Among the many efforts by the Trump Administration to address the mess of American higher education—campus anti-Semitism, escalating costs, declining enrollments, politicized "diversity, equity, and inclusion" bloat, due process nightmares, etc.—is a check on programs and degrees where graduates disproportionately default on their student loans.
In May, the Education Department announced more scrutiny on these programs threatening the eligibility of those schools to participate in the student loan program—for many, their life blood—when default rates get too high. These delinquencies have also prompted calls for student loan forgiveness, infuriating many as this appears to be a band-aid measure on a gaping wound and unjust to taxpayers who skipped college, not to mention the wrong lesson for young people about their obligations.
This summer, Congress also stepped up with the Big Beautiful Bill that caps loan amounts and simplifies repayment plans, including repayment options based on income.
Join the National Association of Scholars on Tuesday, September 16 at 4 pm ET as we discuss the ins and outs of higher education finance policy, and where things stand now.
This event will feature Teresa R. Manning, Policy Director at the National Association of Scholars; Beth Akers, a Senior Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, where she focuses on the economics of higher education; and Preston Cooper, a Senior Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, where his work focuses on higher education ROI, student loans, and higher education reform.
Photo by Brian Jackson on Adobe Stock
