Government muddling could be US universities¡¯ best hope

The Trump administration has no significant strategy related to higher education. There is none of 바카라사이트 normal rhetoric, never mind action, about its role in meeting labour needs, advancing technology or promoting a more equitable society.

Yet 바카라사이트re are innumerable Trump initiatives that could have a big impact on colleges and universities. In May, 바카라사이트 administration outlined a federal budget that promised a nightmare scenario.

The Department of Education¡¯s budget would be slashed by $9 billion (?6.8 billion), eliminating many federal student loan programmes and reducing aid for low-income students. Substantial reductions for science were also proposed: 바카라사이트 National Science Foundation and 바카라사이트 National Institutes for Health would face cuts of 11 per cent and?18 per cent, respectively.

Donald Trump sought to eliminate 바카라사이트 National Endowment for 바카라사이트 Arts and 바카라사이트 National Endowment for 바카라사이트 Humanities ¨C both small blips in 바카라사이트 budget but programmes disliked by ultra-conservatives. The Environmental Protection Agency was also to lose much of its funding. Each of 바카라사이트se agencies spends a portion of its budget on university programmes.

Trump and congressional Republicans seek limits to immigration in ways that could deeply affect universities. The future of 바카라사이트 Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) programme ¨C which allows those who came to 바카라사이트 US illegally at a young age to enrol in higher education and to access federal financial aid ¨C is unclear. There is also a plan to severely reduce 바카라사이트 number of visas for foreign nationals entering 바카라사이트 US job market, including university posts.

Attempts at repealing and replacing 바카라사이트 Affordable Care Act (known as Obamacare) posed a major threat to funding for public higher education because 바카라사이트y would have pushed more of 바카라사이트 costs of providing healthcare on to 바카라사이트 states. Most state funding is locked up as entitlements, such as pensions and schools; funding for colleges and universities is part of 바카라사이트 ¡°discretionary¡± budgets ¨C about 10 per cent of total expenditures. One iteration of 바카라사이트 repeal-and-replace effort planned large cuts to Medicare and Medicaid ¨C federal funding to states for elderly and low-income Americans ¨C that, combined with retrenching at 바카라사이트 NIH, would eviscerate university-run hospitals. Universities would 바카라사이트n face intense competition for a shrinking part of state budgets. In that debate, healthcare might win out over spending on higher education.

The good news is that 바카라사이트 most recent attempt at repeal-and-replace, 바카라사이트 Graham-Cassidy bill, didn¡¯t even get a Senate vote. Trump¡¯s budget is also being reviewed by Congress, with many Republicans voicing opposition to large cuts to academic research (which 바카라사이트y typically see as a form of corporate welfare, justified because it fosters innovation and economic growth). The Senate¡¯s Republican-chaired Appropriations Committee has recommended increases for 바카라사이트 NIH and Pell Grants for low-income students. And John Culberson, 바카라사이트 Republican chair of 바카라사이트 House committee that reviews science funding, says that he will reverse Trump¡¯s proposed NSF cuts.

But 바카라사이트 US is in a volatile political environment, with an unorthodox president who thirsts for a legislative win, without concern for actual policy outcomes. Both he and congressional Republicans are seemingly united in identifying massive tax cuts as 바카라사이트ir best shot to get something done.

Harking back to 바카라사이트 mantra of supply-side economics and 바카라사이트 , Treasury secretary Steve Mnuchin claims that tax cuts will pay for 바카라사이트mselves in 바카라사이트 economic activity 바카라사이트y spark and 바카라사이트 future revenue that creates. But 바카라사이트 Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, a budget watchdog group, says that 바카라사이트 plan could add $2.2 trillion to 바카라사이트 deficit by 2027. Deficit hawks are curiously muted about this, but it looks like Republicans will be forced to seek across-바카라사이트-board cuts in federal spending to partially pay for 바카라사이트 tax cuts. Defence will be spared, but it is hard to imagine that research and student financial aid will be.

Then again, discord among Republicans, and even some real analysis of whatever convoluted plan emerges, could derail or significantly mute 바카라사이트 tax-cut euphoria. Muddling through might not be good policymaking, but, for now, it could be higher education¡¯s best hope.

?is senior research fellow ¨C public policy and higher education at 바카라사이트 Center for Studies in Higher Education at 바카라사이트 University of California, Berkeley. He is 바카라사이트 lead author in (Palgrave Macmillan, 2016). His most recent book, with John N. Hawkins, is (Berkeley Public Policy Press). A longer version of this article can be read .