USA Funds has announced four grants totaling $3.5 million to support the development of new models of measuring the value of postsecondary education and training programs.

Grants were awarded to the Indiana Commission for Higher Education in support of its efforts to enhance the state's campus- and program-level Return on Investment Reports with data on graduates' satisfaction and the lifelong dividends provided by their degrees; and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, in partnership with the American Institutes of Research and Gallup, in support of efforts to identify programs and institutions linked to high levels of employment, wages, and employee satisfaction in Colorado, Minnesota, Tennessee, and Texas. USA Funds also awarded grants to the National Center for Higher Education Management Systems to evaluate how well credentials being produced at the state and regional levels matched employer demand in Atlanta, Louisville, and Albuquerque; and the National Skills Coalition to develop tools to inform state leaders' decisions about effective adult and workforce training programs in California, Mississippi, Ohio, and Rhode Island.

"Prospective students and their families need better information to select the right postsecondary program, given that college is one of the largest and most important investments a family will make," said USA Funds president and CEO William D. Hansen. "Legislators, other government leaders, and college administrators also need better performance data on which to base critical decisions about higher education and workforce policies and programs. By supporting these new models in twelve states, we are developing powerful new tools to help students find a more direct path through education and training to rewarding careers."