On higher education, the difference between Republicans and Democrats couldn’t be starker
Matt Kandrach
September 11, 2024
OPINION:
With less than two months to go, the 2024 presidential election is nearing its final stretch. While Donald Trump and the Republican Party have made inflation, border security, and the economy their top issues, it’s refreshing to see another concern get outsized attention from the campaign: higher education. For too long, this important issue hasn’t been part of the policy discussion. And if Republicans offer solutions to the current administration’s incompetence and bias, it could be a winning message in November.
Higher education has become a campaign issue because college affordability and accessibility is now a real kitchen table issue for millions of American families. Nearly half of parents say they would prefer not to send their children to a traditional four-year college after high school, and two-thirds of high-school students think they will be just fine without a college degree. According to recent data the average cost per year to attend a private nonprofit four-year school was a whopping $40,000.
Today, most traditional colleges fail to equip students with marketable skills to take into the workforce. They do, however, trap them in student loan debt that is becoming increasingly difficult to repay.
