OPINION:
Democrats and Republicans rarely see eye-to-eye these days, but I think we can all agree that earning a postsecondary degree or certification is just too expensive. Acknowledging the problem is a good start, but how will we actually lower the burden on millions of American families? My Democrat friends want to punt the problem while Republicans want to tackle it head on.
It’s no secret that college is tremendously expensive, and younger generations have waning confidence in the current postsecondary model, with two-thirds of high school students signaling they are better off without a degree. With tuition, fees, and inflation on the rise, we need solutions that ease the challenge of college affordability while holding schools accountable for the outcome of today’s students and tomorrow’s workforce.
That’s why earlier this year I and almost 150 of my colleagues introduced H.R. 6951, the College Cost Reduction Act (CCRA), which offers much-needed accountability, transparency, and affordability to the college marketplace. The CCRA treats the disease, not just the symptoms, and I’m pleased to have shepherded it through the House Education and the Workforce Committee back in January.
Unfortunately, none of the Democrats on the committee joined in passing this bill during the markup, offering only poison pill amendments. Hopefully, they will reconsider their opposition when this bill comes to the House floor. Already, our bill has unified many common-sense conservative organizations, including Americans for Prosperity, the National Taxpayers Union, and Consumer Action for a Strong Economy.
Students have voiced their frustration with the postsecondary education system, and it is reasonable for them to expect a commensurate return on investment on their tuition and for regulators to hold schools accountable to this standard. But the Biden-Harris administration has responded to this problem by targeting career colleges that enroll just 5% of students, rather than by holding all postsecondary institutions accountable for workforce development and placement. The CCRA would promote a new quality assurance model that ensures colleges have skin in the game. The bill holds every college in the country financially responsible if they overcharge for degrees that simply don’t pay off and leave students and taxpayers with debt they cannot afford. In addition, this bill would encourage change by offering performance-based PROMISE Grants to provide funds to institutions committed to lowering tuition and aligning their degree programs with the nation’s workforce needs.
By contrast, the Biden-Harris administration is repeatedly attempting to force American taxpayers to pay for a wide-sweeping student loan bailout scheme. The Biden-Harris plan puts the loans of degree holders—to the tune of nearly $138 billion—on the backs of workers who have either paid off their loans or who chose not to attend college at all. The CCRA curbs this unconstitutional power grab and takes action to rein in the Biden-Harris Department of Education, which continues to ignore the law and push a progressive agenda to appease the far-left in its party. At the same time, the bill actually fixes the broken student loan program by streamlining loan options and simplifying repayment, eliminating predatory interest capitalization and unnecessary loan fees, and providing targeted relief to borrowers who need it instead of blanket bailouts to those who don’t.
Students, families, and taxpayers can no longer afford the status quo when it comes to financing college. As an elected official, it is my duty to help foster freedom, good competition, and an environment where every American has a pathway to success. The CCRA lives up to this promise, offering real solutions that deliver the kind of postsecondary education students need and our economy demands.
• Rep. Virginia Foxx represents North Carolina’s 5th Congressional District. She is chair of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.
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