Obama's college scorecard omits colleges that shun federal funds

President Barack Obama is showing-off a “College Scorecard” that supposedly lists every college and university in the nation. But a look through the website reveals a notable omission—schools that do not take federal aid aren’t included.

In his weekly radio address, the president highlighted the importance of continued schooling, calling higher education the “surest ticket to the middle class.” The website is designed to give students, families, and counselors “reliable data on every institution of higher learning.” It has been touted as a search engine for expected debt and projected income for students.

But two universities that do not accept federal funding—Grove City College and Hillsdale College—are not on the president’s list.

“Institutions that do not participate in Title IV federal financial aid are not included on the site because they are not required to send us data,” Education Department spokeswoman Denise Horn said.

Hillsdale voluntarily offers some data to the government but refuses to collect data on race, which the Department of Education insists is necessary, college president Larry Arnn said.

“The federal government demands we count students by the color of their skin. … We may be the first institution, of any kind … to admit students, ‘without regard to race, sex, or national origin,’” Arnn said.

Even if Hillsdale started collecting that data now, it wouldn’t be enough for the government, which wants historical data as well. But Hillsdale has not collected that information for more than 170 years, Arnn said.

Critics want the administration to clarify for parents and students what makes a school eligible for inclusion on the site.

“The department should, at the very least, include a disclaimer that the scorecard is not comprehensive,” Grove City President Paul McNulty said.

Arnn sees the score card as an affront to faith-based institutions, which have a long track record in American higher education.

“Hillsdale College, 1844. United States Department of Education, 1979. The latter has never been very good at history or even current affairs,” he said.

Despite the government’s lack of faith in Hillsdale and Grove City, both schools do well in other rankings. The latest U.S. News and World Report college ranking places Hillsdale at No. 67 among liberal arts colleges. Grove City has earned several distinctions for its affordability and return on investment, including from Money and Forbes magazines.