House Subcommittee holds hearing to discuss exorbitant tuition costs
Numerous ideas to reduce the cost of attending college were proposed by both Republicans and Democrats.
The committee chairwoman believes Democrats are using this as a mechanism to try and win the next election.
This summer, the Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Development held a hearing to investigate what can be done to lower current college tuition costs.
Though both Democrats and Republican legislators agreed that action must be taken to lower the cost of university tuition, Campus Reform asked Committee Chairwoman Rep. Dr. Virginia Foxx if she thinks Democrats have different motivations than Republicans for doing so.
“It’s clear that the Biden administration is using its free college agenda to win votes next election,” she told Campus Reform. “Biden’s allies in Congress are pushing this student loan scheme too, proposing measures that would create a culture of government dependence in America.”
Several GOP lawmakers including Dr. Foxx, Rep. Jim Banks, Rep. Ashley Hinson, and Agriculture Committee Chair “GT” Thompson introduced the PELL Act.
Hinson—representing Iowa’s 2nd District— stated in an email from her press team to Campus Reform that “President Biden’s student loan cancelation scheme is nothing more than a handout to the wealthy and a total slap in the face to working Americans. Iowans who didn’t go to college or already paid off their loans should not be on the hook for someone else’s expensive degree.”
Hinson continued, “While Biden continues this disingenuous political ploy, I’ll continue working to expand opportunities in the trades that allow students to graduate with in-demand skills and succeed in our economy.”
Dr. Foxx informed Campus Reform of some other possible options as well.
“Republicans are offering targeted solutions to lower tuition costs and fix the broken student loan system, such as the Federal Assistance to Initiate Repayment (FAIR) Act and the College Cost Transparency and Student Protection Act,” she stated.
Dr. Foxx also clarified that “These bills are predicated on individual responsibility and take major steps towards fixing a student loan system that has failed students and taxpayers.”
According to Inside Higher Ed, the act would permit Pell Grants for short-term educational programs to make sure that “students and taxpayers receive a positive return on investment within three years or less.”
Previous Campus Reform coverage has shown that college is too expensive for modern Americans. For example, according to a survey, only 44% of parents said they were ready to pay for their child’s college education the summer prior to their freshman year.
“The Committee is working to fix the postsecondary education system from all sides,” Dr. Foxx told Campus Reform. “On one hand, we must continue to reel in an executive branch that believes it’s above the law. On the other, we must hold colleges and universities accountable by ensuring they have skin in the game.”
Campus Reform contacted all relevant parties for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
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