Staff Reports
Much has been said about President Biden's promise to cancel student loan debt. The income cap (individuals making over $125,000 won't be included in the plan) does little to limit the massive spending the government will incur to eliminate the debt. This is an unwise policy that won't work. If institutions continue to charge outrageous tuition rates and the federal government continues to loan young people ridiculous amounts of money, we will end up in the same place eventually.
To remedy the issue, Republicans must abolish federal student loans.
Why do we use federal tax dollars to subsidize overpriced schools where students are propagandized and don't graduate with real, useful skills?
If conservatives aren't ready to abolish federal student loans, they may cap them at $10,000 per student every year. This would make people question why it's worth paying such high tuition if the government won't fund it and they'll have to take out high-interest private loans. If the federal government keeps loaning money to pay high tuition rates, students have no motivation to quit paying them and schools have no reason to manage their spending.
Stop needless credentialing
Along with structural fixes, conservatives should engage at the grassroots level. Young people should consider trade school or practical professional training (nursing, cookery school, etc.) instead of a four-year college without a strategy. If possible, we should eliminate unneeded credentials. There is a trend away from requiring needless credentials in policy and governance, such as a law degree to enter politics.
I have coached undergraduates who wish to work in government, politics, and policy. All of them consider law school, but none desire to practice law. I dissuade them, and you should too. We must help young people build employment trajectories without wasting time and money on pointless, if not destructive, degrees.
Social Unrest
We have a culture crisis. High school graduates with no plans attend college. Federal government loans them tens (or hundreds) of thousands of dollars to go. They graduate and find they don't know what to do or lack the credentials to do it. Now they're in deep debt. So where do they go with their debt and uncertainty? To college. Don't worry, the federal government also loans them money for tuition. If the appropriate president is in office, the loans might be forgiven. So viewed, it's madness.
We have a cultural problem with how our youth view the future and a structural problem with the federal student loan system. It may take years to change how young people view school, credentials, and careers. The structural problem should be tackled aggressively once Republicans take control of Washington, D.C. Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin showed that waging the cultural struggle on education can be a winning issue for Republicans, and the battle for higher education is crucial. Conservatives must advocate for school reform.
The preceding is a summary of an article that originally appeared on THE FEDERALIST.
