Ohio’s House of Representatives has advanced an important bill for students and parents struggling to make good decisions about what to do after high school graduation. House Bill 27, “to require state institutions of higher education to provide financial cost and aid disclosure forms,” will make it easier for families to understand how much a student’s education will cost and even potential incomes right out of college.

How many of us would have benefited from such information as we were choosing the first step in the rest of our lives?

Rep. Adam Mathews, R-Lebanon, sponsored the financial transparency bill.

“This was an original bill that came out of my door-knocking and speaking to people around Warren County, and we’re excited to bring it over to the Senate,” Mathews told the Dayton Daily News.

If it remains intact, the bill will require colleges and universities to total the sums of fees, room and board, and tuition, as well as estimating a student’s expected monthly loan payment after graduation, the Daily News reported. It would also use income data from recent graduates to give incoming students an idea of what they might earn in their chosen fields.

This bill would provide information to students and parents that could make an enormous difference for their futures. And when lawmakers are working to support a brighter future for our young people, the future is looking bright for all of us.