It's higher education, stupid!

The June 2022 QS World University Rankings showed that over 50% of the 201 US universities surveyed dropped in rank, continuing a several-year downtrend. While this reflects growing global competition, it also reflects a lethargic attitude within the US to address this issue.

Higher education translates to better-paying jobs that drive the economy. However, fewer high-paying jobs, especially in the technology sector, go to Americans because they are less qualified than other candidates. Our fall in higher education is a clear and present danger.

Although the economy routinely polls as a significant voter issue, stunningly, higher education, an essential precondition, is not a voter priority. It is time to re-adapt Bill Clinton’s iconic 1992 campaign message, “It’s the economy, stupid,” to “It’s higher education, stupid!”

Our financial aid process and student loan system both need reform. As of July 2022, forty-eight million American families owed $1.75 trillion in student debt. This debt burden inhibits investments in home ownership and entrepreneurship, important engines of our economy.

The Universal tuition-free college idea has had fits and starts. President Obama tried to waive the first two years of tuition at community colleges but failed. President Biden’s modest student debt forgiveness plan through executive action has also encountered roadblocks.

Despite the lack of bi-partisan success at the national level, encouragingly, efforts to waive tuition have worked at the state level. Texas and New Mexico have come up with tuition relief programs. Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Maine have also focused on similar initiatives.

So, what are the obstacles to making universal tuition-free college a reality? First, pushback has come against giving money to families that can afford college without assistance. On the flip side, programs that benefit only select students limit political support for lawmakers.

Implementing universal tuition-free college requires political will and the ability to find the middle ground between finances, fairness, and politics. K-12, Medicare, and Social Security programs offer good templates. The federal government must set the tone from the top.

Specifically, the federal government should subsidize costs incurred by colleges and increase direct financial aid to students, with the net result that students graduate from college debt-free. In addition, a comprehensive plan to pardon existing student debt is imperative.

As voters, we should push our lawmakers to compromise on other federal spending priorities. Achieving one’s potential should not depend on the ability to pay for higher education. Universal tuition-free college helps America realize the potential in all her students.