Welcome back to another edition of Higher Ed on the Hill, where we break down the top issues facing higher education policy.

Any person who believes that higher education reform and the issue of college choice are critical priorities for our nation should be elated to see former President Donald J. Trump’s historic electoral sweep on Tuesday night. This electoral mandate signals the end of the Biden-Harris administration’s attack on career colleges, and an opportunity to correct course and eliminate their disastrous policies like Gainful Employment.

There is a long roster of like-minded, conservative folks ready to step up to the plate as the next Secretary of Education. Here’s who we’re watching:

• • • • Former Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos. Since her last spin as Secretary, DeVos has ramped up her support for school choice across the nation. Notably, Reps. Walberg and Owens have already signaled their support for her return.
      • Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin. Not only was the Governor popularized by calling to end DEI and CRT policies, he acted on those campaign promises throughout his tenure. Plus, the Governor is out of a job in 2026 and was a key surrogate on the 2024 trail.
      • Republican Conference Chair, Congresswoman Elise Stefanik. To say the Congresswoman dominated the airwaves in response to campus unrest and antisemitism last year would be an understatement. Since then, she has remained a top higher education voice both on the campaign trail and on the Hill.

 

Our final pick: House Education Chairwoman Virginia Foxx. We haven’t seen any politicos speculate on this choice, but we never count her out.

 

Must Read – Part 1: Rep. Tim Walberg’s Case to Chair Ed and Workforce via the Washington Reporter

“If we have education in place that fits with the workforce, then why cloister off to four-year institutions, community colleges? Why not short-term certification programs that put people in careers that can offer significant salaries? We came close to getting that done, we need to keep doing that.”

Must Read – Part 2: Rep. Burgess Owen’s Case to Chair Ed and Workforce via the Washington Reporter

On oversight efforts: “We can defund, and when we start talking about defunding that’s a big deal. That’s what [Democrats have] done to those colleges, the education system, anybody they don’t like, the career, the technical, those types of institutions, they’ve been able to hurt them by defunding them. Well, we’re going to do this. We’re just going to defund only those who are not doing a good job for our kids.”

What’s New? Elite Colleges Accused of Price-Fixing to Make Divorced Parents Pay More via the Washington Post

“Colleges have complained that some families find ways to game the system by withholding a complete picture of their finances. Yet students are increasingly questioning whether colleges are themselves manipulating financial aid practices to hold onto more of their institutional dollars.”

Read more about college loan fairness here.