn and owe. By July 4, 2027, they plan to release program-specific earnings and debt for every college in the country.
When that data drops, this site will transform into a simple search engine — type in your college and your major, and find out what your degree is really worth.
FAQ — Just the Basics for Students
Questions & answers
Does this rule affect the loans I already have?
No. If the rule is finalized, it only affects new enrollments for flagged programs. Your current aid and existing loans are locked in under the rules you signed up for.
Source: Proposed 34 CFR 668.7(d)(3) — Transition Provisions, Federal Register Vol. 90, p. 11258.
I'm going to med school / law school. My debt is huge. Does that count against me?
The government knows doctors and lawyers take longer to earn top dollar. For graduate professional programs, they will look at a 10-year earnings window instead of 2 years to account for residencies and clerkships. High debt is fine if the salary matches.
Source: Dept of Ed Methodology for Grad Programs, NPRM Appendix A, Dec 2025.
Where does the government get this data?
From two sources that get combined. First, your college is required to submit program-level data every year — program costs, private loans, and whether students complete the program — under the new STATS reporting system. Second, the Department matches that against federal records it already holds: tax data, W-2s, and official loan-repayment records from the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS). No surveys — real money moving in and out of bank accounts, plus what your school reports.
Source: Treasury-ED Data Matching Agreement, Jan 2026; authorized by HEA Sec. 494.
When can I actually search for my school?
The official release date is set for July 4, 2027. Check back here on that date — we will have a simple search box ready for you.
Source: Dept of Ed Official Timeline, Unified Agenda of Federal Regs, Fall 2025, p. 32.
Is this website run by the government?
No. This is an independent, free resource built for students and families. We are not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Education, the White House, or any state agency. For official legal text, please visit www.ed.gov.
Source: Our own Terms of Service.