{"id":2423003,"date":"2025-04-13T10:03:59","date_gmt":"2025-04-13T14:03:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/president-trump-can-go-even-further-by-fixing-higher-education\/"},"modified":"2025-04-13T10:06:46","modified_gmt":"2025-04-13T14:06:46","slug":"president-trump-can-go-even-further-by-fixing-higher-education","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/president-trump-can-go-even-further-by-fixing-higher-education\/","title":{"rendered":"President Trump Can Go Even Further by Fixing Higher Education"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fpresident-trump-can-go-even-further-by-fixing-higher-education%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2423003&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The article expresses the concerns of a mother with a high school senior regarding the current state of higher education in the U.S., notably focusing on the overwhelming burden of student debt. With total <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/white-house-releases-list-of-president-trumps-accomplishments-and-it-is-historic\/\" title=\"White House Releases List of President ...\u2019s Accomplishments \u2013  And It Is Historic!\">student loan debt<\/a> reaching $1.77 trillion and the average borrower owing over $38,000, many students, especially from Hispanic communities, are <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/rugby-rfu-suspends-worcester-from-all-competitions-amid-financial-issues\/\" title=\"Rugby-RFU suspends Worcester from all competitions amid financial issues\">facing financial challenges<\/a> that delay major life milestones after graduation. <\/p>\n<p>The author criticizes the education system for perpetuating a cycle of debt due to rising tuition fees driven by the availability of federal loans,which allow colleges to increase costs without incentivizing them to be more efficient or affordable. The current accreditation system is described as outdated and protective of traditional institutions, obstructing cheaper and innovative alternatives.<\/p>\n<p>Proposed reforms include breaking the accreditation monopoly to foster competition, removing unnecessary degree requirements for federal jobs, better recognizing advanced placement course credits, and making general education courses more accessible and affordable through online platforms or community colleges.The article concludes with a call to action for President Trump to implement these reforms, emphasizing that such measures could greatly benefit families and restore the educational system as a genuine pathway to possibility.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<section> \t\t\t\t<script>console.log(\"ad slot (AC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC2)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC3)\")<\/script><\/p>\n<p>As a mother of a high school senior, I see what millions of American families see: a higher education system that demands more and delivers less. We tell our kids that a college degree is their ticket to the American dream&mdash;but for too many, that dream is being buried under a mountain of debt.<\/p>\n<p>Today, student loan debt in the U.S. has reached $1.77 trillion, with the average borrower owing over $38,000. More than 43 million Americans hold federal loans, and the impact is being felt across every community&mdash;including among Hispanic families, where 67% of graduates leave college with debt. For many, that debt delays marriage, homeownership, and having children&mdash;life milestones that should follow higher education, not be postponed because of it.<\/p>\n<p>President Trump is already taking decisive action. His restructuring of the Department of Education last month under Secretary Linda McMahon is a bold first step toward transforming a system that has become bloated, inefficient, and out of touch with the needs of students and families. Because the truth is: the system isn&rsquo;t just broken&mdash;it&rsquo;s rigged.<\/p>\n<p>Colleges have raised tuition year after year, knowing students can borrow more to cover the difference. At public universities, students now borrow an average of $31,960 just to earn a bachelor&rsquo;s degree. Some institutions charge $3,000 to $8,000 for a single three-credit course&mdash;often in subjects unrelated to a student&rsquo;s major or career goals. General education requirements can make up over a year&rsquo;s worth of coursework, extending time to graduation and inflating costs.<\/p>\n<p>All of this is enabled by an outdated accreditation system that protects legacy institutions and blocks affordable, innovative alternatives. Universities face no pressure to reduce costs because they know federal loans will keep flowing. The result is a cycle of debt and disappointment.<\/p>\n<p> <script type=\"text\/javascript\"> \t\t\tif ( getCookie( \"ff_subbed\" ) ) { \t\t\t\tdocument.getElementById(\"stnvideo\").remove() \t\t\t} else { \t\t\t\tdocument.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\", function() { \t\t\t\t\tfunction loadScript(src) { \t\t\t\t\t\tconst script=document.createElement(\"script\"); \t\t\t\t\t\tscript.src=src; \t\t\t\t\t\tscript.async=true; \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.body.appendChild(script); \t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\tfunction findPreviousParagraph(selector, x) { \t\t\t\t\t\tconst targetElement=document.querySelector(selector); \t\t\t\t\t\tif (!targetElement) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.warn(\"Target element not found.\"); \t\t\t\t\t\t\treturn null; \t\t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Get all <\/p>\n<p> elements in order as they appear in the document \t\t\t\t\t\tlet paragraphs=Array.from(document.querySelectorAll(\"p\"));  \t\t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Find the index of the last <\/p>\n<p> before the target element \t\t\t\t\t\tlet targetIndex=paragraphs.findIndex(p=> p.compareDocumentPosition(targetElement) & Node.DOCUMENT_POSITION_PRECEDING);  \t\t\t\t\t\tif (targetIndex===-1 || targetIndex <x) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.warn(\"Not enough paragraphs before the target element.\"); \t\t\t\t\t\t\treturn null; \t\t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\treturn paragraphs[targetIndex - x]; \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Set up IntersectionObserver \t\t\t\t\tfunction observeElement(element) { \t\t\t\t\t\tif (!element) return;  \t\t\t\t\t\tconst observer=new IntersectionObserver( \t\t\t\t\t\t\t(entries)=> { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tentries.forEach(entry=> { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tif (entry.isIntersecting) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.log(\"Paragraph is now visible:\", entry.target.textContent.trim()); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tloadScript(\"https:\/\/embed.sendtonews.com\/player3\/embedcode.js?fk=s28Az7AY\"); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tobserver.disconnect(); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t}, \t\t\t\t\t\t\t{ threshold: 0.5 } \/\/ Adjust threshold as needed \t\t\t\t\t\t);  \t\t\t\t\t\tobserver.observe(element); \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Find the 1st paragraph before #stnvideo and observe it \t\t\t\t\tlet paragraphToObserve=findPreviousParagraph(\"#stnvideo\", 2); \t\t\t\t\tobserveElement(paragraphToObserve); \t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script> <\/p>\n<p>President Trump has the opportunity&mdash;and the authority&mdash;to fix it. He should start by breaking the accreditation monopoly. Today&rsquo;s accreditors act more like protection rackets than quality enforcers. States and private institutions should be empowered to create new accreditation bodies that emphasize affordability, real-world skills, and student outcomes&mdash;not bloated administration or ideological conformity. Secretary McMahon, with her background in innovation and entrepreneurship, is the right person to lead this charge.<\/p>\n<p>Second, Trump should build on his 2020 executive order that eliminated unnecessary degree requirements for federal jobs. Too many public and private sector employers continue to demand four-year degrees for roles that could be filled by someone with hands-on experience, a certificate, or technical training. By shifting the focus from credentials to competence, we can create new pathways to success for millions of Americans&mdash;without forcing them into long-term debt.<\/p>\n<p>Third, the administration should level the playing field for students who take Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), or dual-enrollment courses in high school. In many cases, universities refuse to honor these credits, forcing students to retake courses they&rsquo;ve already passed. By tying federal funding to credit recognition, President Trump can save students time and tens of thousands of dollars, much like European systems that award bachelor&rsquo;s degrees in just three years.<\/p>\n<p>Finally, it&rsquo;s time to inject real competition into general education. The president should issue an executive order requiring all federally funded universities to offer gen-ed requirements through accredited online platforms or community colleges&mdash;at no additional cost to students. Let families shop around. Let schools prove their value.<\/p>\n<p>This agenda would transform the economics of college&mdash;and it would restore higher education to its proper role: a pathway to opportunity, not a source of lifelong financial hardship.<\/p>\n<p>And it would particularly benefit those who have long viewed education as their best shot at upward mobility&mdash;immigrant families, working-class parents, first-generation students, and yes, Hispanic Americans who still believe in the promise of education.<\/p>\n<p>President Trump has already taken the first step, and now he can Make Education Great Again.<\/p>\n<p>By reforming accreditation, <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\">rolling back unnecessary degree requirements<\/a>, honoring early-college coursework, and making general education competitive, he can lead a transformation that empowers students, lifts families, and restores fairness to a system that desperately needs it.<\/p>\n<p>This is how we make higher education serve the people again&mdash;not the institutions.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p><i><b>The views expressed in this opinion article are those of their author and are not necessarily either d or endorsed by the owners of this website. If you are interested in contributing an Op-Ed to The Western Journal, you can learn about our submission guidelines and process <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/submitop-ed\/\">here<\/a>.<\/b><\/i><\/p>\n<div style=\"position: relative;\">\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\"> \t\t\t \t<\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-submit-correction inner-content\">\n<div class=\"correction-form\">\n<form style=\"display: none;\">\n<div class=\"sc-name-field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* Name<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"name\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"sc--field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* <\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<label>* Message<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t<textarea name=\"message\" required><\/textarea> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"required-message\" style=\"display: none; padding-bottom: 15px;\">* All fields are required.<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"submit\" value=\"Submit\" onclick=\"event.preventDefault(); firefly_sc();\"> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"firefly-sc-confirm\" style=\"display: none;\">Success!<\/div>\n<\/p><\/form>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> \t\t<script> \t\t\tfunction firefly_sc() { \t\t\t\tif( typeof window.captchaPublicKey==typeof undefined ){ \t\t\t\t\tconsole.error('window.captchaPublicKey is not defined'); \t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\tgrecaptcha.execute( window.captchaPublicKey, { action: 'submit_correction' } ).then( function( token ) { \t\t\t\t\tvar opts={ \t\t\t\t\t\taction:    'firefly_sc_submit', \t\t\t\t\t\tname:      document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"name\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\t:     document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tmessage:   document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"message\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tpost_id:   firefly_post_id, \t\t\t\t\t\tcap_token: token \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tvar inputs=[ 'name', '', 'message' ];  \t\t\t\t\tfor( var i=0; i <inputs.length; i++ ) if( ! ( opts[inputs[i]]=document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"' + inputs[i] + '\"]' ).value ) ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .required-message' ).style.display='block'; \t\t\t\t\t\treturn; \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction input[type=\"submit\"]' ).style.display='none'; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).src=firefly_loading_gif_url; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display='inline-block';  \t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( 'ma subbing' );  \t\t\t\t\tif( firefly_post_id ) opts['post_id']=firefly_post_id;  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Send the data using post with element id name and name2*\/ \t\t\t\t\tvar posting=jQuery.post( firefly_ajax_url, opts );  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Alerts the results *\/ \t\t\t\t\tposting.done( function( response ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tif( response.success ) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( response.data ); \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display='none'; \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-confirm' ).style.display='block';  \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdataLayer.push( { 'event': 'submit-correction' } ); \t\t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script> \t     \t\t\t\t\t\t     \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p style=\"border: 1px solid #f5f5f5; padding: 16px;\">Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/advertise-us\/?wj_source=article\">Advertise Today<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><script>console.log(\"ad slot (BA1)\")<\/script> \t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\"> \t\t\t \t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As a mother of a high school senior, I witness what countless American families experience: a higher education system that requires more yet provides less. We tell our children that obtaining a college degree is their gateway to the American dream, but for many, that dream is overshadowed by overwhelming debt. Currently, student loan debt in the U.S. has soared to $1.77 trillion, with the average borrower owing over $38,000. More than 43 million Americans have federal loans, and this burden affects every community\u2014especially Hispanic families, where 67% of graduates leave college with debt. For many individuals, this financial strain delays significant life events like marriage and homeownership\u2014milestones that should follow education rather than be postponed because of it. President Trump has already begun taking action; his recent restructuring of the Department of Education under Secretary Linda McMahon marks an important step toward reforming a system that has become bloated and disconnected from students&#8217; needs. The reality is: the system isn&#8217;t just flawed\u2014it&#8217;s rigged against students.<\/p>\n<p>Colleges continue to raise tuition annually while knowing students can borrow more to cover costs. At public universities, students now incur an average debt of $31,960 just for earning a bachelor&#8217;s degree; some institutions charge between $3,000 and $8,000 for individual courses often unrelated to students&#8217; majors or career aspirations. General education requirements can extend graduation time by over a year and inflate expenses further\u2014all supported by an outdated accreditation system that protects established institutions while hindering affordable alternatives.<\/p>\n<p>President Trump has both the opportunity and authority to address these issues starting with dismantling the accreditation monopoly which currently resembles protection rackets rather than quality assurance entities. States and private organizations should be allowed to establish new accrediting bodies focused on affordability and real-world skills instead of administrative bloat or ideological conformity.<\/p>\n<p>Additionally, he should build upon his 2020 executive order eliminating unnecessary degree prerequisites for federal jobs since many employers still require four-year degrees for positions suitable for candidates with practical experience or technical training.<\/p>\n<p>The administration must also ensure fairness for high school students who take Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), or dual-enrollment courses as universities often disregard these credits forcing them into retaking classes they\u2019ve already completed.<\/p>\n<p>Lastly, introducing genuine competition in general education is essential; President Trump could mandate federally funded universities offer general education requirements through accredited online platforms or community colleges at no extra cost to students allowing families greater choice in their educational investments.<\/p>\n<p>This agenda would reshape college economics making higher education truly serve as an avenue towards opportunity rather than lifelong financial struggle particularly benefiting those who view it as their best chance at upward mobility including immigrant families working-class parents first-generation scholars and Hispanic Americans committed to educational promise.<\/p>\n<p>By reforming accreditation rolling back unnecessary degree mandates recognizing early-college coursework enhancing competition in general education he can lead transformative changes empowering learners supporting families restoring equity within this critical sector needing urgent improvement<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2423004,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Picture-2025-04-12T163906.177.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[37383,32189,50402,38235,3634],"class_list":["post-2423003","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-education-reform","tag-higher-education","tag-leadership-2","tag-policy-reform","tag-trump"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Picture-2025-04-12T163906.177.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2423003","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2423003"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2423003\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2423007,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2423003\/revisions\/2423007"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2423004"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2423003"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2423003"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2423003"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}