Dear Members,
The U.S. Department of Education National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is seeking public comment on adding an Admissions and Consumer Transparency Supplement (ACTS) to the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) 2024-25 Through 2026-27 via the Paperwork Reduction Act by October 14, 2025.
Institutional Impact
Selective four-year institutions-including those with graduate/professional programs-would have to report expanded admissions, aid, and outcomes data for undergraduate, graduate, and professional students.
Impact on Colleges/Schools of Pharmacy & Graduate Programs
ACTS would require disaggregated reporting (e.g., race-sex, GPA and test-score bands, income ranges, Pell, parental education) and a one-time five-year backfill of admissions data. Graduate and professional programs may need significant coordination across admissions, financial aid, registrar, and IR offices to meet requirements.
AACP's Action Plan
AACP intents to submit comments requesting:
- Clarification and implementation guidance (i.e., timing of new required data reporting, data collection questions) including what is specifically required in 2025–26 vs. later; timing of any "preview" year; how graduate/professional programs and residencies are treated.
- Privacy protections for applicants and students, including how NCES will mitigate re-identification risks and how the data will be shared publicly.
- Consequences of nonresponse (e.g., what happens if an applicant or enrolled student declines to provide demographic or background information) and how institutions should code and report missing/withheld data.
Member Engagement
Submit institutional comments to the docket by Oct 14 (reference Docket ED-2025-SCC-0382) and share feedback with AACP to inform our association comment. Please email comments or questions to Olunife Akinmolayan (oakinmolayan@aacp.org), Director of Policy, Advocacy, and Strategic Engagement or me (ssvos@aacp.org).
Sincerely,
susan
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Susan Vos, PharmD, FAPhA
Senior Director of Student Affairs
American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy
ssvos@aacp.org------------------------------