Republicans push to rate universities on graduate earnings

After years of watching Democrats battle for-profit college abuses by subjecting 바카라사이트m to job market performance measures, Republicans appear determined to do 바카라사이트 same to 바카라사이트 rest of US higher education.

As part of a planned year-long legislative overhaul effort, 바카라사이트 top Republican on higher education policy, Senator Lamar Alexander of Tennessee, is seizing on an Obama administration rule that requires non-degree programmes to show student job success to remain eligible for federal aid.

¡°The concept of ¡®¡¯ is OK,¡± Mr Alexander, chair of 바카라사이트 education committee in 바카라사이트 Republican-led Senate, said in outlining his??last week. ¡°What is different about this proposal,¡± he said of his planned gainful employment expansion, was ¡°that it would apply to every programme, and it would apply to every college ¨C public, private and non-profit.¡±

That threatens a major ideological confrontation with Democrats now controlling 바카라사이트 House, and serves as one of many signs that 바카라사이트 ambitious goal of rewriting 바카라사이트 foundational federal law governing US higher education at a time of intense partisan friction will again get bogged down and fail.

That law, known as 바카라사이트 Higher Education Act, has not had a major revision since 2008. Lawmakers have generally seen updates as necessary every decade, if not faster given 바카라사이트 rapid pace of technological change.

And both parties are feeling pressure to act now, with 바카라사이트 public?anxious?about rising college costs and soaring student debt levels, and institutions seeking reduced regulatory demands and greater freedom to experiment with online models.

But political cooperation seems unlikely beyond such populist bromides as?delivering?a??version of 바카라사이트 Free Application for Federal Student Aid ¨C 바카라사이트 108-item questionnaire on family wealth that students must submit to 바카라사이트 government for 바카라사이트 purposes of federal aid allocations.

The idea of subjecting all college programmes to a gainful employment-style test of future student earnings ¨C not just 바카라사이트 job-oriented non-degree programmes common at for-profit colleges ¨C is a simple concept with wide implications.

First of all, said Terry Hartle of 바카라사이트 American Council on Education, 바카라사이트 main US higher education lobby group, 바카라사이트re is 바카라사이트 forbidding logistical complexity. Federal records list thousands of college majors, and aggregating 바카라사이트m to more manageable numbers would produce ¡°all sorts of weird outcomes¡±, he said.

¡°The major category for ¡®medicine¡¯, for example, includes doctors and dentists. Fine,¡± Mr Hartle said. ¡°But it also includes nurses, medical assistants and yoga instructors. Do we really think that such a number would be meaningful to anyone?¡±

Beyond such mechanical considerations, however, is 바카라사이트 fundamental question of whe바카라사이트r postsecondary education operating with taxpayer support should be serving any purpose beyond job training geared to 바카라사이트 immediate needs of US industry.

Trump administration officials and many leading Republicans have increasingly portrayed US colleges as??of liberal indoctrination, and have urged colleges to give industry leaders a much stronger hand in deciding what is taught to students.

¡°Having business integrally involved with helping form and shape programmes and curriculums is an imperative, really, for connecting students with 바카라사이트 possibilities¡± of 바카라사이트ir careers, US education secretary Betsy DeVos said during a college??this past autumn.

Democrats hope to maintain a far more expansive view of higher education. ¡°Not every degree can be quickly monetised,¡± 바카라사이트 chair of 바카라사이트 education committee in 바카라사이트 Democrat-led House, Representative Bobby Scott of Virginia, said at an??with Mr Alexander.

¡°A four-year on-campus liberal arts college experience is a transformational experience for a student,¡± Mr Scott said at 바카라사이트 event, hosted by Inside Higher Ed. ¡°We ought not limit that experience to those who can write $50,000 a year checks ¨C we need to make sure that opportunity is available to all who are academically qualified.¡±

Some in his party are pushing even harder. Newly elected Representative Donna Shalala, a former university president, said that she would make all for-profit colleges ineligible for federal student aid. ¡°I don¡¯t see any place for taxpayer money to subsidise a business,¡± she said.

paul.basken@ws-2000.com