House and Senate Hold Hearings on Higher Education Policies
The House and Senate education committees both held hearings this week focusing on a variety of college and university issues. The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions held a hearing on the “State of Higher Education,” and the House Subcommittee on Higher Education and the Workforce held a hearing titled “Restoring Excellence: The Case Against DEI.”
The Senate hearing primarily focused on the value of higher education and the role of the federal government in supporting institutions and students. A substantial part of the hearing focused specifically on student loan borrowing and debt.
Dr. Michael Lindsay, President of Taylor University in Indiana, and Dr. Mark Brown, President of Tuskegee University in Alabama both testified in strong support of the work their institutions are doing and gave specific examples of student success stories. They made the case that their institutions, and institutions like theirs, fulfill unique missions, serve students, and support their local communities without substantial tuition increases.
Andrew Gillen, a research fellow at the Cato Institute, proposed caps on federal spending and loans. Dr. Mike Pierce, the Executive Director of the Student Borrower Protection Center made the case that too little attention is being paid to the for-profit sector when looking at college costs and it’s the “deal cutting” between the federal government and “these private companies” that are the primary factor driving dangerous increases in college costs.
Several HELP committee members expressed concern and opposition to the House “risk-sharing” proposal. However, there was widespread support among committee members and witnesses for the Pell Grant program and the need for Pell expansion to be part of any proposals on loan limits.
Meanwhile, the House hearing covered now-familiar territory debating the flaws and merits of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies. Subcommittee Chair Burgess Owens (R-UT) began the hearing by criticizing the use of DEI in higher education, alleging that such programs are discriminatory, contribute to a lack of ideological diversity on campus, and divert resources from students. His remarks were largely echoed by other Republicans on the subcommittee and by several of the witnesses.
In contrast, Democrats on the committee sought to defend DEI programs, arguing that such programs enhance, rather than detract from, merit-based opportunities. Their principal witness, Dr. Shaun Harper, Provost Professor of Education at the University of Southern California, cited decades of research demonstrating the educational benefits of DEI programs in higher education.
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