As higher education policies get debated throughout the ongoing economic plight imposed by the pandemic, a group of higher education experts highlighted policies that those in the conservative sphere should be advocating in favor of.
The conversation, held on Wednesday, is a follow-up to a round table held at the outset of President Joe Biden’s administration and was meant to serve as a call to action for what conservative leaders should aim to propose — instead of critiquing policies that they are simply against.
“What I’m particularly interested in is: what should conservative be for when it comes to solving real problems for American students and families and communities when it comes to higher education?” said Frederick Hess, director of education policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute, during the panel’s discussion.
On the policy front, the guests stressed the importance of promoting clearer guidance for student loan repayment plans, a focus of potential loan forgiveness for borrowers with smaller debts, additional transparency for consumers, and a reassessment of costs based on what colleges are providing for their students.
When it comes to the potential for student loan forgiveness Beth Akers, a resident scholar at AEI, took issue with more liberal proposals that have aimed to offer forgiveness up to $50,000.