Congress Offers Promising Start To Make Higher Education Progress

Yes, Congress remains dysfunctional. But at least some good ideas are percolating in the House when it comes to higher education.

House Republicans recently released “The College Cost Reduction Act.” It would make college costs more transparent, phase out Graduate PLUS and Parent PLUS loans, expand the Pell Grant for students likely to graduate on time, and make sure all colleges have skin in the game when their graduates fail to earn enough to repay their federal student loans.

The legislation mirrors some of the key recommendations I made to the House Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Investment. I called for up-front price transparency and that colleges share in the risk with taxpayers when student borrowers don’t repay their loans.

I also recommended that the federal government stop thinking that existing accreditors are a quality assurance answer. And that they should stop regulating inputs—how a college does its work. Instead, they should free schools up and reward them for delivering value for students and taxpayers.