Posted on 05/24/2016 8:17:22 AM PDT by Academiadotorg
Who knew that the Trump campaign would be getting involved in higher education policy this year? Sam Clovis, a tenured economics professor and Trump campaign co-chair, recently noted that their objectives include getting the government out of student lending, requiring colleges to share in student loan risk, and discouraging borrowing by liberal arts majors.
Clovis told Inside Ed that the mere mention of these policy proposals has sent some Washington graybeards into a swivet, and "he expects some higher education leaders to react the same way when Trump outlines these ideas during the fall campaign."
Some of the ideas under consideration could be "revolutionary," Clovis said. Among the proposals currently being prepared are the following:
• A complete shift of the current federal student loan system to a market-based and market-driven system that would be run by private banks
• Remediation programs for those unprepared for college-level work would be renamed "student success programs"
• Colleges would subject applicants to greater scrutiny and only admit those who show promise of graduating and finding jobs within a reasonable time frame
• There would be less emphasis on parent contributions and the Free Application for Federal Student Aid and more of "a partnership" between the student, the bank and the college
Saying that all colleges should have skin in the game and share the risk associated with student loans, Clovis noted that many in Congress already voiced support for that idea, adding that "the risk needs to be substantial enough to change the way colleges decide whether to admit students, and which programs they offer."
I’m still not convinced that many of the conservative ideas that Trump has proposed are things he is serious about, but if he can actually do this:
“A complete shift of the current federal student loan system to a market-based and market-driven system that would be run by private banks”
then he will have earned my vote ten times over.
Guaranteed loans to 18-year olds is why education costs at the college level has skyrocketed.
There is far more to Mr. Trump than most of us realized, and the majority of it is rock solid conservative in nature.
I would go one further on this. Colleges must prove that the degrees they are offering:
1.) That there is a real quantitative demand for these degrees
2.) That the graduate can actually make a living off of this degree.
According to a Norwegian professor I had in college, this is how it worked in Norway (at least back in the 70s). Tuition was free; but you had to major in something that would eventually lead to being a productive member of society.
No more degrees for "Transgendered Eskimo Feminist Vegetarian Studies"
Or as Neil Boortz once put it: "Bitterness Studies." In fact, someone (probablly Neil) suggested that all university programs the last word of which is "Studies" be cancelled.
I have a crazy idea. How about the federal government get out of the college business completely except for West Point, The Naval Academy, The Air Force Academy, The Coast Guard Academy and the Merchant Marine Academy.
States run their Land Grant and State colleges as they see fit.
And the Private Colleges get to be..... Private. And if any lender deems a student a good risk to lend money to, they may or may not as they wish.
(No charge for my Solomon service today..... just sent fan mail)
And in ILLINOIS. We're drowning in debt and illegals are getting free education. Meanwhile, ILLINOIS students have to pay through the wazoo and have to hope there are still slots open for the college of their choice.
“So if I want a MS in TEFVS and I’m willing to pay for it the government is going to stop the school from offering me the program? “
Sounds like the free market will determine what programs are offered. Not every school offers every program now.
You may find the obscure program of your choice, but it may be several states away from your comfort zone.
The federal government should not even give a penny towards education. The states and local counties should be dealing with all of this. I can’t believe how “bastardized” the federal government has become. The things the federal government has gotten involved in would have our founders turning in their graves and wonder why they wasted their time.
I said this exact thing to a loony lib acquainance once and, by his reaction, you would have thought I committed a felony of some kind. The thought of having government NOT involved in this was anathema to him.
I just don’t get it.
“And watch college tuition drop like a stone.”
Yes, that needs to happen. A lot of “professors” who have nothing to contribute to the higher education process (except the self-serving need to draw an fat, but unearned paycheck) would be forced to leave “academia” and go get real jobs as restroom or gas station attendents. There needs to be a serious rep-evaluation of courses taught (all of these “feel good” courses in “black or hispanic studies” and the like together with the abandonment of “faux research grants” on immaterial subjects)!
“blood sucking lefties like Elizabeth Warren
“So if I want a MS in TEFVS and I’m willing to pay for it the government is going to stop the school from offering me the program? “
YES! because it never turns out that the government does’t get involved with it’s checkbook and rules.
Making colleges behave like they're in the real world? Unthinkable to academia. The wailing and gnashing of teeth will be audible all around the world.
Very good. He needs to address this issue.
It is very important to Millenial voters, and he appears
to be making headway with them.
At the end of the day it can’t beat the Democrats’ “we’ll make it all FREE” mantra. But he needs to compete.
““blood sucking lefties like Elizabeth Warren”
Please, she’s in the sweat lodge at the moment and unable to defend herself! (s)
Unbelievable! Surgical takedown! Awesome!
A lot of philosophy and sociology professors will be harmed by this plan.
I am reminded of a co-worker’s issue from twenty years ago. His daughter was two years into a liberal arts degree deal and woke up at the end of a summer visit to a friend who’d already graduated and gotten the insider prospective of job prospects. She decided the degree was worthless (as dad had said before). Now? The trouble is that about 50-percent of what she took for the two years wouldn’t do any good toward another degree. You can figure about $18,000 wasted on nothing.
She moved on, got into business-related classes and it was simply written down by dad as a loss. At least she didn’t wrap up four years and discover the worthless nature of the degree then.
I noticed recently that these city or urban tourist boards that have popped up....are mostly made up with graduates with either psychological or acting degrees. At least they are gainfully employed and paying taxes, and maybe there is some type of field for their employment future.
The people I look at....are the ones with women’s studies or ethnic studies....who have no real employment future at all....then end up at some airport car rental shop as a manager (a field that used to be reserved for folks with a high school diploma).
This is a good start, but needs to go further.
As I see it, colleges and universities are enticing prospective studies with the following conditions:
1.) Give us 4-years
2.) Give us $100,000 in fees
At the end of those 4-years, the college will give the graduate a piece of paper with his/her name on it (diploma). The question is: How valuable is that diploma? Is it valuable at all? If there is NO demand for a certain degree or a placed job can not even pay back the student loans, then that is a good indication that the degree in question is worthless and should not be offered.
Should there be courses on Greek Mythology and Japanese Haiku poetry? For the benefit of satisfying an elective course, yes. Should DEGREES be offered for Greek Mythology and Japanese Haiku poetry? That is the question.
No one is preventing you on learning any subject. It can be done on-line or at the library. What I see the colleges and universities are offering some degrees that are worthless and consumers (prospective students) should be protected from that. It is no different when investing firms were offering to sell junk bonds and penny-stocks and misleading investors on the true worth of such bonds and stocks.
This all sounds good to me.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.