S.Hrg.119-91

1[Senate Hearing 119-91]2[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]34                                                         S. Hrg. 119-9156                     THE STATE OF HIGHER EDUCATION78=======================================================================910                                HEARING1112                                 OF THE1314                    COMMITTEE ON HEALTH, EDUCATION,15                          LABOR, AND PENSIONS1617                          UNITED STATES SENATE1819                    ONE HUNDRED NINETEENTH CONGRESS2021                             FIRST SESSION2223                                   ON2425                EXAMINING THE STATE OF HIGHER EDUCATION2627                               __________2829                              MAY 21, 20253031                               __________3233 Printed for the use of the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions3435                  [GRAPHIC NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]3637        Available via the World Wide Web: http://www.govinfo.gov3839                               ______4041                 U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE424360-602 PDF                WASHINGTON : 20264445          COMMITTEE ON HEALTH, EDUCATION, LABOR, AND PENSIONS4647                BILL CASSIDY, M.D., Louisiana, Chairman4849RAND PAUL, M.D., Kentucky            BERNIE SANDERS (I), Vermont,50SUSAN M. COLLINS, Maine                  Ranking Member51LISA MURKOWSKI, Alaska               PATTY MURRAY, Washington52MARKWAYNE MULLIN, Oklahoma           TAMMY BALDWIN, Wisconsin53ROGER MARSHALL, M.D., Kansas         CHRISTOPHER MURPHY, Connecticut54TIM SCOTT, South Carolina            TIM KAINE, Virginia55JOSH HAWLEY, Missouri                MAGGIE HASSAN, New Hampshire56TOMMY TUBERVILLE, Alabama            JOHN HICKENLOOPER, Colorado57JIM BANKS, Indiana                   ED MARKEY, Massachusetts58JON HUSTED, Ohio                     ANDY KIM, New Jersey59ASHLEY MOODY, Florida                LISA BLUNT ROCHESTER, Delaware60                                     ANGELA ALSOBROOKS, Maryland6162               Matthew Gallivan, Majority Staff Director63           Danielle Janowski, Majority Deputy Staff Director64                Warren Gunnels, Minority Staff Director65               Zain Rizvi, Minority Deputy Staff Director6667                            C O N T E N T S6869                              ----------7071                               STATEMENTS7273                        WEDNESDAY, MAY 21, 20257475                                                                   Page7677                           Committee Members7879Cassidy, Hon. Bill, Chairman, Committee on Health, Education,80  Labor, and Pensions, Opening statement.........................     181Sanders, Hon. Bernie, Ranking Member, U.S. Senator from the State82  of Vermont, Opening statement..................................     38384                               Witnesses8586Gillen, Dr., Andrew, Research Fellow, CATO Institute, Washington,87  DC.............................................................     588    Prepared statement...........................................     789    Summary statement............................................    1190Lindsay, Dr., Michael, President, Taylor University, Upland, IN..    1291    Prepared statement...........................................    1492Brown, Dr., Mark A., President, Tuskegee University, Tuskegee, AL    2593    Prepared statement...........................................    2794Lowery-Hart, Dr., Russell, Chancellor, Austin Community College95  District, Austin, TX...........................................    3296    Prepared statement...........................................    3497Pierce, Mike, Executive Director, Student Borrower Protection98  Center, Atlanta, GA............................................    3899    Prepared statement...........................................    40100    Summary statement............................................    66101102                     THE STATE OF HIGHER EDUCATION103104                              ----------105106                        Wednesday, May 21, 2025107108                                       U.S. Senate,109       Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions,110                                                    Washington, DC.111112    The Committee met, pursuant to notice, at 10:01 a.m., in113room 430, Dirksen Senate Office Building, Hon. Bill Cassidy,114Chairman of the Committee, presiding.115116    Present: Senators Cassidy [presiding], Marshall, Hawley,117Banks, Moody, Sanders, Kaine, Hassan, Hickenlooper, Kim, Blunt118Rochester, and Alsobrooks.119120                  OPENING STATEMENT OF SENATOR CASSIDY121122    The Chairman. The Senate Committee on Health, Education,123Labor, and Pensions will please come to order. In some124respects, the American higher education system has lost its125purpose.126127    Many college students are not learning skills needed to128succeed in the modern workforce, and studies show that the cost129of college is quickly outpacing the value of a student's130education. In the last 30 years, tuitions and fees at private131nonprofit colleges rose by 80 percent.132133    At public 4-year institutions, they have increased by 109134percent. Meanwhile, according to a non-partisan analysis, 23135percent of bachelor's degree programs and 43 percent of136master's degrees have a negative return on investment. This is137to say that students pay more for their degrees than the138increase in salaries they can expect. Now, this increased cost139often is not going to improve education.140141    Often those dollars are being funneled to promote a DEI142ideology, dividing students based on race and ethnicity. A143report studying 65 colleges and universities found that the144average institution was paying for 45 staff members to promote145DEI policies. By the way, these programs are subsidized by146taxpayers who contribute significant funding annually for these147universities.148149    Instead of promoting academic excellence, many campuses150have been ideologically captured, becoming hotbeds of hate and151division. Students leave college woefully unprepared for the152workforce while being saddled with insurmountable debt that153they cannot pay back. Comprehensive reform of higher education154is needed.155156    President Trump and Secretary McMahon are making progress,157including fixing the broken student loan program, but158Congressional action is needed to create lasting change. Over159the last several years, there have been multiple legislative160attempts to improve higher-ed to benefit students.161162    This includes my bipartisan College Transparency Act with163Senator Warren, which allows students to compare the164differences between prospective colleges and a major to see if165the value of the degree is worth the cost. Senator Tuberville166is leading the Graduate Opportunity and Affordable Loans Act to167end graduate plus loans, which have been inflationary to168tuition costs.169170    This bill puts downward pressure on rising college costs by171limiting graduate school borrowing. There is also the172Streamlining Accountability and Value in Education, or SAVE,173for Students Act led by Senator Cornyn, which streamlines174confusing repayment options for student loan borrowers,175decreasing the nine options to two, giving students and176families clarity as to which repayment plan best fits their177needs.178179    I look forward to discussing these and other policies in180depth today. It is a given, but nonetheless, I emphasize the181power of education. It can transform lives, lifting not just182the generation that attends college out of poverty, but the183subsequent generations in that family as well. It is also a184font of life-changing innovation and research, helps develop185life-saving cures, and define solutions to some of America's186biggest challenges.187188    But when universities fail in their basic responsibility to189ensure a safe learning environment, when students leave college190in debt and without hope for a brighter future, the American191people lose trust in higher-ed. There is no one who can192advocate for higher education better than the institutions193themselves.194195    Universities must make the case to the American people as196to why they are valuable to the Nation and are worthy of197taxpayer investment. I thank Taylor University and Tuskegee198University for being here. Rarely are HBCUs or religiously199oriented universities mentioned in conversations about the200landscape of how to improve America's higher education system.201202    We will also hear from the Austin, Texas Community College203District, which offers an interesting perspective beyond204traditional 4-year universities. A great opportunity for all to205share stories of the value you provide. I will make one more206comment. As I mentioned earlier, it is important that everyone207has an opportunity to speak to the American people on this208important topic.209210    Each person and institution should have the right to make211their case. In light of that, it is known, but I will comment212upon, that Harvard University had been requested to attend213today's panel. Harvard is the world--is world famous for its214cutting edge research, which helps make not only our Nation,215but the world healthier.216217    But there have been recent episodes in a recent report on218Antisemitism within Harvard's culture. This would have been219Harvard's chance to tell the Committee and the country how it220is addressing Antisemitism, removing DEI from priorities, and221highlighting their value as a research institution.222223    Unfortunately, they declined the invitation. Thank you224again to our witnesses for being here. I look forward to225discussing how we can improve higher education so students can226succeed in the classroom and beyond. And with that, I recognize227Senator Sanders.228229                  OPENING STATEMENT OF SENATOR SANDERS230231    Senator Sanders. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. And let232me thank all of our guests for being here to discuss a very233important subject.234235    Needless to say, Mr. Chairman, you and I look at this world236a little bit differently regarding this subject. In my view, in237a highly competitive global economy, in an economy where238technology is changing the very nature of work and jobs we239perform, if we are going to have the kind of standard of living240that the American people deserve, we need the best educated241workforce in the world.242243    I would trust there is not a lot of debate about the244importance of that. Sadly, that is not the case today. Our245Nation used to lead the world in the percentage of adults with246a college degree. We were No. 1. Today, despite being the247wealthiest Nation in the history of the world, we are in 11th248place in terms of the percentage of adults with a college249degree.250251    We are now behind countries like Japan, South Korea,252Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, and253Switzerland, among others. Being 11th in a competitive global254economy in the number of our people who have college degrees is255not a good place to be. Mr. Chairman, not only must we strive256to have the strongest economy in the world, we also need an257economy and an educational system which provides for the basic258necessities of life for the American people.259260    Yet today, in our Country, we have an understaffed261workforce, something which this Committee has discussed, which262has led us to massive shortages of doctors, nurses, dentists,263pharmacists, mental health counselors, and psychologists. So,264we are living in a country where in terms of healthcare, we are265not able to even provide the kind of care that our people need.266That is one of the failures of our educational system.267268    Further, at a time when we face major infrastructural269challenges, and when we need to transform our energy system270away from fossil fuel in order to save this planet from the271ravages of climate change, we don't have enough engineers,272construction workers, plumbers, pipe fitters, sheet metal273workers, and electricians because we have not made274apprenticeship programs and trade schools widely available.275276    Moreover, Mr. Chairman, I happen to be a strong believer in277lifelong learning. Learning is not just the means to getting a278good job. As human beings, from 2 to 102, people strive to279learn. It is part of what being human is about, and we should280make that opportunity available to all.281282    Mr. Chairman, in the early part of the 19th century, not283only did low-income and working-class kids not have the284opportunity to go to college, many of them were unable to285receive a high school education or even a primary school286education. Young people at that point were working on farms,287they were working in fields, and they were working in288factories, often under terrible, terrible conditions.289290    Higher education at that time was available only to the291children of the wealthy, mostly boys. Working people and trade292unions understood at that time how unfair that was. They looked293around them. They saw the rich kids going to Harvard and Yale294and their kids not getting any education at all. And they295fought hard all over this country to say, you know what, we296want a public education system free for all kids to the 12th297grade. And that was a major step forward for the United States298of America.299300    Well, the world has changed just a little bit over the last301100 years. 40 or 50 years ago in Louisiana, or Vermont,302virtually any state in this country, if you received a high303school degree, the odds were pretty good that you would be able304to go out and get a decent paying job, raise a family, buy a305house, and survive on one income. That was 40 or 50 years ago.306Well, that world has changed.307308    Today, the global economy has changed the world, technology309has changed, and our educational needs have changed. Anybody310here really think that a high school degree is all that kids311need today? Most people don't. In America today, a college312degree is the equivalent in many ways of what a high school313degree was a generation ago.314315    Today, the median worker with a bachelor's degree will earn316over a million dollars more in their career than that same317worker with just a high-school diploma. But it is not just318money. Young people want to get the best education they can so319that they can be productive and contributing members of our320society.321322    All over this country, I have had the opportunity to talk323to young people who did well in high school. It is one of the324saddest stories you are ever going to hear. Kids did well in325high school, they want to get a college education, but they326simply can't afford it. They look at the price tag and they327say, no way am I going to go $50,000, $100,000 in debt.328329    How many wonderful young scientists and teachers do we lose330because they can't afford to go to college, or don't want to331leave school deeply in debt? And you talk about this Committee332deals with healthcare. Everybody on this Committee knows you333are a working class person, and you want to go to medical334school, you know what you leave medical school with? $500,000335in debt.336337    Anybody think that is vaguely sane at a time when we have a338massive shortage of doctors? All of us on this Committee have339talked to people who are paying off their student debt 20, 30,34040 years after graduating school. So, what is the answer?341342    In my view, the answer is to do what many other countries343around the world are doing and saying that in the richest344country in the history of the world, all of our people, rich,345poor, who want to get a higher education should be able to do346that regardless of their income.347348    That is why, Mr. Chairman, I have introduced legislation349called the College for All Act that will do just that. Bottom350line is, countries all over the world in Germany, France,351Finland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and Iceland, public colleges352and universities are tuition free.353354    Those countries are doing it not just for the young people355themselves, but for the future of their country. They356understand a well-educated population is good for the country.357We should be doing the same. So, thank you very much, Mr.358Chairman.359360    The Chairman. We will now proceed to the witnesses, and we361will introduce each witness as he is going to testify. So not362all at once, but. And so, I will introduce our first witness,363Dr. Andrew Gillen. Am I pronouncing that correctly, sir,364Gillen?365366    Mr. Gillen. Yes.367368    The Chairman. Dr. Gillen is a research fellow at the Cato369Institute, an independent think tank that advocates for370individual liberty, free markets, and peace.371372    Dr. Gillen is one of the most prolific and respected373researchers on higher-ed finance and accountability, and has374written extensively on student loan reform, Federal375accountability measures, and transparency in college outcomes.376Thank you for your expertise and sharing it with us, Dr.377Gillen. Please proceed, and you have 5 minutes.378379 STATEMENT OF ANDREW GILLEN, RESEARCH FELLOW, CATO INSTITUTE,380                         WASHINGTON, DC381382    Mr. Gillen. Chairman Cassidy, Ranking Member Sanders, and383esteemed Members of the Committee, thank you for this384opportunity to testify on these important matters. My full385written testimony has been submitted for the record. And386unfortunately, I won't have time to cover everything, but I do387want to highlight a few key points on the topics of388affordability----389390    The Chairman. Mr. Gillen, will you pull that microphone391closer to you?392393    Mr. Gillen. I do want to highlight a couple of comments on394the topics of accountability, affordability, and innovation.395So, regarding affordability. One of the main impediments to396Federal action improving college affordability is what is397called the Bennett Hypothesis, which refers to when colleges398raise tuition or cut institutional aid when financial aid is399provided.400401    There is a lot of literature that argues that this is402happening, but we can fight against it. And so, the two most403important ways to fight against it are one, introduce caps on404the Federal aid program. So things like Pell Grants and405undergraduate loans are capped, so we don't need to worry about406the Bennett Hypothesis too much there. But things like Grad407Plus and Parent Plus are uncapped.408409    To the extent that we keep these programs, it is very410important that we put caps on them to avoid colleges kind of411undermining the effectiveness of those aid programs. The other412thing we can do is adapt what is called the median cost of413attendance. And so right now, the way financial aid is awarded414is the college sets its own cost of attendance.415416    If it increases price by $1, the student gets $1 more in417aid. And this link between the college increasing price and the418aid eligibility is what is driving the Bennett hypothesis. We419can completely neuter that. We can sever that link by using the420median cost of college. So you still have each college set its421own costs of attendance, but you then determine aid eligibility422based on the median among all the colleges.423424    I would argue that we should do this at the program level425rather than the college level, but the concept is very similar.426Regarding accountability, most colleges are providing good427education at a reasonable cost, but there are too many cases428where the benefits from an education do not justify the cost429that are being paid by either the Government or the student, or430parents.431432    An accountability system would help reduce or completely433eliminate this problem. So a well-designed accountability434system would do a number of things. So one, it would be focused435on programs rather than institutions. So a program is like a436credential and field of study. So a bachelor's in nursing, that437would be a program. It should utilize the labor market438outcomes. It should be applied universally to all colleges, all439programs rather than selectively.440441    Now, these are concepts that are pretty widely discussed,442but there is two that are less widely discussed that I think443would really benefit. The first is that we can use carrots too.444So, all the accountability programs we have ever used in this445country have just been sticks. The only thing we have ever446threatened to do is take away financial aid.447448    We can use carrots. The carrots could be financial, so it449could be performance bonuses, or it could be regulatory relief.450So, why require a top performing college to be accredited or to451have state authorization? We can waive these regulatory452requirements for high performing colleges.453454    By using both carrots and sticks, that will introduce a lot455of variation in the accountability system that will get us456improved performance. The other thing that I think would be457really important for accountability systems going forward is to458use relative performance rather than a numerical cutoff.459460    The top 20, 25 percent of colleges should have different461sanctions and rewards than the bottom 25 percent. Okay, so what462accountability metrics could we use? I know people on this463Committee have advocated earnings floors, gainful employment.464All of these are all good things.465466    One under appreciated option is repayment rates. This467actually makes the most sense. It is the most logical468accountability metric for student loans. So we unfortunately469have not done much on repayment rates. The last kind of metric470that gets a lot of discussion is risk sharing. So risk sharing471is the idea that if the student fails to repay their student472loans, the college will then be responsible for either all or a473portion of it.474475    This is the approach the House has taken where they have476introduced a somewhat complicated risk sharing formula. I would477argue that risk sharing formula is actually no more complicated478than the gainful employment regulations, which we have479implemented for close to a decade here on and off. So I would480agree that it is not too complicated, but we can make it481simpler if we want to.482483    Regarding innovation, the main barrier here is484accreditation. So accreditation directs giant barriers to entry485for new colleges and it also forces all colleges to use the486same recipe of inputs and processes. Both of these really487suppress innovation.488489    To the extent we can reform accreditation to increase490competition among accreditors and to make sure they focus on491outcomes, that would lead to vast improvements in innovation.492Thank you for this opportunity to testify.493494    [The prepared statement of Mr. Gillen follows.]495                  prepared statement of andrew gillen496    Chairman Cassidy, and esteemed Members of the Committee, thank you497for giving me the opportunity to testify on these important matters.498499    The topic of this hearing is the state of higher education, and500unfortunately the current state is the worst of my lifetime. Many are501concerned about the value of higher education, the quality of the502education provided relative to the cost, but many are also concerned503about the values of higher education, the social and civic values it504chooses to pass along to students and society.505506    While there are many areas of concern, there is little the Federal507Government can or should do about some of them. For example, while508there are valid concerns about curricula and grade inflation, Federal509involvement would not fix the problems and would likely make things510worse.511512    But there are several areas where the Federal Government could have513a positive impact, largely by addressing undesirable and unintended514consequences of existing government policies and practices. In515particular, there is a strong case for Federal policy changes to516address affordability, accountability, and innovation.517                             Affordability518    The Federal Government provides around $140 billion in financial519aid each year, with a goal of promoting equality of opportunity and520increasing college affordability. Most of the aid takes the form of521grants, loans, or tax benefits. The effectiveness of these programs522varies widely. For instance, Pell grants are well designed and523implemented, and go far toward achieving their intended purpose. At the524other end of the spectrum are the tax benefits, which are;525526        mistargeted, going to high-income students due to universal527        rather than selective targeting. Tax benefits also operate more528        as delayed reimbursement than as financial aid. And even the529        aid that does make it to the middle class is largely captured530        by the colleges because many colleges strategically respond to531        the tax credits by raising tuition or reducing institutional532        aid. \1\533---------------------------------------------------------------------------534    \1\  Andrew Gillen, ``Higher Education Subsidization: Why and How535Should We Subsidize Higher Education?,'' Texas Public Policy536Foundation, April 2024.537538    Because they are so badly designed and ineffective, tax benefits539---------------------------------------------------------------------------540should be eliminated.541542    Student loans fall somewhere in the middle. Loans are necessary for543many students, but our current loan system is badly designed. One of544the main problems is that a substantial portion of this aid is545harvested by colleges without making college more affordable. There is546considerable evidence that colleges raise their prices and reduce547institutional aid when Federal financial aid is available. This548phenomenon is referred to as the Bennett Hypothesis. The scholarly549literature finds solid evidence that the Bennett Hypothesis is real:550551          Professors Cellini and Goldin found ``large and552        significant differences between the tuition charged by T4 and553        NT4 institutions . . . The magnitudes are comparable to average554        per-student Federal grant aid awards, suggesting that T4555        institutions may indeed raise tuition to capture the maximum556        grant aid available.'' \2\557---------------------------------------------------------------------------558    \2\  Stephanie Riegg Cellini and Claudia Goldin, ``Does Federal559Student Aid Raise Tuition? New Evidence on For-Profit Colleges,'' NBER560Working Paper No. 17827, February 2012.561562          An old paper of mine explores how the competitive563        pressure will lead almost all colleges to raise their price564        when aid is available. \3\565---------------------------------------------------------------------------566    \3\  Andrew Gillen, ``Introducing Bennett Hypothesis 2.0,'' The567Center for College Affordability and Productivity, February 2012.568569          Professors Gordon and Hedlund find that increases in570        student loan borrowing are the most important factor in571        explaining rising college costs, accounting for 40 percent of572        the increase. \4\573---------------------------------------------------------------------------574    \4\  Grey Gordon and Aaron Hedlund, ``Accounting for the Rise in575College Tuition,'' NBER Working Paper No. 21967, February 2016.576577          Analysts at the New York Federal Reserve Bank found578        that each additional dollar in loans led to 40-60 cents in579        higher tuition and a reduction of 20 cents of institutional580        aid. \5\581---------------------------------------------------------------------------582    \5\  David O. Lucca, Taylor Nadauld, and Karen Shen, ``Credit583Supply and the Rise in College Tuition: Evidence from the Expansion in584Federal Student Aid Programs,'' Federal Reserve Bank of New York,585February 2017.586587          Professors Black, Turner, and Denning find that ``the588        creation of Grad PLUS led to significantly higher program589        prices . . . sticker prices went up approximately dollar for590        dollar with increases in Federal loans.'' \6\591---------------------------------------------------------------------------592    \6\  Sandra E. Black, Lesley J. Turner, and Jeffrey T. Denning,593``PLUS or Minus? The Effect of Graduate School Loans on Access,594Attainment, and Prices,'' NBER Working Paper 31291, May 2023.595596    Given that the Bennett Hypothesis is sabotaging student loans, this597---------------------------------------------------------------------------598Committee should seek to reduce or eliminate the threat.599600    There are two policies that would limit the damage from the Bennett601Hypothesis. First, aid could be targeted only to low-income students602who would otherwise not be able to afford to attend college. Colleges603cannot raise tuition as much in response to such aid because that would604price these students out of the market again. Second, aid programs605should be capped. Pell grants and undergraduate loans are already606capped. Grad PLUS and Parent PLUS loans are not--there is no aggregate607cap and the annual cap is entirely up to the college. While I would608argue for eliminating PLUS loans entirely, at the very least, PLUS609loans need to be capped.610611    There is also a way to neuter the Bennett Hypothesis. The way aid612eligibility is determined right now, an increase in tuition will613automatically lead to an increase in aid. So if a college raises614tuition by $1, their students get $1 more in loans. This link between615higher prices and more aid is the key driver of the Bennett Hypothesis.616So sever the link. The best way to sever the link is to use the median617cost of attendance among all colleges to determine aid eligibility618instead of each colleges' own cost of attendance. \7\ When using the619median, an increase in tuition at a particular college has no effect on620how much aid a student can receive to attend that college. This vastly621reduces each college's incentive to raise tuition when aid is622available, which in turn neuters the Bennett Hypothesis. Notably, the623House's reconciliation includes such a provision. The Senate should624support this change too.625---------------------------------------------------------------------------626    \7\  Andrew Gillen, ``The Case for Replacing Cost of Attendance627With Median Cost of College,'' Texas Public Policy Foundation, October6282019.629---------------------------------------------------------------------------630                             Accountability631    We desperately need more accountability in higher education. While632most colleges provide a good education at a reasonable cost, there are633substantial portions of higher education that are too low quality, too634overpriced, or too oversupplied to justify an investment. But right635now, colleges still benefit from enrolling students in such programs,636because the college gets to keep all the money students paid even if637the student fails to repay their loans. In other words, colleges can638win even when students and the government lose. An accountability639system should change this so that colleges only win when students and640the government win too.641642    We know that accountability mechanisms can work. Of colleges643sanctioned for having a Cohort Default Rate that was too high, 95644percent lost access to aid. \8\ And of the 38 programs at Vatterott645College that failed the Obama administration's gainful employment test,646all were closed several years later. \9\ But while we technically have647three accountability systems operating right now, none of them are648effective. The first, Cohort Default Rates, is obsolete now that we use649income driven repayment plans since such plans allow for $0 payments650that don't count as defaulting. The second, Gainful Employment651regulations, are routinely implemented by Democratic administrations652and are just as routinely scrapped by Republican administrations. The653third, accreditation, has probably never been used. I don't know of any654college that has lost accreditation for being too expensive for655students or losing too much taxpayer money.656---------------------------------------------------------------------------657    \8\  Stephanie R. Cellini, Rajeev Darolia, and Lesley J. Turner,658``Where Do Students Go When For-Profit Colleges Lose Federal Aid?,''659American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, 2020.660    \9\  Andrew Gillen, ``Lessons from Gainful Employment: Improvements661to Replicate and a Mistake to Avoid'', Texas Public Policy Foundation,662February 2022.663664    Without any functioning accountability system, we are in dire need665---------------------------------------------------------------------------666of a new one. A well-designed accountability system would:667668        (1). Focus on programs rather than institutions669670    Historically, accountability has been applied at the institutional671(meaning the entire university) level, but program level (meaning a672credential and field of study combination, such as a bachelor's in673nursing) is much better because it avoids punishing good programs at674bad schools while also ensuring that bad programs at good schools don't675escape accountability.676677        (2). Utilize labor market outcomes678679    Accountability systems should also utilize labor market outcomes.680Not only do around 90 percent of students attend college to enhance681their careers, but because colleges can't control these outcomes, these682metrics are harder for colleges to manipulate and game.683684        (3). Be applied universally rather than selectively685686    An accountability system should apply equally to all of higher687education. There has been an unfortunate tendency with the Gainful688Employment regulations to target only certain segments of higher689education, notably the for-profit sector, while giving the vast690majority of public and nonprofit higher education a free pass. But this691is a fatal flaw in an accountability system because most failing692programs were not located at for-profits. For example, applying the693Obama administration's gainful employment test to all of higher694education revealed that only targeting for-profits would have missed695``89 percent of failing programs and 73 percent of students graduating696from a failing program.'' \10\697---------------------------------------------------------------------------698    \10\  Andrew Gillen, ``Lessons from Gainful Employment:699Improvements to Replicate and a Mistake to Avoid'', Texas Public Policy700Foundation, February 2022.701702---------------------------------------------------------------------------703        (4). Use both carrots and sticks704705    Historically, higher education accountability has only used sticks706to punish poor performers. It should therefore come as no surprise that707higher education is reflexively hostile to accountability systems--they708can only hurt. But it doesn't have to be that way. Accountability709systems could use carrots too. In particular, high performing programs710could earn performance bonuses or regulatory relief, including waivers711of requirements to obtain accreditation and state authorization.712713        (5). Use relative performance cutoffs instead of numerical714        cutoffs715716    Most accountability systems have used numerical cutoffs. For717example, the Cohort Default Rate (CDR) has a cutoff of 30 percent, so a718college with a CDR of 29.9 percent for 3 years has unlimited access to719Federal aid programs, whereas one with a CDR of 30 percent for 3 years720loses all access to all aid programs. But it is difficult to determine721a reasonable threshold, and historically, we've been too lenient. A CDR722of 29 percent is still much too high to escape accountability.723724    A better approach would set thresholds of relative performance725among programs (and combine this with the use of carrots and sticks).726Relative performance cutoffs are then determined based on a program's727CDR relative to all other programs. Programs with the lowest CDRs could728receive carrots, programs with typical CDRs would receive neither729carrots or sticks, and programs with the worst CDRs would receive730sticks. Tiers of three (each tier accounting for 33.33 percent), four731(each tier accounting for 25 percent) or five (each tier accounting for73220 percent) are simple, easy to understand, and provide opportunities733to apply and scale carrots and sticks.734735    The relative performance approach has several advantages over the736numerical approach. To begin with, it avoids the problem of choosing737thresholds that are too stringent or too lenient. It also automatically738adjusts to common shocks. For example, when the economy enters a739recession, CDRs might rise for all programs, even if the quality740remains unchanged. A numerical threshold would require congressional741action to avoid becoming more stringent then intended, whereas the742relative performance approach would adjust to the recessionary743environment automatically. Relative performance also encourages744continuous competition among programs--if a program's peers improve,745the program must improve too to maintain its relative position.746747    What are some feasible options for an accountability system?748749           Earnings floors750751    Earnings floors would terminate aid eligibility for programs where752students don't earn enough. Floors are easy to understand and would753eliminate some of the most problematic underperforming programs. But754earnings floors ignore debt. Programs that just barely pass the floor755but load students with excessive student loan debt could have low or756even negative returns while still passing an earnings floor test.757Earnings floors are certainly a good start, but they can't do the job758alone.759760          Repayment rates761762    Repayment rates are arguably the most natural choice for an763accountability mechanism for student loans. The main problem with using764repayment rates is that there is very little information about current765repayment rates, which would make setting reasonable numerical766thresholds difficult. This can be overcome by using relative repayment767rates, with programs with repayment rates above the median being768rewarded with various carrots, while programs with repayment rates769below the median face sticks of increasing severity.770771          Gainful employment for all772773    Another option would be to apply gainful employment like debt to774earnings tests across all of higher education. The metrics are775familiar, and we'll soon have almost all the data needed to implement776this due to the Financial Value Transparency regulations. But it could777be argued that GE arbitrarily defines excessive debt. Are the 8 percent778and 20 percent cutoffs in the most recent version the right numbers? If779we implement GE for all, I recommend scrapping the current numerical780cutoffs and implementing relative performance thresholds instead. I781would also recommend introducing carrots for high performing programs.782783          Risk sharing784785    Risk sharing or skin in the game systems require colleges to786reimburse the government when students fail to repay their loans. The787best feature of these systems is that they align the college's788incentives with those of the students and government. A college can no789longer profit from offering an education that leaves the student and790government worse off.791792    The main problem with risk sharing proposals is that they tend to793hit sympathetic colleges hard. For example, community colleges tend to794face high risk sharing payments because they are open access and many795students drop out before graduating, leading to repayment problems.796This can be addressed by introducing safe harbors or compensating797funding, but this tends to make the system more complex.798799    For example, the House recently introduced a risk sharing system800where colleges would be required to reimburse the government for a801portion of losses when students fail to repay their loans. The802reimbursement share essentially creates a safe harbor for community803colleges, and the Promise grants provide additional funding to804compensate for their remaining risk sharing payments.805806    Some argue that the risk sharing system proposed by the House is807too complicated. This concern has some validity but is largely808overstated. The House's risk sharing metrics are no more complicated809than the debt to earning metrics in gainful employment. The main GE810formula is debt / earnings. The main risk sharing formula is earnings /811price paid. These are comparable in their level of complication.812813    Moreover, the House version could be amended to make is simpler.814The risk sharing payments currently take government losses on a815program's loans (consisting of missed payments, waived interest, and816forgiven loans) and then apply the reimbursement percentage based on817earnings / price paid. But the reimbursement percentage could instead818be based on relative performance of the government's losses per819student. One simple formula that would accomplish this is:820reimbursement percentage = (program's relative performance--50 percent)821* 2, with a cap at 0 percent. So the first 50 percent of programs that822have the lowest government losses per student would have a 0 percent823reimbursement percentage. The 51 percent program would have a824reimbursement percentage of (51 percent-50 percent) * 2 = 2 percent.825The program with the highest government losses per student would have a826reimbursement rate of (100 percent-50 percent) * 2 = 100 percent. This827would protect open access community colleges (since they tend to have828low debt per student), while requiring risk sharing payments from the829worst offenders.830                               Innovation831    While individual professors and even departments or entire colleges832can be quite innovative, the industry as a whole is remarkably833stagnant. One of the primary drivers of this stagnation are government834policies that suppress innovation, with accreditation being the key835impediment.836837    Accreditation erects enormous barriers to entry for new colleges,838which prevents new innovative colleges from emerging. Over 20 years,839the seven largest accreditors approved only 9 new public 4-year840colleges, less than one new college every 2 years. \11\841---------------------------------------------------------------------------842    \11\  Yazmin Guzman and Stig Leschly, ``An Analysis of the Age of843Colleges and New College Accreditation in US Higher Education,'' Post-844Secondary Commission, June 2022.845846    Accreditation also largely requires all colleges to use the847traditional recipe of inputs and processes of existing colleges. \12\848If there are innovative models to deliver a higher quality and more849affordable education, the accreditation system ensures that we won't850find and adopt it.851---------------------------------------------------------------------------852    \12\  George C. Leef and Roxana D. Burris, ``Can College853Accreditation Live Up to Its Promise?,'' American Council of Trustees854and Alumni, 2002.855856    Unfortunately, the potential replacements for accreditation are857likely even worse, so our best course of action is an overhaul of the858accreditation system. The most important reforms are to increase859competition among accreditors and to ensure that accreditation860decisions are made based on outputs and outcomes rather than inputs and861processes. \13\862---------------------------------------------------------------------------863    \13\  Andrew Gillen, ``Should College Accreditation Be Replaced or864Reformed?,'' Defense of Freedom Institute, February 2025.865---------------------------------------------------------------------------866                               Conclusion867    Higher education has certainly seen better days. But with Federal868reforms that address issues with affordability, accountability, and869innovation, we could turn the corner and unleash higher education to870provide a better and more affordable education than we've ever seen871before.872873    Thank you again for the opportunity to provide this testimony and I874look forward to answering any questions you may have.875                                 ______876877                  [summary statement of andrew gillen]878    My testimony argues that there is a strong case for Federal policy879changes to address affordability, accountability, and innovation.880                             Affordability881    Student loans are necessary for many students, but our current loan882system is badly designed. There is considerable evidence that colleges883raise their prices and reduce institutional aid when Federal financial884aid is available. This phenomenon is referred to as the Bennett885Hypothesis, and the scholarly literature finds solid evidence that the886Bennett Hypothesis is real. This Committee should seek to reduce or887eliminate the threat.888889    There are two policies that would limit the damage from the Bennett890Hypothesis. One, limit aid to low-income students, and two, cap the891maximum aid provided for each program (e.g., cap PLUS loans). Severing892the link between higher tuition and more aid by using the median cost893of attendance among all colleges to determine aid eligibility instead894of each colleges' own cost of attendance would neuter the Bennett895Hypothesis.896                             Accountability897    We desperately need more accountability in higher education. A898well-designed accountability system would involve, (1) focus on899programs rather than institutions, (2) utilize labor market outcomes,900(3) be applied universally rather than selectively, (4) use both901carrots and sticks, and (5) use relative performance cutoffs instead of902numerical cutoffs.903904    Some feasible accountability system metrics include earnings905floors, repayment rates, Gainful Employment for all, and risk sharing.906                               Innovation907    While individual professors and even departments or entire colleges908can be quite innovative, the industry as a whole is remarkably909stagnant. One of the primary drivers of this stagnation are government910policies that suppress innovation, with accreditation being the key911impediment. Accreditation erects enormous barriers to entry for new912colleges, and largely requires all colleges to use the traditional913recipe of inputs and processes of existing colleges, both of which914severely limit innovation. Our best course of action is an overhaul of915the accreditation system. The most important reforms are to increase916competition among accreditors and to ensure that accreditation917decisions are made based on outputs and outcomes rather than inputs and918processes.919                                 ______920921    The Chairman. Thank you. I will introduce Dr. Lindsay. Dr.922Michael Lindsay is the President of Taylor University in923Upland, Indiana, one of the oldest evangelical Christian924universities in the country.925926    He is a trained sociologist with expertise in leadership927studies and evangelical engagement in public life, known for928his focus on faith-informed leadership, institutional929excellence, and civic virtue in Christian higher education.930931    Dr. Lindsay has positioned Taylor as a national leader in932preparing students for redemptive influence in society. We933appreciate you for joining us today, Dr. Lindsay.934935  STATEMENT OF MICHAEL LINDSAY, PRESIDENT, TAYLOR UNIVERSITY,936                           UPLAND, IN937938    Mr. Lindsay. Thank you very much, Chairman Cassidy, Ranking939Member Sanders, Members of the Committee. Thanks for the940opportunity to speak today. I serve as President of Taylor941University, a Christian institution in the heart of rural942Indiana. I begin with a simple observation. American higher943education has lost the trust of the people it is intended to944serve.945946    The American public watched over several decades as947recognized institution have grown rich but rudderless. Too many948have become places that grant credentials without conviction,949offering dialog without direction, and the American public is950not impressed. But it doesn't have to be this way.951952    There are hundreds of campuses across this country going in953a different direction, and Taylor is one of them. At Taylor,954you don't see outrage culture on campus or students walking on955ideological eggshells. We have students who are thriving, not956in the absence of accountability, but actually because of it.957958    Our students, faculty, and staff commit to a shared set of959values which are articulated in something we call our960foundational documents. They are not really rule books, but961more like road maps designed for moral formation and962institutional accountability. We place a copy of these963documents in our admissions reception room, so prospective964families know exactly what we stand for. It turns out moral965clarity can actually be a competitive advantage.966967    Our incoming student numbers have grown by more than 60968percent over the last 4 years. I think that the first thing we969want to say is that our sector needs a renewed sense of moral970purpose. Higher education should not be where conviction goes971to die. Rather, it should be where character comes to life.972973    We also need to redouble our efforts around the important974work of what we would call student formation. Too many places975have spent years chasing research dollars and reputational976rankings, but there are real limits to this particular977strategy. What is most needed is just a commonsense approach to978focus on student learning, student development, and student979engagements.980981    We need to look at the kind of communities that we are982cultivating. What I love about the liberal arts approach to983education is that it encourages relationships and connections984across disciplinary boundaries, developing intellectual985friendships that go beyond just individual departments.986987    It is part of a larger commitment to the holistic988development of students that cares not only about their989intellectual formation, but also their professional and990vocational, their social, even their spiritual formation. We991also need to devote a lot more energy to student learning.992993    At Taylor, we have something called the Beaty Center for994Teaching and Learning, and I love that some of my most senior995faculty regularly participate in their programming to try and996sharpen their skills in the classroom. This should be the norm,997not the exception. And we need to look for tangible ways to998give students more chances to lead and then support them in999that.10001001    Most college students don't arrive on our campuses knowing1002how to be excellent communicators or problem solvers, but they1003can learn that while they are on our campus through experiences1004and through expert coaching. All this, of course, requires1005investing in our students.10061007    It is why I am very grateful for the expanded Pell Grant1008support because I have seen the differences made in the lives1009of hundreds of our students on campus this year alone. I am1010proud of the way that Taylor has married generous financial aid1011with strategic cost savings. Since 2010, our average net1012tuition cost has actually decreased by 24 percent when adjusted1013for inflation. And during that same time, we have more than1014tripled the amount of awards that we give in student1015scholarships.10161017    As you can see in my written testimony, it went from $141018million to over $48 million annually. And many of our peers are1019doing similarly good work. For every dollar that a student1020receives in Federal aid, member institutions of the Council for1021Christian College and Universities contribute $5 of their own1022in institutional aid.10231024    It is a model of shared investment that is making a1025measurable difference in the lives of thousands of students.1026Third, the mission of higher education cannot stop at the edge1027of our campus. It actually has to make a difference in the1028community. That is why Taylor launched what we call the Main1029Street Mile Initiative.10301031    It is a $100 million public and private investment strategy1032to revitalize our hometown of Upland, Indiana. As you can see1033from the graphic in my testimony, we are developing more than1034100 new units of housing, a collegiate inn and destination1035restaurant, over six miles of new trails, we will distribute1036more than $1 million in seed funding for new ventures and help1037welcome over 150,000 annual visitors to just our little town1038alone.10391040    We are in the midst of a $500 million fundraising campaign,1041and I am proud of the fact that we committed 20 percent of1042those dollars to benefit not our campus, but actually our wider1043community. In the process, we are not just transforming Upland.10441045    It is actually transforming us. Making us a campus that1046genuinely loves its hometown, and that is something every1047college in America ought to do. These three touchstones,1048renewed moral purpose, student formation, and tangible1049community impact are the key to American higher education1050reclaiming its place as the world's most powerful force for1051human flourishing.10521053    [The prepared statement of Mr. Lindsay follows.]1054                 prepared statement of michael lindsay1055    American higher education is facing a profound crisis of public1056trust. Formerly viewed as a transformative force for good in society,1057many institutions have drifted from the foundational values that once1058inspired the public's confidence and investment. This drift has led to1059declining trust in higher education among students, families, and the1060American people--an erosion driven not only by bloated costs and1061inaccessibility, but by moral ambiguity, hostility to dissenting1062viewpoints, and a fundamental loss of purpose. At its worst, higher1063education has alienated the very people it was meant to serve, offering1064credentials without conviction and dialog without direction. But at its1065best, higher education cultivates both character and competence,1066preparing students to serve and lead with wisdom that goes beyond mere1067knowledge.10681069    This formation requires more than academic rigor; it demands moral1070clarity, institutional transparency, and a holistic commitment to the1071development of students. Institutions that have remained rooted in1072their mission and are committed to moral clarity are experiencing1073significant momentum. At a number of faith-based institutions of higher1074education, we have seen remarkable growth over the past 5 years, even1075as national trends have plummeted. Families are seeking institutions1076that remain true to their purpose and live out their values1077transparently. We have seen this firsthand at Taylor University, where1078our foundational beliefs are not merely a footnote--they are the1079driving force behind every decision we make.10801081    This clarity of identity leads to more than enrollment growth. It1082fosters a student-focused environment, where learning takes place1083beyond just the classroom, and academic excellence is inseparable from1084moral formation. The result is generations of students who excel in the1085classroom and graduate equipped for lives of service, leadership, and1086purpose.10871088    Affordability remains a pressing concern for families across the1089country, but there are models that address this well. While many1090institutions have struggled amidst rising costs and declining1091enrollment, a growing number of faith-based institutions have grown1092without sacrificing quality. Strategic fiscal responsibility, paired1093with philanthropic generosity and mission-driven stewardship, allow1094mission-based educational models to remain both excellent and1095affordable.10961097    Beyond affordability, institutions like Taylor are playing an1098increasingly important role in the renewal of their communities. From1099downtown revitalization efforts to business incubators and expanded1100community health services, faith-based campuses are catalysts for1101community and regional transformation. These projects are grounded not1102merely in civic obligation, but in the deep conviction that the mission1103of higher education institutions must include the flourishing of the1104communities they call home.11051106    American higher education still holds enormous promise. But it will1107only reclaim the public's trust if it pairs academic excellence with1108moral formation and holistic student learning with community impact.1109Institutions that do this well are not just preparing students for the1110workforce. They are shaping the future of our Country.1111            The Problem: Moral Rot in Too Many Universities1112    It is no secret that higher education is experiencing a crisis of1113trust in America today. Confidence levels in our institutions of higher1114education have fallen precipitously over the last decade, and recent1115events have rightfully hastened this decline. \1\ American higher1116education is at a hinge moment, and leaders must decide which direction1117their institutions will take--continued relativism and ethical1118equivocation around the most pressing moral issues of the day, or a1119path of moral clarity.1120---------------------------------------------------------------------------1121    \1\  Jones, J. M. (2024, July 8). U.S. Confidence in Higher1122Education Now Closely Divided. Gallup. https://news.gallup.com/poll/1123646880/confidence-higher-education-closely-divided.aspx.11241125    For many years, an unspoken social contract existed between our1126Nation's citizens and institutions of higher learning. \2\ It was1127generally understood that higher education was a force for good in the1128life of young people, preparing them not only to be economically1129productive, but more importantly, to be imbued with moral character1130that would equip them to lead their communities, their professions, and1131the Nation. For decades, this understanding was the foundation of a1132thriving, vibrant ecosystem of American education, driving our Country1133to new heights and generating critical new knowledge and leaders who1134could provide a sense of purpose and mission to their people. Given the1135evidence before them, families and taxpayers saw higher education as a1136worthy cause, one that would pay dividends for their children.1137---------------------------------------------------------------------------1138    \2\  Allen, D. (2025). American and its Universities Need a New1139Social Contract. The Atlantic. https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/1140archive/2025/04/stem-academia-universities-citizenship-civics/682384/.11411142    Today we are in a different place. Many Americans no longer see1143higher education as a force for good in the lives of their sons and1144daughters, or as something that will set them on a path toward1145flourishing. From repeated ``canceling'' and shouting down of campus1146speakers with opposing viewpoints to college presidents' unwillingness1147to acknowledge genocide as contrary to their institutional codes of1148conduct, \3\ it's understandable why so many Americans hold higher1149education in low regard.1150---------------------------------------------------------------------------1151    \3\  Zahneis, M. (2023). Penn's President Resigns After Remarks at1152congressional Hearing Prompted a Backlash. The Chronicle of Higher1153Education. https://www.chronicle.com/article/penns-president-resigns-1154after-remarks-at-congressional-hearing-prompted-a-backlash.11551156    Forces that had for years been gnawing away from the inside at1157American higher education burst into the open following October 7,11582023. When Hamas committed some of the most egregious acts of violence1159seen this century, certain institutional leaders could not bring1160themselves to describe this atrocity as the terrorism it clearly1161represented, much less condemn or meaningfully counteract the1162---------------------------------------------------------------------------1163antisemitic actions taking place on their campuses.11641165    When moral relativism becomes the norm in higher education,1166confusion and chaos follow. Truth has been exchanged for a set of1167personal preferences rather than a set of moral convictions that guide1168our lives and direct our actions. Parents have become frustrated at the1169political and cultural agendas being weaponized against their children1170in the classroom, so it is not surprising that people have come to1171think that many institutions cannot provide students with the necessary1172instruction to pursue a life of purpose or to make it possible for1173others to do the same. Institutions that have divorced the cultivation1174of knowledge from the cultivation of wisdom have violated the unspoken1175social contract between the academy and the American people.11761177    Thankfully, this isn't the case everywhere. To see a wonderful1178counterexample, I would invite you to visit my home campus in Upland,1179Indiana. At Taylor University, you will not see glum faces, experience1180a culture of outrage, or endure ongoing student protests. Rather, you1181will find warm and friendly people building an active, vibrant campus1182culture with a joy and energy that flows from all corners of campus.1183Taylor is a member of the Council for Christian Colleges and1184Universities (CCCU), a group of over 180 institutions that support a1185coherent approach to education in which the development of the mind,1186body, spirit, and emotions are woven together in the quest not just for1187knowledge, but for wisdom. We believe that education that instructs1188merely the mind without deepening the soul builds intellectual strength1189without the moral courage to use it for the common good.11901191    Taylor students experience something notably different throughout1192their 4 years with us. We aspire to be a University that develops1193servant-leaders, preparing young people to carry, in the words of our1194mission statement, ``Christ's redemptive love, grace, and truth to a1195world in need.'' This is the cornerstone of all we do at Taylor, and it1196is maintained by a set of community covenants that every student,1197trustee, and member of our faculty and staff affirm and live by. We1198call these our five Foundational Documents, and they are much more than1199an honor code. They represent a set of shared commitments to one1200another as an extended family. What's more, at Taylor, we do not hide1201these convictions from the world; rather, we see them as key to our1202institutional identity. Accordingly, when families visit our campus1203admissions office, they find in the reception room a copy of our1204Foundational Documents on every table for their review. These1205statements aren't as important as the Bible, and they are not perfect1206or inclusive of everything we aspire to do at Taylor, but they provide1207shared understandings that shape the contours of our moral vision as a1208community. They explain who we are, what we aspire to become, and how1209we pursue that vision. I wish every institution of higher learning1210would be similarly explicit about their core beliefs, convictions, and1211tacit expectations. Colleges and universities need to be transparent1212about their identity so that families can more effectively assess1213whether the institution is the right fit for their student.12141215    We clarified Taylor's Foundational Documents several years ago, and1216now our faculty and staff annually reaffirm their commitment to these1217shared theological understandings, which also shape our everyday1218protocols and principles. The response since has been nothing short of1219extraordinary. Our enrollment and fundraising have surged, and our1220campus has become a place of thriving. Employee engagement is at its1221highest levels in years, and external recognitions have validated our1222internal assessments that things are heading in the right direction.1223This past year, the Princeton Review ranked the Taylor campus No. 3 in1224the country for happiest students, number 11 for best run universities,1225and number twenty-five for most-loved colleges. The Princeton Review1226ranked the Taylor campus No. 3 in the country for happiest students,1227number 11 for best run universities, and number twenty-five for most-1228loved colleges the Princeton Review ranked the Taylor campus No. 3 in1229the country for happiest students, number 11 for best run universities,1230and number twenty-five for most-loved colleges. \4\1231---------------------------------------------------------------------------1232    \4\  The Princeton Review. (2025). Taylor University (TU). https://1233www.princetonreview.com/college/taylor-university-1022635.12341235    The shared moral commitments on campus have made it easier for us1236to build the kind of culture that draws people who share our beliefs.1237Visitors routinely comment on the positive energy and genuine care for1238others that they see flowing through the campus every day. From the1239moment students arrive on campus during Welcome Weekend, they begin1240building relationships that will last a lifetime, whether through a1241small-group fellowship, a residence hall gathering, a mentoring1242relationship with a faculty member, or participation on an intramural1243team. Because we are located in the Indiana cornfields, our students1244have to find community and make memories with one another on campus. As1245a result, our students are exceptionally engaged, with the eighth1246highest intramural sports participation rate in the country and a1247---------------------------------------------------------------------------1248countless number of leadership opportunities.12491250    This tight campus community is remarkably countercultural these1251days. As Robert Putnam famously described twenty-five years ago in1252Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community,1253Americans have long been withdrawing from social and civic engagement1254with one another, with disastrous effects for our communities and1255democracy. \5\ The rise of social media only accelerated many of his1256findings, which are supercharged across most college campuses today.1257Without a shared moral framework or opportunities to form closer ties,1258students struggle to engage meaningfully with one another, particularly1259when faced with contentious or challenging issues. In the absence of1260this ethical cohesion and in the clutches of moral relativism that has1261become so pervasive in wider American culture, students see one another1262and their beliefs as enemies to be conquered, not as opportunities for1263constructive dialog. At Taylor and other places like it, we find things1264to be different. Thanks to a common moral grounding, students1265vigorously debate important ideas, but they navigate these issues1266within a shared framework. Moreover, they do so from a higher degree of1267self-awareness, knowing that all of us are in need of God's redemption,1268so none of us is more righteous than those with whom we disagree. As1269theologian Miroslav Volf wrote in Exclusion & Embrace: A Theological1270Exploration of Identity, Otherness, and Reconciliation, \6\ just as1271Christians have received salvation through reconciliation to God, so1272also must we extend a reconciling spirit toward others, embracing our1273enemies in an analogous love as that which God has offered to us. This1274is a radical approach to campus life, one in which we are called not1275merely to tolerance or inclusion, but to love and forgiveness. We fall1276short of that ideal every day at Taylor, but it's a precept that1277constitutes our very identity as an institution.1278---------------------------------------------------------------------------1279    \5\  Putnam, R. D. (2000). Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival1280of American Community. Simon & Schuster.1281    \6\  Volf, M. (1996). Exclusion and Embrace: A Theological1282Exploration of Identity, Otherness, and Reconciliation. Abingdon Press.1283---------------------------------------------------------------------------1284            The Need: Growth and Innovation to Combat Decay1285    As students and families long for an educational experience that1286provides more than mere intellectual formation in the midst of this1287broader crisis of trust, a number of faith-based institutions are1288experiencing a remarkable and countercyclical period of growth. This1289diverges from the general decline in the U.S. college-bound population1290that is associated with the looming `demographic cliff.' \7\ Yet, there1291are notable exceptions whereby institutions are increasing market share1292through missional definition and clear communication.1293---------------------------------------------------------------------------1294    \7\  Lane, P., Falkenstern, C., & Bransberger, P. (2024). Knocking1295at the College Door: Projections of High School Graduates. Western1296Interstate Commission for Higher Education. https://www.wiche.edu/1297knocking.12981299    Dozens of faith-based institutions experienced a significant1300increase in enrollment this past year, including Taylor University.1301Indeed, over the past 4 years, Taylor has seen more than a 60 percent1302increase in the size of our incoming freshmen classes, without changing1303our admissions standards. For the first time in twenty-five years, we1304have implemented a wait list for the incoming class due to the sheer1305---------------------------------------------------------------------------1306volume of demand we are experiencing.13071308    During this same timeframe, our freshman retention rate has1309averaged over 90 percent. And this has not come at the cost of quality,1310as Taylor's average high school GPA among incoming freshmen over the1311past 5 years is 3.88. When families explain why they chose Taylor, they1312talk about the University's moral clarity and the whole-person1313educational experience we offer. It turns out that American families1314want to know what an institution stands for--its values and1315commitments. As we have been more explicit about our institutional1316identity, more families have chosen to send their sons and daughters to1317Taylor.13181319    Other institutions in our peer group, like Grace College and1320Cedarville University, have seen similar growth. \8\ These patterns1321underscore a broader trend: enrollment decline among private secular1322colleges has been six times greater than decline at religiously1323affiliated colleges. Moreover, many Christian institutions have grown1324by double-digits. For 3 years in a row, Taylor has welcomed our largest1325incoming classes each fall. It appears that in an era where trust in1326higher education is eroding, families are increasingly turning to1327institutions that integrate academic excellence with moral formation,1328community, and purpose.1329---------------------------------------------------------------------------1330    \8\  McClellan, H. V. (2025, January 3). Christian Colleges1331Continue to See Enrollment Growth. Christianity Today. https://1332www.christianitytoday.com/2025/01/christian-colleges-continue-1333enrollment-growth-record/.13341335    Those universities that have innovated academic offerings and1336developed co-curricular programs that appeal to more students and align1337with institutional identities have grown. We have seen this from coast1338to coast, from George Fox University in Oregon to Southeastern1339University in Florida. Colleges and universities affiliated with the1340Assemblies of God have seen enrollment grow by one-third over the last1341decade. Students at these kinds of institutions are thriving in1342multiple dimensions because of their time on campus, and recent1343research confirms how powerful these kinds of inputs are toward long-1344---------------------------------------------------------------------------1345term well-being.13461347    Harvard University epidemiologist Tyler VanderWeele and his1348collaborator, Byron Johnson of Baylor University, just released the1349first wave of findings from their path-breaking Global Flourishing1350Study, which measures how people are thriving in 22 nations around the1351world. \9\ Their research, which has been featured everywhere--from The1352Atlantic \10\ to The New York Times \11\--affirms a very simple reality1353that has been intuitive to the world of Christian higher education for1354centuries: when individuals live in an authentic religious community1355with one another, they tend to flourish. According to the research that1356involved 200,000 participants, those who practice their faith in1357community report higher-than-average scores in all areas of human1358flourishing. \12\ This includes measures of personal happiness, sense1359of meaning, deep relationships, physical and mental health, character1360and virtue, as well as financial and material stability. I imagine all1361of us in higher education aspire to build campus communities where our1362students can flourish for the rest of their lives. Yet so few campuses1363seem to be doing this well. Is there a possible way forward?1364---------------------------------------------------------------------------1365    \9\  Global Flourishing Study. (2025). Unlocking the Insights1366Behind Flourishing. https://globalflourishingstudy.com/featured-1367insights/.1368    \10\  Brooks, B. C. (2025). Why Are Young People Everywhere So1369Unhappy? The Atlantic. https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2025/137005/young-people-global-unhappiness/682632/.1371    \11\  Caron, C. (2025). A Global Flourishing Study Finds That Young1372Adults, Well, Aren't. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/137304/30/well/mind/happiness-flourishing-young-adult-study.html.1374    \12\  Marshall, P. (2025). Largest Longitudinal Study of Human1375Flourishing Ever Shows Religion's Importance. Providence. https://1376providencemag.com/2025/05/largest-longitudinal-study-of-human-1377flourishing-ever-shows-religions-importance/.1378---------------------------------------------------------------------------1379             The Opportunity: Becoming More Student-Focused1380    For decades, American higher education has been lured by the siren1381sounds of Federal research dollars as many institutions sought to1382emulate places like Harvard and Stanford out of a desire to enjoy1383similar prestige and prominence. The faculty-oriented culture of1384institutions like these is hard to replicate without significant1385resources, and the American public started to resent the ivory tower1386mentality that continues to permeate many university cultures. Yet, we1387don't have to abandon our whole orientation to move in the right1388direction. Might the solution entail an intentional shift toward a more1389student-focused approach on our campuses? This is not about treating1390students as consumers to be served or regarding higher learning as a1391mere transaction to be completed. Rather, a student-focused university1392culture is one in which the faculty and administration regularly ask1393themselves, ``What is best for our students' long-term flourishing?''1394when allocating resources, adding programs, or pursuing opportunities.13951396    Rooted in the rich tradition of the liberal arts and in a classical1397vision of forming the whole person, Taylor's approach prioritizes the1398development of character and community for students. Historian Bruce1399Kimball contrasts the modern research university's approach of what he1400calls ``the liberal-free ideal'' with a liberal arts tradition whereby1401education is not merely about knowledge acquisition or novel discovery,1402but rather is focused on preparing students for lives marked by1403service, leadership, and moral courage. \13\ At Taylor, we leave the1404liberal-free ideal for other kinds of places and embrace a liberal arts1405approach to learning and to life. We believe this better serves our1406students and prepares them for a lifetime of service and leadership.1407---------------------------------------------------------------------------1408    \13\  Kimball, B. A. (1995). Orators & Philosophers: A History of1409the Idea of Liberal Education (Expanded ed.). College Entrance1410Examination Board.14111412    A decade ago, I was hosted in Beijing by a senior official with1413China's Ministry of Education. I was surprised to learn that, despite1414his senior role in Chinese higher education, he had chosen to send his1415daughters to American liberal arts colleges. He referred to the liberal1416arts tradition as the ``genius'' of American higher education, one that1417privileges breadth over depth, especially at the undergraduate level.1418He noted that research breakthroughs and creative solutions emerge not1419from the ``core'' of academic disciplines, but rather on the periphery1420of given fields. A liberal arts education, he noted, exposes students1421to learning across disciplinary boundaries; that formative kind of1422education prepares students to think across domains of knowledge,1423---------------------------------------------------------------------------1424integrating insights from multiple fields of inquiry.14251426    He noted that many Chinese institutions of higher learning1427prioritize depth in particular fields following an educational model1428found in places like Germany and France. He observed that even in the1429``hard'' sciences, where deep expertise is often preferred to broad1430understanding, the wider academy outside of the U.S. had not produced1431as many breakthroughs as had come through American higher education. To1432prove his point, he compared the number of Chinese and American Nobel1433laureates. Indeed, in the 124-year history of the Nobel Prizes, there1434have been only 8 Nobel laureates from China across all categories, and1435only 3 in the sciences. By contrast, the United States has produced1436over 420 Nobel laureates, with nearly 300 awarded in physics,1437chemistry, and medicine. \14\1438---------------------------------------------------------------------------1439    \14\  World Population Review. (2025). Nobel Prizes by Country14402025. Retrieved May 17, 2025, from https://worldpopulationreview.com/1441country-rankings/nobel-prizes-by-country.14421443    This disparity highlights the brilliance of our approach in1444America--namely, rigid specialization that is so common in ``liberal-1445free'' ideal frameworks (even for highly technical or applied fields)1446limits the kind of intellectual cross-pollination and personal1447formation that drives true innovation and creative breakthrough. By1448contrast, a student-focused, whole-person approach fosters curiosity,1449interdisciplinary thinking, and moral imagination--all conditions which1450empower graduates to explore, create, and lead in ways that make1451---------------------------------------------------------------------------1452lasting contributions to their industries and communities.14531454    Kara Gordon-Warren, a senior executive at a major foodservice1455distributor and a Taylor graduate, exemplifies this model, as a1456business leader whose vocational success is matched by a commitment to1457community impact, one that was nurtured during her years on campus.1458Kara's example reflects the enduring value of a liberal arts education,1459one that is rooted in character and service. She attributes her1460business acumen and professional versatility throughout her career to1461the educational foundation that Taylor provided, enabling her to adapt1462to diverse roles and leadership challenges with ease. Indeed, in my own1463scholarly research, I found that over seven in ten top American leaders1464earned a liberal arts undergraduate degree; the liberal arts approach1465to learning prepares young people to think across fields, to1466collaborate with others, and to pursue a higher purpose in their1467learning. \15\1468---------------------------------------------------------------------------1469    \15\  Lindsay, D. M. (2014). View from the Top: An Inside Look at1470How People in Power See and Shape the World. Wiley.14711472    At Taylor University, student development is not ancillary to1473intellectual growth. It is the University's raison d'etre, a central1474calling we share to form servant-leaders through intentional, whole-1475person education. At thriving institutions, every facet of campus life1476is designed to cultivate personal maturity, vocational discernment, and1477ethical character. At the United States Military Academy at West Point,1478where leadership formation is embedded in every dimension of student1479life--from physical training to cadet leadership opportunities to1480service-based clubs--student development happens not just in the1481classroom, but in residential, relational, and formative environments1482---------------------------------------------------------------------------1483beyond the classroom.14841485    America has benefited greatly from the novel breakthroughs in1486science and medicine driven by research at our top universities. At the1487same time, scholarly achievements must be tethered to moral reflection.1488As Albert Einstein declared, ``The most important endeavor is the1489striving for morality in our actions.'' \16\ Accordingly, universities1490today need to recapture a commitment to ethical and moral reflection in1491teaching and research. In so doing, the entire sector can move toward a1492more student-centered approach.1493---------------------------------------------------------------------------1494    \16\  Einstein, A. (1981). Albert Einstein: The Human Side (H.1495Dukas & B. Hoffmann, Eds.). Princeton University Press.14961497    Faculty at student-centered institutions regularly hold class1498sessions in their homes over coffee. Staff members counsel students on1499big decisions; some even officiate at their wedding ceremonies.1500Institutions like Taylor provide a place for students to find mentors,1501best friends, and even spouses, developing relationships that last a1502lifetime. This is a key way in which colleges and universities advance1503the public good--by creating positive communities and collaborative1504networks that benefit their graduates for decades. This can happen in a1505variety of educational settings, but it often occurs in campus contexts1506where students and faculty know one another by name, where residence1507life supports the holistic development of students and where1508experiential learning opportunities (like research projects with a1509faculty member) happen regularly. At too many places these days,1510student life is focused on risk mitigation and regulatory compliance.1511---------------------------------------------------------------------------1512But student life can be about so much more.15131514    A student-focused approach makes the difference. And the Federal1515financial aid programs are a key to that student focus. At Taylor, we1516rely on the Federal Pell Grants program, as well as Federal Work-Study1517and SEOG, to help needy families afford the cost of a degree. While1518Taylor contributes substantial institutional resources to student1519financial aid packages, these programs are a cornerstone of access to1520higher education for many of our students. In turn, this access allows1521us to play a key role in the development of the next generation of our1522Nation's leaders.15231524    We must start by creating meaningful opportunities for students to1525lead. In the most recent national HERI College Senior Survey, 651526percent of Taylor students reported participating in formal leadership1527training on campus, compared to just 41 percent at peer institutions.1528Institutions need to create more leadership opportunities on campus1529because this is an investment that pays dividends for a lifetime.1530According to our most recent internal alumni survey results, 83 percent1531of Taylor alumni agreed that the University contributed to their1532lifelong engagement in service to society. Six in ten reported1533volunteering at least monthly with churches, nonprofits, or community1534agencies, far exceeding national volunteerism benchmarks. \17\1535---------------------------------------------------------------------------1536    \17\  Ray, J. (2025). Global Generosity: World Felt Less Charitable1537in 2024. https://news.gallup.com/poll/657200/global-generosity-world-1538felt-less-charitable=2024.aspx.15391540    This anecdotal evidence supports the broader findings from the1541landmark work by Alexander Astin and colleagues at UCLA, who have1542tracked over 22,000 students and found that participation in service-1543learning significantly increases long-term commitment to civic1544engagement and volunteerism. \18\ They conclude that service1545experiences in college not only foster leadership and social1546responsibility but also predict sustained involvement in service-1547oriented careers and community life long after graduation. John1548Molineux, a 2002 Taylor graduate and founder of Love Justice1549International, exemplifies a life marked by service over self, leading1550an organization that has intercepted more than 84,000 people across1551dozens of countries to prevent them from being trafficked. Indeed, his1552commitment reflects Albert Schweitzer's conviction that ``the only ones1553among you who will be really happy are those who will have sought and1554found how to serve.'' \19\1555---------------------------------------------------------------------------1556    \18\  Astin, A. W., Vogelgesang, L. J, Ikeda, E. K., & Yee, J. A.1557(2000). How Service Learning Affects Students. Higher Education1558Research Institute, UCLA. https://heri.ucla.edu/PDFs/HSLAS/HSLAS.PDF.1559    \19\  Schweitzer, A. (1935). The Meaning of Ideals in Life. The1560Silcoatian, New Series No. 25, 781-786.15611562    Students like John are grown in precisely this type of academic1563ecosystem where students can pursue big questions and worthy dreams.1564Indeed, these kinds of students can be found on every college campus.1565But are we providing an environment where these are, in fact, being1566pursued? Nearly nine in ten (87 percent) of CCCU students report that1567they are challenged to think deeply about complex issues from a faith1568perspective on their campuses. A similar measure (85 percent) report1569that they have developed the ability to think critically and1570analytically. \20\ The ability to think deeply and critically leads to1571success in a variety of career outcomes, and our graduates are no1572exception. Taylor's most recent data indicates a 98% graduate success1573rate (compared to an 86% average from the National Association of1574Colleges and Employers (NACE)), a 92% graduate excellence rate1575(compared to a 59% NACE average), a 96% acceptance rate into medical1576schools \21\ and law schools, \22\ all of which places us among the1577highest in the Midwest. \23\ Whether entering medicine, business,1578education, or the arts, Taylor students leave not only academically1579prepared but spiritually anchored and vocationally equipped to lead1580with excellence and humility.1581---------------------------------------------------------------------------1582    \20\  Council for Christian Colleges & Universities. (2024). The1583Case for Christian Higher Education. https://www.cccu.org/wp-content/1584uploads/2024/07/CCCU-Case-for-CHE-Digital-FINAL.pdf.1585    \21\  Taylor University (2024). Pre-Med Curriculum. https://1586www.taylor.edu/academics/programs/special-programs/pre-med.1587    \22\  Taylor University. (2025). Politics & Law Major. https://1588www.taylor.edu/academics/degrees/politics-law.1589    \23\  Taylor University. (2024). Calling and Career Office: Annual1590Report. https://www.taylor.edu/-docs/about/offices/cco-annual-1591report.pdf.15921593    Year after year, we graduate high-performing, servant-minded1594students who go on to make a meaningful difference. Dr. Colleen Kraft1595stands as a compelling exemplar of the value and reach of a Taylor1596education. A 1998 Taylor graduate, Dr. Kraft studied Biology Pre-Med1597and was a Leadership Scholar on campus. Following Taylor, Dr. Kraft1598earned her medical degree and has worked over 20 years at Emory1599University Hospital. An infectious disease physician and researcher,1600Dr. Kraft played a pivotal role in helping develop the protocols for1601handling the first Ebola patient in the United States, as well as1602helping develop national protocols for the COVID-19 pandemic. She1603recently served as the president of the American Society for1604Microbiology, leading one of the largest life science societies in the1605world. She credits the formative, purpose-driven education she received1606at Taylor for preparing her to serve professionally for the benefit of1607---------------------------------------------------------------------------1608society. We all need many more graduates like her.16091610    In response to growing consumer demands for customization and1611personalization in higher education, we have sought to embrace academic1612innovation, developing programs aligned with market needs, emerging1613industry trends, and key state and national priorities. Just in the1614last year, Taylor has established or developed a myriad of academic1615programs and initiatives. Our region, like many other rural areas,1616suffers from a dire shortage of healthcare professionals, and we have1617worked toward addressing this gap. As a result, we recently launched a1618School of Nursing and are in the process of establishing a Physician1619Assistant Studies graduate program. Like so many other independent1620colleges, we are driven to meet market demand through academic1621innovation and reinvention.16221623    Additionally, a few years ago, we developed a program called the1624Invitation Clinic whereby Taylor undergraduates work with community1625members to prevent diabetes and chronic illness through health and1626wellness coaching. In just 5 years, the clinic has served over 3001627community members, logged more than 6,400 patient contact hours, and1628achieved astounding and lasting health outcomes--an average of 17-pound1629weight loss per participant, significant improvements in A1c levels1630among prediabetic individuals, and meaningful increases in daily1631activity.16321633    Operating out of our on-campus fitness facilities, this program1634allows student trainers to design and implement individualized exercise1635plans for clients. Outcomes from these programs meet or exceed CDC1636diabetes prevention benchmarks and demonstrate the power of student-led1637intervention. Hundreds of our students have received hands-on clinical1638experience as undergraduates, and we have done all of this with less1639than $400,000 in external funding. The Invitation Clinic is not only1640transforming lives but also positioning Taylor as a leader in rural1641health innovation. This is one of many ways in which our student-1642focused culture at Taylor is creating opportunity and growth for our1643graduates and our community.1644            The Calling: Expanding Access and Affordability1645    A student-focused education of the type offered by Taylor is1646transformational, but it also must remain within financial reach. Too1647many of America's colleges and universities have become unaffordable1648for large segments of the country. But it does not have to be this way.1649Americans are a generous people, and our Nation's leaders established a1650number of smart policies at the Federal and state levels that have1651galvanized unprecedented generosity, to the benefit of many deserving1652students. And indeed, the wealth generated by the graduates of many of1653our Nation's top universities makes possible the incredible generosity1654we see in America. Coupled with individual philanthropy, the compact1655between institutions of higher education and the Federal Government has1656helped keep a college degree within reach for millions of American1657students for decades. This partnership is critical for student and1658institutional success.16591660    Thanks to our generous supporters, Taylor's average net cost for1661undergraduates (adjusted for inflation) has dropped 24 percent since16622010, and our average undergraduate net tuition has seen a similar1663trend. Our total annual scholarships awarded to students have more than1664tripled over the same time--from $14 million in 2010 to $48 million1665today.16661667[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] T0602.10116681669    .epsTo make this possible, we have needed extraordinary1670philanthropy, and as we have made the case about why supporting Taylor1671students is a worthwhile investment, our donors have responded in1672remarkable ways. Before 2020, Taylor had never raised more than $251673million in a single year, but in the last 2 years alone, we have raised1674nearly $250 million. This remarkable generosity is part of our Life to1675the Full campaign, the largest fundraising effort for a school like1676Taylor. We endeavor to raise $500 million through this effort, with the1677largest amounts going to benefit our students (through additional1678scholarship moneys) and our friends and neighbors (through the Main1679Street Mile Initiative, which is described below). While these1680remarkable results come from many major gifts, 87 percent of the gifts1681have been under $1,000, and so far, we have received more than 16,0001682gifts in this worthy undertaking. Similar results can be seen at other1683thriving faith-based schools like Baylor and Villanova where1684unprecedented generosity has directly impacted access and1685affordability. Institutional endowments are a critical component to1686student success for independent colleges and universities, like Taylor,1687which do not rely on direct state appropriations.16881689    This also contributes to wider dimensions of institutional1690thriving, including strong financial footing that allows schools to1691weather demographic challenges and industry headwinds. Last year, for1692the first time in Taylor's history, we received a perfect 10.0 score on1693the Composite Financial Index. Taylor has the highest possible rating1694of 3.0 on the Federal Responsibility Composite Score, as noted by the1695Department of Education. Just a few days ago, S&P upgraded Taylor's1696credit rating to ``A with Stable Outlook.'' S&P especially noted1697Taylor's success in fundraising, strong enrollment numbers, and healthy1698annual operating surpluses. As a Christian university, we attribute1699these good results to divine blessing, first and foremost, but they1700also reflect strategic decisions made by the University to live into1701our unique heritage and identity as a student-focused institution. This1702has required strategic investment and wise stewardship when resources1703were more modest (as was the case in our recent past) and fiscal1704responsibility as we have been able to leverage additional sources of1705financial, social, and human capital for our students. Many of our1706sister institutions within the CCCU have done much the same. For every1707dollar a CCCU student receives in Federal grant aid, our institutions1708contribute five dollars in institutional aid, demonstrating a deep1709commitment to both affordability and accountability. \24\1710---------------------------------------------------------------------------1711    \24\  Council for Christian Colleges & Universities. (2017).1712Building the Common Good: The National Impact of Council for Christian1713Colleges & Universities (CCCU) Institutions. https://www.cccu.org/wp-1714content/uploads/2018/01/CCCU-National-Impact-Final-Report-12.12.17.pdf.17151716    At a time when too many universities have become financially1717bloated, overleveraged, and (in some cases) overstaffed, my colleagues1718and I have sought to be good stewards of public and donor dollars. We1719have invested resources for maximum impact, prioritizing the needs of1720our students over palatial buildings or unnecessary staff. These1721investments have paid significant dividends not only in the lives of1722---------------------------------------------------------------------------1723our students but also in the communities in which our graduates serve.17241725    Anwar Smith grew up in a rough part of Chicago and came to Taylor1726to study Christian Ministries. As captain of Taylor's football team,1727Anwar developed strong leadership skills and a sense of personal1728calling that his life would entail a return to his home neighborhood,1729serving kids who would not get the chance to study at a place like1730Taylor. He could never have attended Taylor were it not for generous1731support provided by a Federal Pell grant (that last year benefited 3231732Taylor students) or Federal student loans (which benefited hundreds1733more). Investing in Anwar has made a big difference in his life and in1734the work he is doing through community transformation as the Executive1735Director of GRIP, an outreach organization that mentors and equips1736hundreds of urban youth every year.17371738    Like many of our graduates, Anwar decided to forego a lucrative1739salary in the private sector to mentor at-risk children. Like many of1740his classmates, he pursued a vocation that prioritizes human1741flourishing over personal comfort and wealth, but his efforts are1742making a huge difference. Indeed, organizations like his provide much-1743needed social service support at a fraction of what it would cost if it1744were channeled only through government-run programs. This is why1745educational policy must not penalize colleges whose graduates choose1746service over self when evaluating the outcomes of the very education1747that compelled them to undertake such noble callings. Particularly1748within Christian higher education, where 38 percent of students are1749first-generation college students and where one in three students are1750Pell Grant recipients, our institutions are not just expanding access,1751we are cultivating purpose-driven leaders who choose lives of service1752over material success. After all, the author Frederick Buechner reminds1753us that the individual's highest calling is the place ``where your deep1754gladness and the world's deep hunger meet.'' \25\1755---------------------------------------------------------------------------1756    \25\  Buechner, F. (1973). Wishful Thinking: A Theological ABC.1757Harper & Row.17581759    We realize, however, that Federal moneys and institutional1760scholarships are not the only way to increase college affordability.1761Like so many other institutions, Taylor has institutional skin-in-the-1762game. Following a pilot program this past year, Taylor is launching the1763Good Work initiative. This program will transform on-campus employment1764opportunities into professional and vocational development catalysts1765for hundreds of students each year. The premise is simple: pay students1766more than minimum wage for on-campus jobs and combine it with strategic1767programming and intentional professional development. Through this,1768students will have more dollars to defray their educational expenses1769(thereby taking on less educational debt), and they will develop1770professional skills that will make them more equipped for the workplace1771following graduation. Generous donors are helping us launch the1772program, but we expect that, as the program grows, a number of students1773will take on responsibilities that might otherwise require additional1774staff hires. The institutional savings will fund the higher hourly1775wages for our students and help them better afford Taylor and secure1776---------------------------------------------------------------------------1777better jobs when they graduate.17781779    We caught a vision for this after visiting College of the Ozarks in1780Missouri a few years back and learning about other work-based colleges.1781There, student work assignments on campus help defray educational1782expenses and provide much-needed professional development for students1783while helping institutions accomplish everyday activities as part of1784running the institution. At Taylor, we have already seen the success of1785this approach with our top student leadership cohort, the Presidential1786Fellows program, and we expect it will expand as we help our students1787develop more skills in communication, customer service, negotiation,1788problem-solving, and time management. We hope to incubate this idea at1789Taylor for a few years, but if it is successful, we hope to offer a1790national model for reducing student debt burdens while equipping1791graduates with the skills necessary for personal and professional1792thriving.1793                   The Goal: Communities that Thrive1794    At many schools like Taylor, we have built a thriving college not1795as an end in itself, but because our faith compels us to give back to1796our communities and a world in need. We don't hide behind ivy-covered1797walls; we roll up our sleeves and serve alongside our neighbors.17981799    Taylor is one of 364 institutions recognized by the Carnegie1800Foundation and American Council on Education with the Community1801Engagement classification, \26\ evidenced by the good work of programs1802such as the Invitation Clinic and students who write grant proposals1803for local nonprofits as part of their coursework, who submitted nearly1804$450,000 worth of such proposals this academic year alone. This is a1805good group of worthy institutions. With this context, we launched last1806year the Main Street Mile Initiative, a community and economic1807development program that entails over $100 million in public and1808private investment over 5 years. This amazing program was catalyzed by1809a $30 million grant through the Lilly Endowment's College and Community1810Collaboration initiative, a pioneering program that awarded over $3001811million for university-based efforts around community and economic1812development.1813---------------------------------------------------------------------------1814    \26\  Carnegie Classifications of Institutions of Higher Education1815(2025). The Elective Classification for Community Engagement. https://1816carnegieclassifications.acenet.edu/elective-classifications/community-1817engagement/.18181819    The Main Street Mile Initiative will result in some truly1820incredible outcomes for our community over the next several years. We1821will add over 100 new units of housing to our community and more than182210,000 square feet of business and commercial space in our downtown,1823helping to launch 16 new enterprises and create dozens of jobs in our1824small community, aided by the more than $1 million in seed funding we1825plan to distribute for entrepreneurial ventures. A new collegiate inn1826and destination restaurant will capture hospitality spending from the1827more than 152,000 visitors expected in Upland each year, strengthening1828the local economy. We will add more than 5,000 square feet of new1829sidewalks and five miles of trails to our community, as well as double1830the size of our local public library, which, despite ranking in the1831bottom 10 in funding per capita for Indiana's public libraries, still1832manages to rank in the top 25 for highest circulation per capita.''1833\27\1834---------------------------------------------------------------------------1835    \27\  Indiana State Libraries (2023). 2023 Statistics. https://1836www.in.gov/library/services-for-libraries/plstats/2023-statistics/.18371838    Taken together, these projects will push Taylor's economic impact1839in our economic growth zone to exceed nine figures by 2028. We are1840undertaking this noble cause after observing the good work of economic1841development spurred by major universities like Princeton and Purdue, as1842well as equally important ventures at smaller institutions like Colby,1843Colgate, and Sewanee. Universities across America have come to realize1844that we are not removed from our local communities but remain rooted in1845them. Indeed, higher education does not have to mean higher walls, and1846at Taylor, we are working to break them down every day.18471848[GRAPHIC NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]18491850                             CONCLUSION1851    Restoring public trust in higher education will not come through1852louder rhetoric or shinier facilities, but through the enduring1853strength of institutions that stand for something clear and compelling.1854When a university refuses to compromise on truth and teaches students1855to pursue wisdom rather than relativism, it becomes a place not of1856confusion, but of formation. That kind of moral rootedness creates the1857conditions for growth--drawing students, faculty, families, and donors1858who are hungry for something deeper than prestige. But formation cannot1859be outsourced; it must be carried out through deeply relational,1860student-centered academic environments that prioritize service,1861character formation, and leadership development as much as academic1862achievement. And for such an education to matter, it must be both1863accessible and affordable, requiring bold generosity, smart policy, and1864institutional discipline to ensure that purpose-driven learning is not1865reserved for the privileged few.18661867    Ultimately, the value of this kind of education is revealed not1868through faculty research or capital projects, but in the lives of1869transformed students and the flourishing communities they go on to1870serve. Despite some of the troubling trends we have seen in recent1871years, many of us have been transformed by our own college experience1872and believe American higher education remains the global gold standard.1873Scripture reminds us that the one who has been blessed with much is1874also responsible for much. We must renew our focus on moral purpose,1875student formation, and tangible societal impact. With courageous vision1876and principled investment, American higher education can reclaim its1877place as more than merely a knowledge producer, but as a nation-shaper,1878a community-builder, and the world's most powerful force for human1879flourishing.1880                                 ______18811882    The Chairman. Thank you, sir. And now I will turn to1883Senator Tuberville to introduce Dr. Brown.18841885    Senator Tuberville. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. It is my1886pleasure to introduce our second witness, Dr. Mark A. Brown.1887Matter of fact, he is about 20 miles from where I live as we1888speak in Auburn, Alabama. Dr. Brown is the President of1889Tuskegee University, home of the Tuskegee Airmen.18901891    We are very proud of it. It is a historically Black College1892in Alabama. He is the first alumnus in Tuskegee's 143 year1893history to lead the university. A retired Air Force Major1894General, Dr. Brown brings unmatched experience in education1895leadership, Federal student aid policy, and HBCU advancement.1896We are thankful to have you here today to hear your1897perspective, Dr. Brown.18981899  STATEMENT OF MARK A. BROWN, PRESIDENT, TUSKEGEE UNIVERSITY,1900                          TUSKEGEE, AL19011902    Mr. Brown. Thank you, Senator Tuberville. Good morning,1903Chairman Cassidy, Ranking Member, and other distinguished1904Members of the Committee. I am Mark Brown, as was stated.19051906    I am the 10th President of Tuskegee. I testify before you1907as one representative of our Nation's 101 HBCUs, and as the1908first alumnus to lead Tuskegee in our 143-year history. Between19091986 and 1990, I personally utilized most forms of Federal1910assistance that we will discuss today. While I am now serving1911as a college President and retired Air Force Major General, as1912was stated, I began as an HBCU student who directly benefited1913from these vital financial aid services.19141915    But first, I would like to introduce you to two recent1916Tuskegee University Ambassadors, and I would ask them to stand.1917Behind me is Ms. Ariel O'Neill from Los Angeles, California.1918She is a military dependent. Her major is political science,1919and she is now studying for the LSAT.19201921    [Applause.]19221923    Mr. Brown. Next to her is Mr. Tyler Smith. He is from1924Atlanta, Georgia, by way of Milledgeville. His major is1925biology, and his aspiration is to attend medical school. He1926wants to work in family practice in rural areas. Thank you,1927Tyler, for being here, and Ariel.19281929    [Applause.]19301931    Mr. Brown. HBCUs represents just 2.3 percent of degree1932granting universities in the United States, yet their impact1933far exceeds their numbers. 40 percent of all Black engineers1934are HBCU graduates. 40 percent of all Black Congress Members1935are HBCU alumni. 50 percent of all Black lawyers graduated from1936HBCUS. 80 percent of Black judges hold HBCU degrees. 90 percent1937of undergraduate HBCU students receive some form of financial1938aid.19391940    Reductions in Federal needs based funding would negatively1941impact 9 out of 10 HBCU students. Today, Pell Grants provide up1942to $7,395 annually to eligible students. Yet this covers only194331 percent of cost at an average 4 year public college,1944compared to 79 percent in 1975. At Tuskegee University, we1945recently celebrated our Spring 2025 Commencement, conferring1946degrees on nearly 800 graduates across undergraduate and1947graduate programs.19481949    For that same academic year, we processed over $22 million1950in Federal loans, including $5 million in Graduate Plus loans,1951$10 million in Parent Plus loans, and nearly $5.3 million in1952subsidized loans. These programs are not luxuries, but1953necessities for our students. Eliminating or reducing Graduate1954Plus loans without an alternative would severely limit access1955to graduate education, particularly for high need, high1956potential students in critical fields.19571958    This funding made it possible for students in fields like1959veterinary medicine, engineering, computer science, to afford1960not just tuition, but basic living expenses. This is not about1961dependency. It is about opportunity and investing in futures1962that will benefit society and our Nation.19631964    For example, we graduated over 60 new doctors of veterinary1965medicines just the last couple of weeks, with 100 percent1966securing employment almost immediately. With the projected1967national shortage of 24,000 veterinarians by 2030, Tuskegee's1968contributions help address critical workforce and national1969needs. There are economic impacts.19701971    According to a 2024 United Negro College Fund HBCU Economic1972Impact Report, Tuskegee University generates $237.1 million in1973total economic impact for Alabama. Our institution supports1974over 2,064 jobs, and for every job created on campus, another19751.5 jobs are created in surrounding communities.19761977    For us, that is the Highway 85 corridor, about 55 miles1978between Opelika, Auburn, Tuskegee, and Montgomery. Every dollar1979spent by Tuskegee generates an additional $0.43 cents in1980economic activity throughout our region. Our 2021 graduates1981alone are projected to earn $2 billion in lifetime earnings,1982far more than they could have earned without their degrees. In1983the case of Tuskegee, we are ranked No. 1 in Alabama for social1984and economic mobility.19851986    Our 81 percent retention rate demonstrates our commitment1987to students' success, and our outcomes, again looking at the19882025 graduating class, speak for themselves. 44 percent of1989those graduates secured full-time employment. 2 percent pursued1990graduate school. 7 percent entered professional school.19911992    Others continue into military service, post-graduate work,1993or volunteer programs like the Peace Corps and Teach for1994America. 74 percent of our alumni earn between $50,000 and over1995$100,000 annually. HBCU graduates earn 57 percent more in their1996lifetime than they would without their degrees. That is over $11997million in additional lifetime earnings per graduate.19981999    Gainful employment, I will define that the way we define it2000at Tuskegee. We require an internship, relevant industry2001certification, and rigorous degree requirements for all2002students. This approach bridges the gap between classroom2003learning and workplace demands, positioning our graduates for2004economic mobility. This model honors our founder, Booker T.2005Washington's vision of educating the hand, the head, and the2006heart, making employment outcomes central to the educational2007journey.20082009    Evidence based programs with transparent historical2010outcomes should be aligned with Federal assistance.2011Universities should be incentivized to emphasize fields of2012study that result in positive employment outcomes upon2013graduation. While we achieve these outcomes, keep in mind we2014accept 30 percent of our applicants, compared to other schools2015who only accept 2 percent of their applicants. It is a risk-2016sharing model that fails to recognize the uneven distribution.20172018    In conclusion, Mr. Chairman, I ask that you consider with2019your tough budget decisions an evidence based approach.2020Continue reforming the Pell Grant and Federal work study2021programs to reduce reliance on Federal student loans.20222023    Incentivize evidence based gainful employment metrics2024rather than imposing risk sharing models that fail to recognize2025students that begin their educational journey in poverty.2026Incentivize industry partnerships with HBCUs to bridge the gap2027between classroom learning and workplace demands. I look2028forward to your questions.20292030    [The prepared statement of Mr. Brown follows.]2031                    prepared statement of mark brown2032                              Introduction2033    Good morning, Chairman Cassidy, Ranking Member Sanders, and2034Distinguished Members of the Committee.20352036    I am Mark Brown, the 10th President and Chief Executive Officer of2037Tuskegee University. I testify before you on the State of Higher2038Education as a representative of the 101 legislatively established2039Historically Black Colleges and Universities, as well as a proud2040alumnus of Tuskegee University's Class of 1986. I come before you as2041the first alumnus to lead Tuskegee University in its 143-year history.20422043    I want to emphasize that between 1986-1990, I personally utilized2044most forms of Federal assistance that we will discuss today. While I2045now serve as a College President, Retired Air Force Major General, and2046experienced executive, I began my journey as an HBCU student and direct2047beneficiary of these vital financial aid services. I have two Tuskegee2048Student Ambassadors with me today. I would like to ask them both to2049stand.20502051          Mrs. Aryial O'Neal is from Los Angeles, California.2052        Her major is Political Science, and she is now studying for the2053        LSAT exam.20542055          Mr. Tyler Smith is from Atlanta, Georgia. His major2056        is Biology, and his aspiration is to attend medical school.20572058    Thank you both.20592060    The purpose of my testimony is to highlight the Nation's Value2061Proposition in Education at HBCUs, with Tuskegee University as my2062primary example. I will address what I believe are universal HBCU2063concerns regarding proposed risk-sharing approaches, the value of2064gainful employment measurements, and the return on investment when job2065placement-focused education combines with Federal investments such as2066PELL Grants, Graduate PLUS and Parent PLUS loans, research grants, and2067land grants.2068                Historical Context and Current Landscape2069    Historically Black Colleges and Universities were established in2070the 19th century to provide higher education opportunities to Black2071Americans who were barred from attending existing intuitions of higher2072learning. Today, the 101 HBCUs represent just 2.3 percent of degree-2073granting universities in the United States, yet their impact far2074exceeds their numbers:20752076          HBCUs confer 17 percent of all bachelor's degrees and2077        24 percent of all STEM-related bachelor's degrees earned by2078        Black students.20792080          40 percent of all Black engineers are HBCU graduates.20812082          40 percent of all Black U.S. Congress Members are2083        HBCU alumni.20842085          50 percent of all Black layers graduated from HBCUs.20862087          80 percent of all Black judges hold HBCU degrees.20882089          HBCUs supply more Black applicants to medical schools2090        than non-HBCU institutions.20912092    Tuskegee University was founded on July 1, 1881, by our first2093Principal, Dr. Booker T. Washington. His educational philosophy2094centered on training the ``Hand, Head, and Heart''--emphasizing2095practical education that integrated job training with classroom2096instructions. Students worked in their respective fields for part of2097the year and studied in classrooms during other periods. Many of our2098campus buildings were constructed by those early students, using bricks2099they made themselves-structures that are still in use today.21002101    This modal continues at Tuskegee, aligned with what we call2102``Gainful Employment'' measures, reinforced through required2103internships and industry-appropriate certifications for graduation.21042105    HBCUs collectively serve approximately 219,327 students across 192106states. Notably, 90 percent of all undergraduate HBCU students receive2107some form of financial aid in 2019-2020:21082109          83 percent received grants.21102111          65 percent took out student loans.21122113          4 percent received work-study awards.21142115          2 percent received Federal veterans' education2116        benefits.21172118          18 percent had parents who took out Federal Direct2119        PLUS Loans21202121    Any reduction in Federal funding, especially Title IV need-based2122programs, would therefore negatively impact 9 out of every 10 HBCU2123students.2124                         Federal Student Loans2125    The Federal Student Loan portfolio remains at $1.6 trillion with 422126million recipients--the same figures from when I served as Chief2127Operating Officer of the Office of Federal Student Aid in the2128Department of Education. However, the number of borrowers increases by2129approximately 1 million per year, with accumulated interest accounting2130for a significant percentage of annual growth.21312132    We cannot reform the student loan portfolio without addressing its2133origins. These programs trace back to President Lyndon B. Johnson's2134Great Society Initiative, which aimed to provide greater access to2135higher education for students with financial need. The primary tool in2136this effort is the PELL Grant, supported by Federal Work Study. When2137these programs fail to close the gap on college costs, students turn to2138Federal Student Loans.21392140    The loan portfolio has grown partly because PELL Grants and Federal2141Work Study haven't kept pace with rising college costs. The PELL Grant2142remained relatively flat from the 1980's through 2010's, only receiving2143significant increases in the last 8 years.21442145    Today, PELL Grants provide up to $7,395 annually to more than seven2146million low-and moderate-income students. For context, a single parent2147with two children earning up to $51,818 adjusted gross income (2252148percent of the Federal poverty guideline) can qualify for the maximum2149award.21502151    However, this maximum amount covers only 31 percent of tuition,2152fees, room and meals at the average public 4-year college, compared to215379 percent in 1975. Cuts to the program would put college out of reach2154for many more low-income students, while increased would represent a2155true Federal investment in education, reduce dependence on loans, and2156help address workforce skill deficits.21572158    As you may be aware, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office2159stated in a report just last week that more than half of all Pell Grant2160recipients would be awarded less money to pay for college if the House2161of Representatives proposal in changing eligibility requirements were2162to succeed. According to their findings, this would impact more than2163half of Pell recipients negatively by receiving smaller grants. It is2164my hope that the Senate will reconsider this recommended policy change.2165Given the established benefits and need of the PELL Grant program.21662167    This dynamic is evident at most HBCUs. At Tuskegee University, we2168recently celebrated our Spring 2025 Commencement, conferring degrees on2169nearly 800 graduates across undergraduate and graduate programs. In the2170current academic year alone, Tuskegee processed over $22 million in2171Federal loans:21722173          Over $5 million in Graduate PLUS Loans21742175          More than $10 million in Parent PLUS Loans21762177          Nearly $5.3 million in subsidized loans21782179    These Federal loans, PELL grants, and institutional support made it2180possible for students in essential fields--Veterinary Medicine,2181Material Sciences, Computer Science, Social Work, and more--to afford2182not just tuition but housing, food and transportation. Eliminating2183Graduate PLUS Loans would severely limit access to graduate education,2184particularly for high-need, high-potential students.21852186    This is not about dependency--it's about opportunity and investing2187in futures that will benefit society many times over.21882189    For example, we graduated 60 new Doctor of Veterinary Medicine this2190May. By commencement day, 100 percent had secured employment, with most2191beginning work within 48 hours of graduation. The majority utilized2192some form of Federal aid, including loans.21932194    National estimates project a shortage of as many as 24,0002195companion animal veterinarians by 2030, even accounting for new2196graduates over the next decade. Tuskegee University, with the help of2197need-based Federal aid will help address this deficit. Similar2198scenarios exist for our graduates in Aerospace, Chemical, Mechanical,2199and Electrical Engineering, Architecture and other fields where the2200Nation faces critical shortages.2201                           Gainful Employment2202    Universities should be incentivized to emphasize fields of study2203resulting in positive employment outcomes upon graduation. Evidence-2204based programs with transparent historical outcomes should be aligned2205with Federal assistance.22062207    At Tuskegee, we now require an internship, relevant industry2208certification, and rigorous degree requirements for all students. This2209approach bridges the gap between classroom learning and workplace2210demands, positioning our graduates for the social and economic mobility2211that college education should provide.22122213    Tuskegee University is a national leader in social mobility--ranked2214No. 1 in Alabama. A recent UNCF report confirms that HBCUs like2215Tuskegee have an access rate twice the national average, with 882216percent of HBCUs achieving mobility rates in the 90th percentile2217nationwide. This means we are exceptionally successful at moving2218students from the bottom 40 percent of income distribution to the top221960 percent, creating genuine economic transformation. We open doors for2220first generation college students who often face economic challenges2221yet rise to meet these challenges with excellence.22222223    Our 81 percent retention rate demonstrates our commitment to2224student success. While we continue to improve our 6-year graduation2225rate, what truly distinguishes our students in their post-graduation2226trajectory. Looking at recent graduates, including the Class of 2025:22272228          44 percent secure full-time employment22292230          29 percent pursue graduate school.22312232          7 percent enter professional school.22332234          Others continue into military service, postgraduate2235        work, or volunteer programs like the Peace Corps and Teach for2236        America.22372238    Our graduates aren't just working, they're thriving economically.2239In fact, 74 percent of our alumni earn between $50,000 and over2240$100,000 annually. That's the real return on investment. For the 642241percent of our students receiving financial aid, with a median graduate2242debt of $27,000 (below the national average of $32,000), Federal2243support isn't just helpful--it's vital.22442245    This success isn't accidental. It results from hard work, job2246placement policies, institutional support, and access to key2247resources--especially Graduate PLUS Loans.2248                          Risk Sharing Models2249    The social and economic mobility outcomes I've described are2250achieved while accepting 30 percent of college applicants. Educating2251and training a broader segment of society, including first-generation2252college students, is central to the HBCU mission. This mission, which I2253believe serves as a national necessity, inherently involves risk. Some2254students may require more time to graduate, additional intervention and2255certainly financial assistance.22562257    A risk-sharing model that fails to recognize the uneven2258distribution of risk among universities could reduce educational access2259for those who need it most-precisely those often served by HBCUs.22602261    As noted earlier, Tuskegee accepts approximately 30 percent of2262applicants, compared to about 2 percent at predominately white2263institutions of similar prestige. Yet our retention and graduation2264outcomes remain consistently high. We do more with less for students2265who are too often overlooked by the broader higher education system.22662267    Under the proposed College Cost Reduction Act (CCRA), institutions2268like Tuskegee could be held financially liable for student loan2269defaults. However, our students already face systematic barriers, and2270while our 3-year loan default rate remains manageable those figures are2271likely skewed nationwide due to COVID-related policies and deferment2272options.22732274    If CCRA policies pass without adequate safeguards, Tuskegee and2275other HBCUs could face:22762277          Severe financial strain22782279          Damage to hard-earned reputations22802281          Potential loss of eligibility for Federal aid2282        programs22832284    This would devastate not just our institutions but the thousands of2285students who depend on us to transform their lives through education.22862287    It is not in our national interest to penalize institutions by2288doing the challenging work of economic uplift, community development,2289and workforce readiness. Instead, we should strengthen programs that2290incentivize gainful employment.2291                Tuskegee Approach: Hand, Heart, and Mind22922293    HBCUs serve as powerful economic engines for their states and the2294Nation. According to the 2024 UNCF HBCU Economic Impact Report,2295Tuskegee University generates $237.1 million in total economic impact2296for the local and regional economies of Alabama. Every dollar spent by2297Tuskegee University and our students generates an additional 43 cents2298in economic activity on our region, creating a powerful multiplier2299effect that benefits businesses and communities throughout central2300Alabama. This impact is particularly significant along the 55-mile2301economic corridor stretching from Montgomery to Auburn, where Tuskegee2302serves as a vital connecting hub. Our institution supports over 2,0642303jobs both on and off campus, and the report shows that an additional23041.5 jobs are created in the surrounding communities, demonstrating our2305role as a critical employment engine for the region. Our 2021 graduates2306alone are projected to earn $2 billion in total lifetime earnings-far2307more than they would without degrees. At Tuskegee, we provide2308substantial economic benefits to Macon County and Alabama through our2309continued emphasis on educating the hand, heart and mind.23102311    We operationalize this philosophy by prioritizing internships,2312certifications and experiences that make employment outcomes central to2313the educational journey. For example, every member of our 2024-20252314Freshman Class received IBM certification regardless of academic major,2315enhancing their employability across sectors.23162317    We have also increased the number of tutors and counselors in our2318Financial Aid centers to reach our Strategic Plan goal of reducing2319average student loan debt by 50 percent over the next 3-5 years.23202321    Finally, we leverage our 1890 Land Grant status to benefit both2322Alabama and the Nation. Our College of Agriculture, Environment, and2323Nutrition Sciences (CAENS) is one of our most popular colleges. CAENS2324provides cutting edge solutions to 21st Century challenges in Alabama,2325training local farmers in solar energy use for year-round farming and2326USDA-approved techniques for bringing cattle to market. True to2327Tuskegee tradition, these students also produce the leafy green2328vegetables used in our campus cafeteria.23292330    On the research front, Tuskegee partners with the University of2331Alabama Birmingham through a $12 million NIH grant ($3 million2332allocated to Tuskegee) under the Faculty Institutional Recruitment for2333Sustainable Transformation (FIRST) initiative. This program has2334recruited 12 promising biomedical researchers (9 at UAB, 3 at TU)2335specializing in cancer, diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease, and2336neuroscience--fields directly impacting Alabama's most vulnerable2337populations, particularly in the rural Black Belt. At Tuskegee, our2338FIRST Scientists focus on prostate, breast, ovarian, and uterine2339cancers, addressing the high morbidity rates in our region.23402341    Interrupting this grant would not only disrupt crucial scientific2342progress but undermine transformative efforts to improve health2343outcomes and economic opportunity in Alabama. What our university does,2344and access to education generally, matters profoundly to the well-being2345of our state and nation.2346                         Policy Recommendation23472348    Mr. Chairman, as the Committee approaches difficult budget2349decisions, I urge you to use an evidenced based approach and, if so,2350view higher education--particularly the vital mission of HBCUs as an2351opportunity to meet our national economic needs and to continue to2352stimulate the economy. I specifically ask the committee to:23532354        (1). Continue reforming and modernizing the PELL Grant and2355        Federal Work Study programs to reduce reliance on Federal2356        Student Loans.23572358        (2). Incentivize the use of evidence-based Gainful Employment2359        metrics rather than imposing Risk-Sharing models that do not2360        recognize the challenges of educating underserved populations.23612362        (3). Incentivize industry partnerships with HBCUs to bridge the2363        gap between classroom learning and workplace demands.2364                               Conclusion2365    Mr. Chairman, in September 1895, our first President Booker T.2366Washington delivered what became known as the ``Great Compromise2367Speech'' at the Atlanta International Exposition. Addressing an2368audience concerned with rebuilding the South's economy through2369international trade, he posed a profound question about the recently2370freed men and women who had not been educated.23712372    President Washington noted that one-third of the South's population2373was of African descent--today, that represents 1.6 million people of2374color in the Black Rural South. He argued that no nation can succeed2375while ignoring the talent of 33 percent of its population. In his2376words, nearly 16 million hands would either ``aid you in pulling the2377load upward or left uneducated that same 16 million would pull the load2378downward.'' The world could have it one way or the other--either ``one-2379third of the ignorance and crime of the South, or one-third its2380intelligence and progress.''23812382    Today, 129 years after that speech, Washington's vision has proven2383prophetic. Tuskegee has educated African Americans as he envisioned,2384with profound results:23852386          Tuskegee has the highest graduation rate of any2387        school in Alabama.23882389          Tuskegee is the No. 1 producer of Black aerospace2390        science engineers.23912392          Tuskegee ranks among the leading producers of Black2393        engineering graduates in chemical, electrical and mechanical2394        engineering.23952396          Tuskegee produces more Black general officers in the2397        military than any other institution (including service2398        academies)23992400          Tuskegee is still the largest producers of Black2401        students with bachelor's degrees in Math, Science and2402        Engineering in Alabama24032404    In short, the world needed Tuskegee and other HBCUs in 1895, and it2405needs them today to continue serving as economic engines for their2406communities and the Nation. In Alabama specifically, Tuskegee stands as2407a premier HBCU and ranks among the top economic contributors in the2408critical I-85 corridor connecting Montgomery, Tuskegee, and Auburn--a2409region vital to our state's continued development and prosperity.24102411    Thank you, Chairman, Ranking Member, and Honorable Committee2412Members, for your time and this hearing.2413                                 ______24142415    The Chairman. Thank you, Dr. Brown. I defer now to Senator2416Sanders to introduce the next two witnesses.24172418    Senator Sanders. Thank you, Chairman. Our next witness is2419Dr. Russell Lowery-Hart, the Chancellor for Austin Community2420College District.24212422    Under his leadership, Austin Community College District2423started a free tuition program, which has led to a 40 percent2424increase in enrollment. He previously served as Vice President2425of Academic Affairs for Amarillo College. Doctor--thank you2426very much for being with us, Dr. Hart.24272428STATEMENT OF RUSSELL LOWERY-HART, CHANCELLOR, AUSTIN COMMUNITY2429                  COLLEGE DISTRICT, AUSTIN, TX24302431    Mr. Lowery-Hart. Chairman Cassidy, Ranking Member Sanders,2432and Members of the Committee, thank you for hosting us. I want2433to thank you, Senator Sanders, for inviting me to advocate for2434community colleges, our free tuition program, and to underscore2435the importance of Federal support for our students that are2436uniquely missing from policy conversations that I hope to2437illuminate.24382439    As Chancellor of Austin Community College, we cover a 7,0002440square mile radius. We are larger than the State of2441Connecticut. We serve rural and urban institutions. We serve244270,000 students annually as a comprehensive community college.2443And yet in the last 12 years, we have not raised tuition once.2444And Austin Community College and community colleges like us are2445the reason why I left universities over a decade ago.24462447    We are the entity in the sector of higher education where2448innovation goes to breathe, and where I think higher education2449is actually being re-imagined. We are the region's primary2450workforce education institution. We are proud to partner with2451our local employers such as Samsung, Tesla, major healthcare2452partners to launch careers where students can earn a family2453sustaining wage.24542455    Our moral clarity is a commitment to loving our students to2456success because this work is personal and the decisions that2457you do make aren't just political. They change trajectory of2458lives, of neighborhoods and communities. Our average student is2459named Ashley. We did a naming analysis and Ashley was the most2460common name in every demographic measurable.24612462    But there is nothing common about Ashley. She is smart. She2463is capable. She is ambitious. But she is not the college2464student that we often think about when we are making policy2465decisions. She is a 27-year-old mother. She is working two2466part-time jobs. She is responsible for a kid and probably a2467family member. She is first generation. She faces significant2468financial pressures.24692470    She is going to school part-time, which means she takes2471longer to get a degree. She is continually in a state of stress2472because she is one flat tire or one sick child care worker away2473from having to drop out of school, which then consigns her to a2474life of poverty when we could offer a few supports at key2475moments that could open up a life of wealth building for her2476and the generations that follow her.24772478    But her success is built on really important programs such2479as the free tuition program, Pell, and Childcare Access Means2480Parents in School, the CCCAMPIS program. All of these kinds of2481Federal supports help Ashley and ensure that she is able to2482overcome the significant life barriers that get in her way.2483Ashley, like 60 percent of our students, couldn't access $5002484in the case of emergency. 48 percent of our Ashley's are food2485insecure. 55 percent of our Ashley's are housing insecure.24862487    According to ALICE data, Ashley, living in central Texas,2488has to earn at least $60,000 a year just to keep her head above2489water. That means Ashley has to make nearly $5,000 a month just2490to get by with rent, childcare, utilities, transportation,2491basic needs.24922493    These aren't insignificant barriers, which is why the2494financial support is so important and why the potential changes2495to Pell, especially part-time Pell, could be devastating to her2496and the generations that follow her. Senator Hawley recently2497wrote in the New York Times, ``our economy is increasingly2498unfriendly to working people and their families.''24992500    This is especially true to working people trying to go to2501school to get a better job. People like Ashley, which is why2502the College for All Act could be transformative. But in central2503Texas, we are taking Ashley's challenges head on. She does face2504challenges in affordability, and community colleges are the2505sector that has taken on affordability with courage.25062507    Yet, in central Texas, in the last decade, 60 percent of2508our students a decade ago went to post-secondary education.2509Now, only 42 percent of students are leaving high school and2510enrolling. And working with Trellis Strategies, the No. 12511reason they told us they weren't enrolling is because of the2512cost to attend college and that they had to get a full-time2513job.25142515    It is one of the most important decisions that our trustees2516made was to initiate their free tuition program. I am proud2517that my board chair, Mr. Sean Hassan, was a leader in this2518effort. It has dramatically brought students that didn't think2519higher education was possible back to education. They are2520staying in school. They are in workforce programs primarily2521that will lead to a family sustaining wage.25222523    It is why we are supportive of the proposal that would move252410 millions of people from low-skill, low-wage work into2525industries that offer real career pathways at a time that our2526Country is challenged in places of innovation and global2527economy shifts. And community colleges, if funded2528appropriately, can be the answer to the global challenges that2529we seem to be struggling to meet.25302531    [The prepared statement of Mr. Lowery-Hart follows.]2532               prepared statement of russell lowery-hart2533    Chairman Cassidy, Ranking Member Sanders, and Members of the2534Committee.25352536    I am honored to serve my students, colleagues and community as the2537Chancellor of Austin Community College District (ACC) in Central Texas.2538The ACC District covers a service area of 7,000 square miles, which is2539larger than the state of Connecticut. We cover both rural and urban2540areas, serving about 70,000 students annually in the areas of academic2541transfer, workforce education, dual credit, continuing education, and2542adult basic education. We are the primary workforce-education2543institution in our growing region and are proud to be a foundational2544partner with local employers who hire our graduates. Together, we2545ensure the economic prosperity of our community by putting our students2546on a path to fulfilling careers where they can earn family sustaining2547wages. Thanks to Ranking Member Sanders for inviting me here today to2548uplift the important work of community colleges, to discuss our free2549tuition program, and to elevate the importance of Federal support for2550our students and their future employers.2551          Community Colleges are our Greatest Economic Agents2552    ACC and community colleges like us are not the same old model of2553higher education. We have evolved to become the primary source of2554talent fueling our local economies. With career academies offering2555certifications that move students directly into the workforce with2556marketable skills in high-demand/high-wage careers, we help students2557reduce the time from enrollment to that first significant paycheck.2558Community colleges, like ACC, glue employers and communities together2559so that every neighbor, and neighborhood, wins.25602561    Our employers need our students to be successful, and our students2562need you to help ensure this success remains within their grasp. I am2563here today to request your wisdom, temperance, and deliberation as you2564consider the future of critical tools--such as Pell, the Childcare2565Means Parents in School (CCAMPIS) program, student loans, and wrap-2566around support--that unlock opportunity for our students and employers.2567These programs transform students from people who rely on wrap-around2568services for survival into people who can build wealth, pay taxes, and2569achieve the American Dream.25702571    Higher Education is the best vehicle for upward social mobility in2572America and community colleges are central to that economic2573transformation. We are affordable, locally focused, and designed to2574meet the needs of our local economies. One of the most important2575decisions our elected Trustees made to ensure social mobility, was to2576initiate a free-tuition program--piloted with all Central Texas high2577school graduates. With this program launch, Enrollment of high school2578graduates at ACC jumped nearly 40 percent in fall 2024 compared to the2579previous year. The number of students enrolled in the free tuition2580program alone hit 4,982 in the fall, with retention looking strong--812581percent of those students continued into spring 2025.25822583    There are proposals before Congress, including cuts and limitations2584to the Pell program, that would close off affordable pathways to2585education for the people who need us most--men and women, working two2586part-time jobs, still living in poverty, who would not be able to2587access our college were it not for this program.2588       Community College Students are our Greatest Economic Hope2589    Let me tell you about our average ACC student. And when I tell you2590her story--you will understand that there is nothing ``average'' about2591her or her journey. In fact, she is extraordinary in what she has2592overcome to be successful at our institution. She is representative of2593most of the community college students across our great country.25942595    We call her Ashley and she is a smart, hard-working, determined 27-2596year-old woman who works more than one part-time low-wage job, and has2597responsibility for at least one other person in her household--either2598caring for a child or someone else in her home. She is a first-2599generation college student, living with significant financial2600pressures. She cannot afford to take classes full time, so it will take2601her longer to complete her degree. She is continually in a state of2602stress because one flat tire or childcare falling through can mean the2603difference between succeeding or remaining consigned to a life of2604poverty and reliance on government programs.26052606    Ashley isn't Red or Blue. She is not political, (although she2607votes). Our economic future is connected to her success, and the2608decisions you make about her are personal--to her and to us. This work,2609and these topics, are about economic expansion, meeting workforce2610needs, and offering a path to the American Dream for our students.2611There are significant obstacles in Ashley's way toward that dream.26122613    Our collective futures are tied to changing Ashley's. Let me2614explain what her life is really like--because it's different from the2615political frames that often ignore or misunderstand her.26162617    Ashley lives in Austin. Almost 60 percent of our students couldn't2618access $500 in an emergency; 48 percent are food insecure, 55 percent2619are housing insecure (often with dependent children.) According to2620ALICE Data, Ashley--even as a SINGLE-person--would need to earn at2621least $60,000 a year just to keep her head above water. And this is not2622living high on the hog, it's just surviving.26232624    On average it costs Ashley nearly $5,000 a month just to get by,2625with rent, childcare, utilities, transportation costs, and the basic2626necessities of food capturing all of her income. And in this scenario,2627she has no margin for error. She lives her life in the hope that her2628child doesn't get sick, and that everything works perfectly in2629navigating her two jobs while she tries to take an online class and an2630in-person class at the same time.26312632    Ashely isn't struggling because she is terrible with money. She is2633struggling because she doesn't yet have the skills needed to be hired2634for jobs that would pay her the $100,000 needed to thrive and build2635wealth in our community.26362637    Despite documented barriers of child care, health care, housing,2638transportation and food insecurity, Ashley continues her education. She2639wants a better life for herself and for her family. She also wants2640critical workforce skills that will lead to a rewarding career. But2641without Pell, or without CCAMPIS, Ashley likely would never even come2642through our front door.26432644    That is the tragedy of Ashley--a tragedy that will play out across2645the country in millions of homes and apartments should Congress limit2646or cut these vital lifelines to economic growth. But I don't just want2647this for her because she is a student at my institution. I also want2648this for my community because it's good for business.26492650    Everyone talks about the Texas Miracle and the unprecedented2651economic expansions we have seen in Austin. What you don't hear is that2652we have had to import talent from around the country and around the2653world to fill those jobs while local people like Ashley have been left2654behind. And what's made this situation worse is that Austin is also an2655expensive place to live, with working poor residents increasingly being2656squeezed to the margins, and pushed out--out of the community, the2657classroom, and then the workplace. And it's happening to more than just2658those ensnared by generational poverty.26592660    We see this happening all over.26612662    In fact, Senator Hawley, in addressing potential cuts to Medicaid,2663recently, and powerfully, wrote in a New York Times guest essay: ``Our2664economy is increasingly unfriendly to working people and their2665families.'' This statement is also true of working people who are going2666to school for the purpose of getting a better job and climbing out of2667poverty. People like Ashley.26682669    As a leader, I am interested in Ashley's well-being. I want my2670institution to surround her with love and help her lift herself up out2671of poverty. Our community's economic health and vitality demands smart,2672scrappy and hard-working people like Ashley--people who will go on to2673gain critical skills in nursing, welding, advanced manufacturing,2674cybersecurity, or any one of the dozens of in-demand middle-skill2675careers--to fill the jobs that are being created in Central Texas and2676around the country.2677        Federal Programs and Supports Ensure a Skilled Workforce2678    This is exactly why limiting Pell would harm our community--2679especially for part-time students. Requiring a minimum number of2680credits to be Pell eligible leaves out blue-collar advanced2681manufacturing, cyber security, software development, health care,2682mobility and infrastructure in demand programs that pay people $75,00--2683$150,000 annually. Those are jobs that our economy needs filled. By2684requiring a minimum number of courses for Pell, you might even be2685requiring students to sign up for more classes than they need. wasting2686taxpayers' money, students' time, and extending time to employability.26872688    Pell is critical to ensuring students stay in school and shorten2689their time to skill attainment and employment. Yet, expanding Pell for2690unaccredited or for-profit programs almost always harms students.2691Predatory programs prey on our most vulnerable neighbors, leaving2692students with no employable skill or credential of value and a mountain2693of debt with no job through which they can pay it back.26942695    Changing Full-Time Pell from 12 to 15 hours could keep some2696students out of the in-demand workforce. Last year, over 5,000 Pell-2697awarded ACC students were enrolled in 12-14 credits and would lose2698opportunities and support. For some workforce programs in trades and2699healthcare, 15 hours a semester may not even be possible. While we2700would not want to raise eligibility to 15 hours, institutions could2701make policy and procedural changes to lessen the impact on students.27022703    For community colleges, part-time students are the overwhelming2704norm because of the life issues I've referenced. However, the Part-Time2705Pell proposed shifts from 6 hours to 7.5 hours would dramatically harm2706students and employers. Most academic and workforce programs usually2707take about 20 classes to complete an associate's degree. Level One and2708Level Two certifications leading to a family sustaining wage may2709require 5-10 classes. Each class counts as 3 hours toward a 60-hour2710degree. Part-time students, on average, will take 6 hours in each a2711fall, spring and summer term.27122713    Almost 80 percent of our ACC students are part-time. Our students2714can make two classes a term (six hours of course work) work in their2715busy lives, especially for those workforce training programs necessary2716to meet employer demand. Because our classes are 3 hours, typically,2717the 7.5-hour requirement for Part-Time Pell could reduce enrollments in2718our most important workforce programs dramatically. Classes are not2719organized by single hours. This proposal would force students to take 92720hours--three classes--each term to receive support. Raising a family,2721working two part-time jobs, while going to school is incredibly2722difficult--and the many who could not afford to take a minimum of three2723classes would fall through the cracks.27242725    For the majority of our community college students, two classes a2726semester is their only option. Nearly 4,000 ACC students leveraged Pell2727by taking only 6-7 hours and would not be Pell eligible under the 7.5-2728hour requirement for part time. This is especially concerning for2729students who may be in their final 6 hours and would be forced to take2730an additional class they may not need. For ACC, this is an additional27311,500 Pell recipients taking fewer than 6 hours who would probably walk2732away from the very pathways solving critical workforce needs. Without2733the Pell support, these students, and their future employers, could2734find themselves close to the finish line with no way to cross it.27352736    If Congress cuts CCAMPIS, students lose money to pay for childcare.2737If they can't pay for childcare they will have to drop out of school or2738they will take much longer to complete school. Supporting students with2739this critical childcare benefit is a great investment because if2740students receive the funds, they finish faster, get to work faster, pay2741taxes, and will no longer be dependent on government supports.2742Eliminating CCAMPIS for child care would ensure that at least 252743percent of our students needing this support would simply drop out of2744school--hurting employers by limiting the pool of talent from which2745they draw.27462747    In fact, the CCAMPIS program allows ACC to lattice funding with2748other community partners to extend the impact and ensure greater access2749and produces a staggering 93 percent retention rate for those students2750receiving the support. This real-life scenario is not exclusive to2751Austin. The financial numbers may vary across our communities, but the2752experience of the financial squeeze students face is mirrored across2753the Nation.27542755    While Student Loan programs certainly need a deep evaluation, the2756lack of details on the risk-sharing approach to loans creates a great2757deal of concern and uncertainty. Currently, institutions have no2758authority or impact on the level of loans a student accepts. We can2759advise students, but we cannot limit the amount of loans for which they2760are eligible.27612762    We counsel our students and work with them to ensure they2763understand the costs and pitfalls of overborrowing. But, we cannot2764control all the decisions they make or all the challenges they may face2765that could lead to a default. I fear an unintended consequence of this2766risk-sharing proposal will result in schools cutting back on loans,2767resulting in fewer students enrolling at a time when demographic shifts2768demand that we attract more talent into the training pipeline.2769Certainly, the loan system needs attention. There are ways to include2770schools in the risk-sharing legislative process as partners in crafting2771policy that ensures students are not over-borrowing, and institutions2772are still able to produce the skilled workforce needed in our2773communities.2774   Free Tuition Ensured Economic Mobility and Employer Profitability2775    At ACC, we have taken our community's affordability issues head on.2776A recent study we commissioned showed that 57 percent of students who2777stalled in their applications before enrolling at the college cited2778costs or affordability as a reason. To combat this, we launched a free2779tuition pilot program for graduating high school seniors starting with2780the class of 2024.27812782    This program was made possible because the State of Texas and its2783legislature passed a change to the community college funding formula in27842023 that budgets us based on success metrics such as completions,2785successful transfers, and degree attainment in critical workforce2786fields. These accountability measures have focused our work and are2787resulting in increased student success. With the increased funding due2788to better outcomes, ACC leveraged those dollars to ensure college2789remains affordable and launched its Free Tuition program pilot.27902791    This is a first-dollar-in program to allow students to use other2792forms of aid to cover living and emergency expenses such as rent and2793food so they can go to school, gain a credential, degree, and a hirable2794skill. This free-tuition cohort represented 40 percent of our new2795enrollments in the fall, returned ACC's enrollment to pre-pandemic2796levels, and these students are persisting and succeeding on their2797educational journeys. It's a good investment from our community that2798will have a significant return on investment for our economy and for2799the companies that are driving it. Employers support it because college2800affordability ensures they will have graduates with skills to hire.28012802    In a political environment where ``sides'' are pushed to the edges,2803there is room for collaboration and partnership between the Federal2804Government and institutions. At community colleges, our aim is to2805graduate students with as little debt as possible and our best-case2806scenario is graduating them with no debt whatsoever. It's one of the2807reasons behind the free tuition pilot program, our commitment to offer2808dual credit for free, and our deep partnership with our local2809employers.28102811    This is how education should work. The college, leveraging critical2812Federal programs like Pell, CCAMPIS and Loans, collaborating with our2813local industries, serving our communities, all to surround our2814students--like Ashley--with the support they need to get over the2815finish line and get on the way to a fruitful career.2816         Supporting Students and Employers Elevates Communities2817    The questions before us are clear: Do we want Ashley to spend a2818lifetime in poverty accessing public programs just to get by? Or, do we2819want to surround her with the right support, at the right time, for a2820short three or 4 years, and at the end of her journey have a lifelong2821taxpayer who has built stability and generational wealth for her and2822her family?28232824    ACC is leading the Nation on making higher education more2825affordable. We are proud of our work. Our nation should be moving in2826the same direction and offering Free College from the Federal level, as2827Senator Sanders has proposed. Long-term, this would move millions of2828people from low-skill, low-wage work into the industries that offer2829real career paths, family sustaining wages, and are at the forefront of2830American innovation.28312832    Instead, the proposals we are seeing considered in reconciliation2833to further restrict support for students who need it most are going to2834fundamentally harm the employers needing to hire skilled workers, harm2835the students I serve, and interfere with the programs our students, and2836their future employers, rely on.28372838    It doesn't have to be this way. I urge careful consideration and2839support in efforts to preserve Pell, CCAMPIS, and other effective2840programs designed to support employers and the students they need to2841hire.28422843    By maintaining and extending these supports, we can transform our2844poorest friends and neighbors into the taxpaying nurses, electricians,2845IT professionals, plumbers, and skilled workers who make up America's2846backbone.2847                                 ______28482849    Senator Sanders. Thank you very much, Dr. Lowery-Hart. Our2850final witness is Mr. Mike Pierce, the Executive Director and2851Co-Founder of the Student Borrower Protection Center.28522853    He previously worked to defend student-owned borrowers as a2854higher education expert at the Consumer Financial Protection2855Bureau. Mr. Pierce, thanks for being with us.28562857STATEMENT OF MIKE PIERCE, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, STUDENT BORROWER2858                 PROTECTION CENTER, ATLANTA, GA28592860    Mr. Pierce. Good morning, Chairman Cassidy, Ranking Member2861Sanders, Members of the Committee. My name is Mike Pierce. I am2862the Executive Director of the Student Borrower Protection2863Center.28642865    I also spent 7 years as a Federal financial regulator,2866charged with overseeing the student loan market at the Consumer2867Financial Protection Bureau, serving under both Presidents--2868serving under both Presidents Obama and Trump. For too long,2869the promise of a higher education has been pushed out of reach.28702871    Rising costs fueled by unstable state budgets, the2872diminishing purchasing power of the Pell Grant, the rise in2873predatory for-profit colleges have left too many drowning in2874more than $1.7 trillion in student loan debt. Over the past2875half century, we have increasingly privatized our public higher2876education system, forcing students and families to bear the2877growing financial burden of what should be a public good.28782879    I am here today to warn this Committee about the2880unprecedented economic shock facing tens of millions of working2881families across the country driven by a set of reckless and2882cruel policy choices made by President Trump. More than 212883million Americans, roughly one in 12 U.S. adults, will2884experience immediate financial harm as this Administration2885pulls back on student borrower protections.28862887    These include nearly 8 million people who sought a lower2888loan payment but remain in limbo. More than 6 million people in2889default who now face wage garnishment and the seizure of their2890social security benefits. Nearly 7.5 million distressed2891borrowers who are now careening toward a preventable default2892cliff.28932894    These are families that are already contending with a2895rising cost of living in a moment of extreme economic2896uncertainty whose only mistake was going to school. Preventing2897the mass defaults of millions of distressed borrowers should be2898the top priority for this Administration and this Committee.28992900    Nearly 6 million people are already 90 days past due,2901enduring catastrophic damage to their credit. This will cause2902even borrowers with pristine credit to be locked out of the2903conventional mortgage market and to see the cost of a car loan2904double. Crucially for this Committee, borrowers in default lose2905access to Pell Grants and other financial aid, creating an2906often insurmountable barrier to college completion.29072908    Instead of working to diligently get these borrowers back2909on track, the Trump administration is blocking access to2910borrowers' rights to affordable repayment options. Today,2911borrowers are waiting on nearly 2 million unprocessed2912applications for lower student loan payments. We have been here2913before.29142915    In the wake of the 2008 financial crisis, big banks and2916loan servicers similarly conspired to block families' access to2917affordable mortgage payments based on the mistaken belief that2918moral hazard would induce waves of ``strategic defaults'' by2919families across the country. As a result, Government efforts to2920help families avoid foreclosure failed. As many as 10 million2921families lost their homes, the spillover effects of this2922financial catastrophe prolonged the Great Recession, and it2923hurt us all.29242925    The Trump administration's actions may cause similar2926catastrophic harm to the U.S. economy and scar the family2927finances of a generation of working people. Rather than check2928the abuses of the executive branch, Congressional Republicans2929appear ready to abuse the reconciliation process to rewrite2930higher education policy, shrinking access to Federal financial2931aid, cutting or eliminating grants for about two-thirds of Pell2932recipients, removing guardrails that protect students from2933predatory schools, and placing enormous pressure on state2934higher education budgets.29352936    The result will push millions of families into the private2937loan market, and in the same bill, gut the CFPB, the regulator2938charged with protecting these very same families from predatory2939student lenders. This legislative war on regulators comes2940behind an extraordinary attempt to purge enforcement officials2941across the Federal Government.29422943    I want to express my solidarity with the workers illegally2944fired by the Trump administration who worked to hold student2945loan companies and predatory schools accountable, a mission in2946conflict with the Trump-Musk vision of crony capitalism.29472948    Building on this foundation, President Trump's proposed2949skinny budget further slashes critical supports that working2950families rely on to pay for college. These efforts create a2951perfect storm that will make students and families even more2952vulnerable. There remains strong bipartisan agreement that the2953student loan system is broken. America's grand experiment with2954debt financed higher education has failed.29552956    While we disagree on what comes next, one thing is clear.2957Our Government should focus on making the markers of middle-2958class American life, including education, cheaper for students2959and family. Instead, families are facing extraordinary2960uncertainty as reckless Executive actions and radical2961legislation push the American dream beyond reach.29622963    I want to close by thanking Ranking Member Sanders for his2964leadership in this fight. We deserve to live in a country where2965public college is free and there is no student debt, where2966higher education is an engine of upward mobility, and no one is2967forced to forego their dreams because they cannot afford the2968rising cost of a college degree.29692970    Thank you, and I look forward to your questions.29712972    [The prepared statement of Mr. Pierce follows.]2973                   prepared statement of mike pierce29742975[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]29762977                   [summary statement of mike pierce]2978    Good morning, Chairman Cassidy, Ranking Member Sanders, and Members2979of the Committee. My name is Mike Pierce, and I am the executive2980director of the Student Borrower Protection Center. We are a national2981nonprofit organization fighting to eliminate the burden of student2982debt, protect people from predatory lenders, and expand access to2983opportunity across the economy. I'm also a former Federal financial2984regulator, overseeing the student loan market at the Consumer Financial2985Protection Bureau (CFPB) under both Presidents Obama and Trump.29862987    I'm here today to warn this Committee about an unprecedented2988economic shock facing tens of millions of working families across the2989country, driven by a set of reckless and corrupt policy choices made by2990the Trump administration. Our partners at the University of2991California's Student Loan Law Initiative estimate that more than 212992million Americans--roughly 1-in-12 U.S. adults--will experience2993immediate, negative financial harm in the coming months as Education2994Secretary Linda McMahon pulls back on student borrower protections2995implemented under both Republican and Democratic administrations.29962997    More than just driving tens of millions of people into financial2998hardship, Secretary McMahon's decision to demand payment from borrowers2999before fixing the broken student loan system may cause catastrophic3000harm to the U.S. economy and scar the family finances of a generation3001of working people.30023003    Rather than take seriously Congress's constitutional duty to check3004the excesses of the executive branch, House Republicans appear ready to3005use the reconciliation process to reshape higher education--shrinking3006access to Federal financial aid, cutting grant aid for students who are3007least able to meet college costs, removing guardrails that protect3008students from predatory schools, shredding the student loan safety net,3009and pushing millions of families into the private student loan market.3010These changes will have profound, immediate financial consequences for3011schools and for students and shift tens of billions of dollars away3012from families at a moment when the economy is beginning to slow and3013analysts already project a recession on the horizon.30143015    In the same legislation that would push more students and families3016into the private market, the CFPB--the main Federal regulator and3017consumer watchdog charged with protecting student loan borrowers--is3018facing the prospect of a 70 percent reduction in its budget. Put3019plainly, the House Republicans' reconciliation bill does not just pull3020back on Federal financial aid, it also kneecaps the regulator tasked3021with protecting the same students and families who will be forced to3022navigate the private market should this bill pass. Taken together,3023these efforts make up a perfect storm that will make students and3024families even more vulnerable.30253026    America's grand experiment with debt-financed higher education has3027failed. There remains a strong, bipartisan agreement that the student3028loan system is broken. We disagree on what comes next. One thing is3029clear: Congress should reject Donald Trump's Project 2025 vision for3030American higher education. Our government should be relentlessly3031focused on making markers of middle-class American life--including3032education--cheaper for working families, not more expensive.3033                                 ______30343035    The Chairman. I will now turn to questions, and I will3036defer to Senator Tuberville to go first.30373038    Senator Tuberville. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Gentlemen,3039thanks for being here. I am passionate about this. I spent 503040years in education. More than anybody in this room, probably3041maybe other than Dr. Brown. Although you spent a little time in3042the military.30433044    I have been in high schools all across this country, almost3045in all 50 states. We have gone backward. Here we are today3046talking about higher education, and I spent 30 years in that.3047And it has done a lot of great things for a lot kids, men and3048women, rich and poor. It has got to be merit-based, folks.30493050    If we don't merit base this thing, we will not survive as3051an educational system. This country gives you an opportunity. I3052was in a situation where athletics was merit based. I didn't3053care who you were. I had to win games. I recruited kids that3054had good grades, would go to class, and could play football.30553056    If they couldn't do those three things and work at it, I3057didn't recruit them. It has got to be the same thing in college3058in terms of getting a good education. I know of a school that3059has a happiness degree. That ain't going to get it. I am for3060paying everybody's way through college, but not for a degree3061where when they get out, they can't get a job at Walmart.30623063    We need degrees that kids can prosper and raise a family3064and have a great life in this country. So, I would like to ask3065each one of you just one question, starting over with Dr.3066Gillen. Dr. Gillen, what factor do you see that have caused3067massive skyrocketing costs at our universities across the3068country?30693070    Mr. Gillen. I would argue that the main driver of higher3071college costs is what is called the Bowen revenue theory of3072cost. And so, when you look at higher education--it is the3073Bowen revenue theory of cost.30743075    The idea here is that it is not that higher faculty3076salaries or increases in institutional aid are driving higher3077spending. It is that when more revenue is available, colleges3078will spend as much as they can. And it makes sense. These are3079all mission-driven institutions, right.30803081    Like if you give each of these schools $1 million more3082dollars, they will find a good way to spend it. The problem is,3083if you keep doing that, eventually those good ways to spend it3084aren't so convincing anymore. But when we have these mission-3085driven institutions, we just--the more money they have, the3086more they are going to spend.30873088    Senator Tuberville. Dr. Lindsay.30893090    Mr. Lindsay. I think the opportunity that is before us is,3091as you say, to bring accountability and outcomes. And I think3092we have to be very intentional about the kind of formation that3093is occurring on our campuses.30943095    I am really proud of the fact we have something called the3096Good Work Initiative, which is basically trying to transform3097on-campus employment opportunities where students are paid a3098little bit more than minimum wage to give them a little bit3099more spending money. But we also pair it with professional3100development and vocational discernment exercises to help them3101so that when they graduate, they actually have that kind3102professional experience. It is a pilot.31033104    We have had good success with it. We are allowing the3105opportunity for more students to take on more leadership roles,3106giving them good things for their resumes, but also buttressing3107their opportunities when they graduate.31083109    Senator Tuberville. Dr. Brown.31103111    Mr. Brown. Senator, I will use a real example. I went to my3112board of trustees this upcoming year and said I would like to3113freeze tuition for 2 years at our school. They approved the3114freezing of the tuition. But when I looked at the cost of3115insurance, which is a subcomponent of that tuition, we had to3116go up. So the real cost to the customer, the family, was more.31173118    The same is true of the cost dining, the cost of food that3119goes into a dining hall contract, and the cost of the utilities3120that it takes to run the campus. So my campus is much like any3121other business.31223123    Those costs we would not be able to absorb. And so, our3124costs went up because costs in the economy went up. It was not3125that we would spend more because we had more. Those costs were3126real, and we had to realize those as a school operates just3127like a business in that sense.31283129    Senator Tuberville. Dr. Hart.31303131    Mr. Lowery-Hart. Thank you for the question. I would say in3132the community college sector, there hasn't been a massive3133skyrocket of rising prizes. At Austin Community College, we3134haven't raised tuition in 12 years. I think we have raised it3135once in 15.31363137    We are the sector of higher education that lives within our3138means because our students are so price sensitive. And I think3139there could be a lot to learn from how community colleges3140effectively manage their budgets.31413142    Senator Tuberville. I agree with you on that. Been in a lot3143of community colleges. You do a good job, by the way. And I3144think more kids need to go to community colleges. Mr. Pierce.31453146    Mr. Pierce. I think it is my turn to talk about for-profit3147colleges, which seems to be missing from my colleague's3148responses to your question. We have watched the proprietary3149sector raise costs far in excess of other sectors of the higher3150education system.31513152    We have also watched some of the largest participants in3153the for-profit college market turn into private nonprofit3154colleges or enter into deals with public colleges. So, I think3155we are not in a place where we were a decade ago talking about3156the proprietary sectors.31573158    We should be looking at the backroom deals that some of the3159largest colleges in the country are cutting with these private3160companies and how these deals are driving the increase in costs3161that are being pushed on our most vulnerable students.31623163    Senator Tuberville. Good. Thank you. Thank you, Mr.3164Chairman.31653166    The Chairman. Senator Sanders.31673168    Senator Sanders. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And thank you all3169for your testimony. I believe that all of you mentioned Pell3170Grants, and I think the elephant in the room, as many of you3171know, right now there is a Republican-led so called3172reconciliation bill which will provide massive tax breaks to3173the very rich and cut programs that working families need.31743175    One of the programs that is being cut are Pell Grants.3176Where we are right now, the bill is in flux. Right now it would3177eliminate, this Republican bill would eliminate Pell Grants for31781.4 million working class students and substantially reduce3179Pell Grants for 3 million low-income students throughout3180America. That is what that bill does. Dr. Brown, what does that3181mean for Tuskegee?31823183    Mr. Brown. Thank you, Senator Sanders. The vast majority of3184our students use Pell Grants. If you reduce Pell Grants, you3185will probably increase the amount used in student loans. If you3186cap access to student loans and at the same time reduce Pell3187Grants, you will hurt access to education for those who begin3188their educational journey in poverty or with significant needs.31893190    Senator Sanders. Mr. Brown, if you could convey that3191message to Republican Members of Congress, I would appreciate3192it. Dr. Lowery-Hart, what would that do to students at your3193community college?31943195    Mr. Lowery-Hart. Over 75 percent of our students at Austin3196Community College are part-time because they are working two3197part-time jobs and raising a family. If the proposals to3198increase part-time Pell went into place--there are 5,000 Austin3199Community College students right now.32003201    They are taking between six and 7 hours that would lose3202Pell access, which means the workforce programs that they are3203engaged in, they might have to drop out of or withdraw from.32043205    Senator Sanders. Okay. I don't have a lot of time. Dr.3206Lindsay, what does that mean for Taylor?32073208    Mr. Lindsay. Pell is an incredibly important catalyst for3209hundreds of our students, and the expanded Pell has made a3210tremendous difference. I have seen directly--I have worked3211directly with students. I have seen how it has actually allowed3212them to be able to come to Taylor and be able to stay at3213Taylor. It is a huge differentiator, and I think all of us3214recognize the key difference that Pell has made.32153216    Senator Sanders. I hear the three folks who are running3217universities think that these kind of massive cuts in Pell3218Grants would have a very negative impact on the lives of your3219students. Am I hearing that? I am hearing that. All right.32203221    Dr. Lowery-Hart, talk a little bit--to me, education is a3222human right, like healthcare. Whether you are rich, poor,3223young, old, I think you should be entitled to it. And I think3224as an investment for our Country, wanting the best, the3225strongest possible, and best-educated workforce, it makes sense3226to encourage all of our people. I understand you have a young3227man who wants to go to medical school behind you.32283229    Dr. Brown, I don't know what his financial circumstances3230are, but if you don't have a lot of money, he will graduate3231medical school, many, many hundreds of thousands of dollars in3232debt at a time when we desperately need primary care3233physicians.32343235    Dr. Lowery-Hart, what has been your experience in providing3236free tuition for the students in the Austin area?32373238    Mr. Lowery-Hart. It has been transformative for the3239families that we serve. Our enrollment has returned to pre-3240pandemic levels. Our students are now enrolled in workforce3241programs that will lead to a family sustaining wage.32423243    We saw a 40 percent increase in enrollment based on the3244free tuition program. And it is already producing outcomes in3245increased retention and success in the classroom.32463247    Senator Sanders. What I am hearing from you is the3248investment that has been made in those students is going to pay3249off in a whole lot of ways.32503251    Mr. Lowery-Hart. Yes. The ROI on this is undeniable. Every3252economist will tell you that education attainment is the3253biggest predictor of which communities are going to succeed or3254fail. And right now in Austin, we are importing talent from all3255over the globe, and we need to be investing in our own local3256students, and the free tuition program is helping us do that.32573258    Senator Sanders. Mr. Pierce, what is your sense of what3259free tuition would mean to working class families in this3260country?32613262    Mr. Pierce. It would mean widespread economic opportunity.3263And it is not just for those families that are going to be able3264to get a job with a family sustaining wage. It is for all of3265us.32663267    Our communities are better off when we have more education.3268There is more innovation. There is better jobs. There is an3269economy that we built in the middle of the 20th century that3270was the envy of the world. We get back there by educating our3271workforce.32723273    Senator Sanders. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman.32743275    The Chairman. My turn. Dr. Brown, you have written about3276the challenges facing the Parent Plus program and pointed out3277that HBCU students and parents rely on Parent Plus, but3278sometimes it saddles the family with debt they cannot pay.32793280    That which is extended in compassion becomes a shackle3281keeping them from growth. Can you comment on that, please? And3282those are my words, not yours, but I feel just as passionately3283as you.32843285    Mr. Brown. Yes, Senator Cassidy. I agree that the Parent3286Plus loans and loans in general create a financial burden on3287students that is not sustainable. Specifically, if a family has3288an estimated family contribution of zero, and then you extend a3289Parent Plus loan to that family, what is the likelihood that3290family will, with any reason, be able to pay it?32913292    But it is a far more complex question than that, because if3293you remove those loans without an alternative, history tells us3294that stops access. And so, I think if we go back to the3295founding of the whole Title IV program, this was supposed to be3296solved within the Pell Grant part of the program and not within3297the loan part.32983299    The loans create a debt trap. It creates and takes away the3300social and economic mobility that is intended of education. So3301I wish we did not need the loans at all. But until we do3302something to reform the level of Pell Grant, it ends up being3303the difference in access.33043305    I will offer one more example. In 2011, when there were3306credit changes to the Parent Plus loan system, we saw3307immediately a decline of over 3--around 3 to 4 percent of3308students who attended HBCUs, while enrollment was going up at3309other schools.33103311    In a sense, we made education available for the elite and3312we did not make education available for the masses.33133314    The Chairman. But the Parent Plus program, again, as we3315have--I am looking at some statistics. I understand that about3316a 34 percent borrow more than the $50,000 cap being proposed.33173318    I have heard stories of people borrowing for multiple kids3319and they end up--just incredible debt. They are drowning in3320debt from this. So I think what you are saying is that there3321needs to be another way to finance it?33223323    Mr. Brown. I am saying it is the wrong tool for social and3324economic mobility. The loan is the wrong tool, but it is the3325only tool unless there is an alternative to make sure you3326ensure access.33273328    It is definitely the wrong tool for--you don't give a3329person who can't make a payment a loan. You instead would do a3330different tool. And again, I believe that the intent of the3331original Higher Education Act was to fix this within the Pell3332Grant program.33333334    The Chairman. Dr. Lindsay, there has been a lot of3335conversation about the lack of moral clarity on college3336campuses, and about tolerance of incivility that then becomes3337violent, and about counseling people with different views.33383339    Now, you are a Christian organization, and I imagine there3340would be very noxious views. And so, there is a tension there,3341the counseling versus the moral clarity. In your experience--3342because obviously your enrollment is growing.33433344    You are doing very well. How do you manage that tension3345between some viewpoint which might be noxious to your theology,3346but at the same time having moral clarity?33473348    Mr. Lindsay. I think fundamentally we believe that all3349truth is God's truth, so we are not afraid to engage on3350difficult topics or difficult issues.33513352    I was on the faculty of Research One University for a3353number of years, and I would say at Taylor I feel like we have3354more freedom to engage in difficult or contentious topics than3355I ever faced on that Research One campus. I think part of what3356happens is that when you are part of a community that has a3357shared side of moral commitments, which we do, it sort of3358creates a degree of freedom within a framework of faith.33593360    We have found that our students really thrive with the3361opportunity. We want our students to be really well equipped to3362engage all of the pressing issues. And they are not simple3363answers. We know that. So you have got to be able to engage3364those variety of concerns in a thoughtful and deliberative way.33653366    The Chairman. If somebody came advocating for polygamy,3367they could speak, but it would be in the context of an audience3368which had a well-grounded sense of moral clarity.33693370    Mr. Lindsay. We have students who are incredibly thoughtful3371about their theological commitments and how it informs their3372academic pursuits. We welcome any speaker to come to our3373campus. I think they will find that our students are engaging,3374prepared, and bring a degree of clarity to the pressing moral3375issues we see in our day.33763377    The Chairman. Dr. Gillen, Dr. Brown just spoke about, Okay,3378we know that these Parent Plus programs really end up burdening3379people with tremendous debt.33803381    You made the statement that sometimes increased revenue is3382spent, but there is diminishing return in terms of the benefit,3383however you define the benefit. But he said, if you cut the3384graduate--the Parent Plus, then how do you replace it? There is3385a tension there. Please, from your perspective, how is that3386tension addressed?33873388    Mr. Gillen. Yes, absolutely. So I totally agree that the3389Parent Plus is the wrong tool to try and address this problem.3390I actually had a paper out that argued we should get rid of3391Parent Plus and increase Pell Grant to make up the gap that3392parents were contributing to their students' education.33933394    That is one option increase the Pell Grant. Another option3395is just rely more on the private sector to do that lending.3396Because the main problem with the Parent Plus loan right now is3397that they are not doing kind of credit checks.33983399    You are giving students--or you are giving parents who3400can't afford the debt a huge amount of debt, whereas private3401lenders wouldn't make those loans because they are not going to3402get repaid.34033404    The Chairman. You are not disputing that they might need3405the money. You just think there is a better, more wise way to3406finance it. Okay.34073408    Senator Hassan.34093410    Senator Hassan. Thank you, Mr. Chairman and Ranking Member3411Sanders for this hearing. And to the panel, thank you all for3412really clear and compelling and interesting testimony. And I3413think it is really important, just framing this a little bit,3414for a lot of time, the debate about higher education since I3415have been here is about either we should increase scholarships.34163417    I agree, actually, we should expand Pell more for all the3418reasons many of you have talked about. And I also am very3419concerned about the current Republican Congressional proposal3420to cut back on Pell and make it harder for working students in3421particular. But it is also true that we should make higher3422education less expensive and have more alternatives for3423students as we move forward.34243425    Since I have been here, I have focused a lot on bipartisan3426ideas that would actually just help us lower costs for students3427and make higher education more accessible. So I want to get at3428a couple of those things with all of you this morning.34293430    I want start with you, Mr. Pierce. Because one of the3431things we have to start with is how difficult the FAFSA process3432is right now. We can all agree that the rollout of the3433simplified FAFSA could have and should have gone a whole lot3434better. Students and institutions deserve a well-functioning3435FAFSA process and expert staff to turn to in the Federal3436Student Aid Office when in need of assistance.34373438    However, the Trump administration announced in March that3439it was slashing Department of Education personnel by half.3440Within 24 hours after those RIFs were announced, the FAFSA site3441was down for several hours.34423443    Mr. Pierce, how has the Administration's chaotic and3444arbitrary cuts at the Department of education impacted3445operations? And are there concerns that the agency will be able3446to fulfill its legal obligations without adequate staff?34473448    Mr. Pierce. We are already watching the Office of Federal3449Student Aid come apart at the seams. There was a new study put3450out just this morning by the National Association of Student3451Financial Aid Administrators, the trade group that represents3452school financial aid offices.34533454    They surveyed their members and they found that nearly 603455percent of school financial aid offices already report delays3456and difficulty getting somebody on the phone at the Office for3457Federal Student Aid.34583459    That comes at a moment where we have just survived a3460disastrous financial aid cycle, where students and families are3461scared they won't be able to figure out how to navigate our3462complicated financial aid system. This is the wrong time to cut3463staff.34643465    Senator Hassan. Thank you. Dr. Lowery-Hart, I want to talk3466about credit transfer costs, which sounds kind of arcane, but3467actually, according to research by Southern New Hampshire3468University, is a real issue. Students who transfer to a public34694 year institution lose on average almost half of their3470credits, the credits that they have already accrued when they3471transfer.34723473    The overall cost of transferring is about $13,000 when you3474include lost credits, transcript request fees, and a whole lot3475of other things. In addition to financial cost, students lose3476valuable time and are less likely to complete their degree.3477This is just one of the ways that college is too expensive.34783479    What more must be done to remove credit transfer barriers,3480and is there a role for the Federal Government to play here?34813482    Mr. Lowery-Hart. Well, first of all, I think community3483colleges actually make the attainment of a bachelor's degree3484more affordable. Two years, plus two. It is going to require3485higher education to align itself. In Austin, we have aligned3486with Texas State, the BATS to CATS program, with St. Edward's3487University a Catholic institution.34883489    Faculty to faculty alignment to ensure no credit loss.3490Scholarships waiting for them. Data sharing. Advising those3491students to the university degree plan from day one. Those are3492things that aren't just best practice, they should be required.34933494    Senator Hassan. I appreciate that. And Senator Young and I3495have a--last session introduced Fast Track to and through3496college. And one of the other things we could do is align high3497schools who have got students ready to do college level work so3498that the students are doing work in high school, getting those3499credits in place.35003501    Now, maybe to get your bachelor's, you only need to go two3502or 3 years to higher education. Dr. Lowery-Hart, also I just3503wanted to talk to you about borrower education and3504transparency. One common sense step that we can take to help3505drive down student loan debt and increase consumer transparency3506is by making sure that the student financial aid process is3507clear and easy to navigate on the front end.35083509    Senators Grassley, Smith, Tuberville, and I have3510reintroduced the Understanding the True Cost of College Act,3511which would create a financial aid offer form so that students3512can more easily compare financial aid packages between schools3513and determine what is the best fit for them.35143515    How will reducing the complexity of the Federal financial3516aid system and empowering students with information on the3517front end help students access and afford college?35183519    Mr. Lowery-Hart. First of all, please make that happen.35203521    [Laughter.]35223523    Senator Hassan. Okay.35243525    Mr. Lowery-Hart. It is one of the biggest barriers,3526especially when you are talking about first generation college3527students who may not have familial support to make sense of the3528bureaucracy.35293530    It is why at Austin Community College we do have a3531financial literacy requirement before students sign any loan or3532even scholarship. It is a very cumbersome, difficult process to3533articulate for people that don't have experience with it.35343535    Senator Hassan. Yes. And even for those of us who do,3536shepherding students through it--and children through it is a3537challenge. Thanks, Mr. Chairman.35383539    The Chairman. I will note that under Chairman Alexander and3540Ranking Member Murray, this body pushed to make FAFSA more3541understandable. The work that had been done in Trump 1 was3542discarded by Biden's administration, and they never could meet3543their deadlines. And so, unfortunately, Trump 2 is having to3544rebuild from something which was a disaster.35453546    Senator Hassan. It is something we should be able to work3547on together, all of us.35483549    The Chairman. Yes.35503551    Senator Marshall.35523553    Senator Marshall. All right. Thank you, Chairman and3554Ranking Member. And welcome to our guests. The student that the3555Ranking Member spoke about was me. I was the student that3556graduated first in a class of 200, had ACT scores that were3557really good.35583559    I applied to Kansas State, Kansas University, thinking this3560is where I am going to go, but I would have had to borrow money3561to do it. So instead, I chose a community college. As I could3562tell Calc 1 was Calc 1, Comp 1 was Comp 1. And the point I am3563trying to make is everybody makes decisions, and part of it3564should be financial.35653566    I sat here and looked this up a second ago. The tuition at3567a community college, on average, $5,000 a year. A state3568university, $12,000. If you are going to an out-of-state3569university, it is $30,000. And a private school is $43,000. So3570that first year in community college, I spent $5,000--well, I3571spent way less than that.35723573    But today you spend $5,000 versus $43,000. And I would note3574that the cost of living, typically in community colleges3575cities, is a lot less than the big university cities as well.3576So I think the question is, at what point should the Federal3577Government reward people for making financial decisions that3578they should be responsible for? But it is a lot more than just3579choosing the school.35803581    Students today, they are told to take 5 years to go to3582college, when it should easily be done in 4 years. One way you3583can do that is to rack up some credits in high school. It is3584why we support the Perkins Grants as well. So maybe you enter--3585a lot of students today had the opportunity to enter that first3586year of college and already have a semester underneath their3587belt.35883589    I think that is a false narrative out there that it should3590take 5 years. I made decisions through my whole life on whether3591to borrow money or to work. So I worked part-time jobs in high3592school, community college, college, med school. Even residency3593I worked part-time jobs rather than borrow money.35943595    When we had our first child in medical school, I chose to3596join the Army Reserve as opposed to borrowing money. And I3597understand that some people are going to do better in a private3598college. Knock your socks off. Some people are going to do3599better--I just can't imagine who that student is that couldn't3600do just as good at a community college.36013602    Somehow financial literacy should be important to making3603that decision. And of course, Dr. Lowery-Hart, you are my3604community college person here. Do your kids struggle when they3605go on to universities and on to med school, and was it Okay3606that they started there at a community college? How much money3607did they save?36083609    Mr. Lowery-Hart. Well, depending on where they went, the3610level of savings will vacillate. But they all saved money3611starting in a community college. And the data is pretty clear.36123613    My colleagues will affirm if they go back to their IR3614shops. Community colleges that transfer to universities perform3615at or better than students that originated at those3616universities. They are well prepared. And it is because of what3617you just mentioned. Calc 1, Comp 1 are the same.36183619    The difference at a community college is they are being3620taught by a master's or Ph.D. prepared experienced teacher, not3621a graduate assistant. And so, I think the instructions in those3622basic courses are better at a community college because our3623faculty are more experienced in teaching in those areas.36243625    The dual enrollment piece, Senator Marshall, is really3626critical. It can be a solution for making college more3627affordable. It was for my own three kids, all of which went to3628a community college before university.36293630    The challenges for the millions of adults that need to come3631back and upskill, and how they can afford it while still3632working, is why I think Pell eligibility is particularly3633important.36343635    Senator Marshall. Just speak a little bit more about the3636flexibility of a Pell Grant. More and more, the great paying3637jobs, if we can just get them in the door for six or 8 hours at3638a time, how important would that be to you?36393640    Mr. Lowery-Hart. Really important. There are level one3641certifications that can lead to a family sustaining wage. And3642those students can enter that profession, whether it is at3643Tesla or Samsung, work for 6 months, come back and get the next3644level of certification.36453646    Those stackable credentials are what will change their3647family's generations to come, but also ensure that our3648communities are able to meet the moment that we are and the3649economic challenge that we have.36503651    Senator Marshall. I am sure--you don't have to answer this3652question. I need to wrap up. But you see time and time again3653the story of a person that came back in a year or two and3654continued that education. And that particular person ends up3655being just a superstar on the job site. So, thank you,3656Chairman, and I yield back.36573658    The Chairman. Senator Kim.36593660    Senator Kim. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And I actually want3661to start by something that you had raised in your remarks,3662which is that part of this conversation is about what value3663does education give to our Nation? How do we make education as3664valuable to our Country?36653666    I think that idea of value, we have to keep in mind, it is3667not just about the cost and the price tag. And I guess I just3668want to address this issue about risk sharing. So I am trying3669to comprehend this a little bit more in my mind in terms of how3670do you hold college, university responsible for, in many ways,3671some of the personal actions and decisions that a former3672student could be making, whether or not they can pay back their3673loans.36743675    Dr. Brown, I guess I just wanted to ask you, I mean, you3676have talked a lot about just the holistic challenges facing3677some of these students that are at your institution. What are3678the different factors that you can imagine would affect an3679ability for a former student to pay back loans?36803681    I would imagine it is not just about the wages. Certainly3682that is part of it. But also about healthcare costs that they3683might have, emergencies. What are some of the other things you3684could imagine?36853686    Mr. Brown. Well, Senator, just to be clear on risk sharing,3687at our school, we accept 30 percent of our students that apply.3688Some schools accept 2 percent or 3 percent. And so, there is a3689mission of the Historically Black College and University to3690serve a larger swath of the country.36913692    The economic outcomes, as I said earlier in my statement,3693are significant. They do better. They achieve social and3694economic mobility. However, I think the biggest threat to3695paying back loans are those students who don't complete3696college, and I think the data will support that. And the3697reasons that they don't compete college are often related to a3698lack of finances.36993700    Again, I would ask that as we consider formulas for risk3701sharing, you also consider that the risk is not equal among3702colleges. And if you decide that you will service a larger3703group, then your risk is obviously going to be higher.37043705    The return for the country, however, may be, and I think3706the data supports this, far greater when you look at the social3707and economic mobility and the earning power of those students3708who you took a risk on.37093710    Senator Kim. When you are looking at this issue about risk3711sharing, I mean to the point you mentioned, I mean, I could see3712a potential consequence of this being such that schools may be3713less--I guess maybe they would be more hesitant perhaps to3714admit certain types of students if they have lower economic3715backgrounds, other types of potential concerns that they might3716have in terms of the ability for that person to be able to pay3717back loans. I know there is some talk about offsets there, but3718Dr. Brown, would that potentially be something that could be an3719unforeseen consequence?37203721    Mr. Brown. I think an unintended consequence, and I am sure3722it is unintended, but it could happen, is that we become more3723selective on who we allow to enter a school. And that probably3724should not be the basis for entering college.37253726    If someone comes from a low income or first generation3727college student, like many HBCUs service, you would not want3728that to be a determining factor if you would allow that person3729to enter college because your risk goes up. And nor do I3730believe that HBCUs would do that, given our historical mission3731of serving those very students.37323733    Senator Kim. Dr. Gillen, I want to just go back to you to3734just kind of get your perspective on this. I am having trouble3735understanding like how it is that we try to single out colleges3736and universities in terms of that risk when there are so many3737other issues.37383739    I mean, some of the people I have talked to that struggle3740to pay back their loans it's because their parents got sick, or3741they have kids and challenges on that front. Like there are3742different factors that affect. How do you try to go about3743teasing that out?37443745    Mr. Gillen. Yes, absolutely. So those types of factors will3746tend to be sort of randomly distributed among all colleges. And3747so, if you do kind of like the median random life disasters3748exemption, I think you account for most of that.37493750    What I think the big value of the risk sharing proposals3751are is it makes it so that the college cannot profit from3752offering an education that leaves the student and the taxpayers3753worse off. Because right now they can because they get all that3754tuition money up front. They get to keep that, even if the3755student never repays the loan.37563757    That to me is the big advantage of the risk sharing, is3758weeding out those--that portion of the higher education sector.3759But yes, you are absolutely right. Like there is going to be3760random life circumstances. And I think if you do a general3761small exemption, like 3 percent----37623763    Senator Kim. Yes. So, I mean, look, I just wanted to share3764just how much this could be very damaging in a lot of different3765ways and the unintended consequences as mentioned.37663767    The other thing I just want to raise in my final seconds3768here is just, I think it also has the potential to threaten3769just the undermining--threaten and undermine our tradition of3770liberal arts education as a whole as well, and part of what we3771have really profited by in this country is the creativity and3772innovation. Not necessarily I have studied in other countries3773and seen how they are much more driven toward just specific3774careers.37753776    But I think we benefit from the education, the creativity3777that is out there. And if we are moving in a direction, I could3778see how this type of action could potentially put colleges to3779say, oh, we are going to start to divest in our humanities3780programs, arts programs, and other things like that, if that is3781going to not be as profitable or be a greater risk that we have3782bringing on those types of students.37833784    I just want this Committee to be mindful of that as we3785proceed along. With that, I will yield back, Mr. Chairman.37863787    The Chairman. Senator Moody.37883789    Senator Moody. Thank you, Chairman Cassidy. And thank you3790to our witnesses for taking time to be here, away from your3791families and jobs. This is an important hearing. From our3792earliest beginnings as a Nation, access to education was seen3793as a fundamental bedrock for the sustainment of a republic3794governed by a free people.37953796    Our founders and subsequent generations knew that if we3797educated our populace, when endowed with virtue and knowledge,3798that was incredibly important to continue the fierce protection3799of our rights and our liberties and ensure the strength of this3800country from one generation to the next.38013802    In time, it led to more Americans having access to3803education, to pursue college, improve not only their lives but3804the lives of their children. And as a result, our Nation, our3805economy, the prestige of our institutions of higher education3806grew too. However, in recent times, we have seen our3807institutions move away from or even fail in the original basic3808mission.38093810    Students are graduating with higher amounts of debt, with3811degrees that are sometimes not even useful. In some cases, they3812even have a disdain for the very principles and ideals needed3813to continue this great experiment in self-government. Further,3814across the country, colleges and universities in many instances3815have failed in their duty to protect students from harm, and to3816foster intellectual debate, and growth of availability of3817ideas.38183819    Instead, they have, as we have seen play out in the media3820time and time again, they have allowed protests to erupt in3821violence, buildings to be overrun, all while our tuition across3822the Nation continues to rise.38233824    In Florida, we have shown that this does not have to be the3825case. In fact, we undertook very aggressive efforts to ensure3826that our students were protected. And at the same time, we have3827made sure that we are demanding higher education funding is3828tied to performance, guaranteeing accountability and outcome3829improvement.38303831    I would like to brag on our own FIU that received an A from3832the Anti-Defamation League in combating Antisemitism, as our3833state continues to make strides to ensure our students are not3834only equipped for success in the workforce, but also equipped3835to live full civic lives in this country.38363837    In innovation, my alma mater, the University of Florida--3838the champions of the basketball world are coming to Washington3839today. Go Gators. They are helping to lead this Nation in AI3840development. And finally, our colleges and universities,3841whether it is the University at Central Florida, the University3842in North Florida, or Florida Tech, they are cooperating with3843local employers and partnerships to ensure their curriculum3844evolves with workforce needs, leading to more successful3845outcomes for students.38463847    With that said, I would like to turn to our witnesses for a3848few questions. And I would like to start with Dr. Lindsay. You3849have acknowledged the role of higher education and how it plays3850in the formation of the individual in instilling virtue, along3851with the sense of a civic and societal responsibility grounded3852in faith and community. And I believe these are traits that we3853are sorely missing today.38543855    However, at the same time, with efforts to bring advanced3856manufacturing back to the U.S., we need to ensure that our3857students are equipped to meet the job requirements, not only3858that are in demand right now today, especially as this3859Administration is really bolstering American businesses and3860bringing those jobs back, but also the demands of the job3861markets of the future.38623863    How do you view the relationship between the two societal3864needs? Do you believe that they are in tension, or through your3865work and experience, is there a way to meet both the needs3866without sacrificing one or the other?38673868    Mr. Lindsay. At Taylor, we certainly believe that you can3869instill a sense of civic mindedness, a service over self, and3870at the same time preparing students for the jobs that might be3871out there. I mean, the interesting thing is that two-thirds of3872my freshmen will pursue careers that have not yet been3873invented.38743875    We need to have a degree of intellectual agility. The3876liberal arts idea that Senator Kim was mentioning is what3877actually prepares them for a dynamic workplace environment. At3878Taylor, we have certainly found that our students can marry a3879commitment of civic-mindedness and developing virtue, and at3880the same time getting the intellectual and professional3881development that will serve them well, not just for the first3882job they take, but for the rest of their lives.38833884    Being contributing members to their communities, to their3885professions, and for the wider world.38863887    Senator Moody. If balance is possible, what are some steps3888that other universities and colleges could take now to meet the3889approach that you are taking but ensure there is balance there?38903891    Mr. Lindsay. I mentioned how important I think it is for us3892to be really committed to loving our hometowns. And that is a3893simple way in which you can get students involved with both3894volunteering through local nonprofits, but also interning to3895solve problems that the private sector has in your local3896community. It gives students professional experience but also3897deep engagement in the local community.38983899    Senator Moody. You heard it, Chairman Cassidy. We have to3900learn to love our hometown, including D.C.39013902    The Chairman. Somehow, I think Dr. Lindsay is a3903sociologist. You know what I am saying? I mean, it is just3904coming through, man. Just coming through. When the major3905general makes these guys do pushups behind him, we will have3906him declared.39073908    Senator Hickenlooper.39093910    Senator Hickenlooper. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I thank all3911of you for your work on behalf of the future generations of3912this country. I want to ask a couple different questions. And3913maybe I will go down the list at the--one time, or at various3914times, there has been talk of a Web site that would actually3915allow prospective students to see at any university, or as best3916estimated it could be--and there will be a large battle of3917this--what kind of earnings they could achieve based on what3918they studied.39193920    These are averages, and I think there would have to be3921qualifications on that. So I want to ask each of you just to3922very briefly, kind of give a thumbs up or what is a real3923concern about that. I recognize the limitations.39243925    Then tied into that, there has also from time to time been3926efforts to allow students, future loans, to be able to declare3927bankruptcy. What would happen if you took away that right that3928lenders are looking for to make sure they can get paid back.3929And obviously, you would probably decrease access. I recognize3930that.39313932    But I postulate those two questions. What about the Web3933site that, to the best of ability, tries to give prospective3934students a vision of what they can earn in the future? Why3935don't you start down at the end with you, Mr. Gillen.39363937    Mr. Gillen. Yes. So I think that is a great idea. We do3938have an early version of this. It is the College Scorecard Web3939site. You can look up by college and major what the earnings of3940graduates are. So there is some limitations there, because not3941everybody graduates. But I think that is a great start.39423943    We can build on it. I think its borderline criminal that we3944don't also tell them, Okay, what jobs do they get? Like, do the3945veterinarians, graduates, do they work as vets, or are they3946working somewhere else? Not that is necessarily bad, but3947definitely a great idea. And then in terms of the second----39483949    Senator Hickenlooper. Quickly, quickly, quickly because I3950got----39513952    Mr. Gillen. Okay.39533954    Senator Hickenlooper. That's Okay. What did you----39553956    Mr. Gillen. Oh, so the second was about loans?39573958    Senator Hickenlooper. No, no, the second one is could they3959declare bankruptcy--on loans, yes.39603961    Mr. Gillen. On loans? That is a great question. So, I would3962argue no for now, but I would put a cap on it. So I would3963basically say you can't declare bankruptcy the first few years3964after graduation, because nobody has any assets, but after a3965few years open it up.39663967    Senator Hickenlooper. Great. Dr. Lindsay.39683969    Mr. Lindsay. I changed my major four times in college, and3970I think most people do. Oftentimes, you choose a major not just3971because you are interested in the field, but you choose it3972because you love the faculty.39733974    I am not a huge fan of saying that what you major in3975necessarily is the predictor of what your life's success will3976be or the earnings that you will have in that. I did a study of3977550 senior leaders, and I found 73 percent of them actually3978majored in a liberal arts field, even though most of them were3979working in business later.39803981    The major is not directly the predictor of what your long-3982term success is. But I think it is important for us to be more3983transparent of the outcomes that our students are getting. And3984that is what I think you are trying to get at.39853986    Senator Hickenlooper. Right. And certainly, if you are3987switching majors, it wouldn't be bad to have that Web site to3988see, all right, even though I really liked this faculty, what3989is my future like? Dr. Brown.39903991    Mr. Brown. Yes, Senator. Absolutely, I believe we should3992have to show students what the average earnings are in that3993region for the degree that they choose. I think that is a big3994deal. It is not just for that.39953996    There may be some majors--and I will use teaching as an3997example, where we have people who want to be teachers, but we3998all know full well those teachers will not necessarily earn the3999same thing as compared to others.40004001    In terms of your second question on bankruptcy, I think4002there are catastrophic things that happen in the lives of4003everyone. And so, student loans, like any other kind of debt4004should be eligible for bankruptcy.40054006    Senator Hickenlooper. Interesting.40074008    Mr. Lowery-Hart. Career and labor market outcomes are4009critical. We infused those into our first advising session with4010our community college students. A national model would be4011exceptional.40124013    It just needs to be reflective of the community and what is4014happening in the economy in that local community. I think it4015also needs to reflect back to the programs themselves, where4016they know what their student outcomes are and can adjust their4017curriculum to be responsive to it.40184019    Senator Hickenlooper. Then, bankruptcy?40204021    Mr. Lowery-Hart. I am going to leave that to the policy4022experts on bankruptcy.40234024    [Laughter.]40254026    Senator Hickenlooper. Mr. Pierce.40274028    Mr. Pierce. Well then I will take my cue, and I will start4029with bankruptcy and say restoring people's rights to bankruptcy4030is vital. We have had a decades long experiment denying people4031bankruptcy rights and it has resulted in people staying in debt4032for decades into retirement.40334034    The Government is required to chase people down and take4035their social security checks. Having an exhaust valve in the4036student loan system makes people get a fresh start and live4037whole economic lives.40384039    I would also note, just building on what I think I agree4040with what everybody else about the value of data and shopping4041and transparency. The Trump administration has fired the4042statisticians responsible for managing the College Scorecard.4043We are flying blind now.40444045    Senator Hickenlooper. That is very sobering. Well, I am out4046of time, but I am not out of questions. I will maybe come back4047for a second round later, or I will submit them in writing, but4048I appreciate your work.40494050    For the record, I switched majors three times. I got a4051degree, an undergraduate degree in English and creative4052writing, and I sucked as a writer, so my friends pointed that4053out to me.40544055    That I ended up going back and getting a master's in4056geology, which is a pretty steep. But having a better4057understanding along the way would have, I think, been of value4058to a lot of students. I yield back to the Chairman.40594060    The Chairman. Senator Hickenlooper, Senator Warren and I4061have the College Transparency Act. You should be a co-sponsor.4062It does exactly that which you were saying we should be doing.40634064    Senator Hickenlooper. I am.40654066    The Chairman. Super. Well, thank you.40674068    [Laughter.]40694070    Senator Hickenlooper. We younger junior Senators don't4071always get the notice and appreciation that we deserve.40724073    The Chairman. Let's get Kaine and Blunt Rochester and these4074guys, too.40754076    [Laughter.]40774078    The Chairman. Next is Senator Hawley.40794080    Senator Hawley. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thanks to all of4081the witnesses for being here. Dr. Lindsay, I want to start with4082you. You lead a historically Christian college. We have a4083number of faith-based, including explicitly Christian colleges4084and universities in Missouri, which we are very, very proud of.40854086    In fact, I think you mentioned College of the Ozarks in4087your opening testimony, which is right where I live. And we are4088extremely proud of College of Ozarks, as well as our other4089religious institutions, Christian institutions. Let me just ask4090you about the challenges that Christian colleges and4091universities have faced, particularly in the last 4 years.40924093    I have heard from our institutions in the State of Missouri4094that under the last Administration, they had major problems4095with accreditation, they had problems with financial aid, they4096had problem getting certified in various programs. We had4097threatening letters sent from the Department of Education to4098numerous, of our, religious institutions.40994100    We are talking about colleges and universities that have4101been around for 100 years or more in the State of Missouri, our4102Baptist universities, our non-denominational universities. So4103can you just speak to the headwinds that Christian colleges and4104universities have faced, and the importance of preserving this4105distinctive form of education in this country?41064107    Mr. Lindsay. Yes, thanks very much, Senator Hawley. I think4108one of the key challenges all of us face are the sort of4109demographic challenges. We are in a competitive landscape and4110need to be able to recruit the right kind of students.41114112    But the particular challenge we face at faith-based schools4113is not everybody understands our commitments and understanding,4114and they make assumptions about what kind of students we have4115or what kind of campus cultures we build. But I find that when4116people actually come to our campuses, they actually fall in4117love with the students. They see that this is a place that4118really is trying to help students to thrive and to do well.41194120    You are right, that the regulatory environment can be4121challenging, and that there are certain actors in the political4122landscape that can make it more challenging. I am grateful for4123progress that we have been able to make in recent years, which4124has made it easier than it was, say, 10 years ago.41254126    But it is a real particular issue, and I think all faith-4127based institutions have to do a better job of making the case4128of the difference that they make in their local community. I4129think as people begin to see that we are not enclaves, we are4130actually trying to serve and bless our local communities, that4131is the key of making a difference.41324133    Senator Hawley. Let me ask you about this piece of4134legislation that I am proud to co-sponsor called the Equal4135Campus Access Act, which ensures that religious student4136organizations can operate in accordance with their faith-based4137principles and it would prohibit funding for public4138institutions of higher education if they deny rights or4139benefits or privileges to faith-based student organizations.41404141    Now, obviously you are a faith-based institution, but4142wouldn't you agree as a person of faith and as someone who4143educates people of faith, many of whom will go out and probably4144teach in public universities, that it is important that if you4145are a person of faith, whether you are leading a university,4146whether you are teaching in a public university, that you are4147accorded the same rights and privileges as everybody else?4148There is no discrimination on the basis of faith. It is a4149bedrock principle. Wouldn't you agree with that?41504151    Mr. Lindsay. Well, certainly we recognize public4152institutions have a particular obligation to uphold the4153Constitutional right for freedom of speech and a recognition of4154clear conscience, free conscience.41554156    It seems antithetical to the very premise of what we are4157trying to inculcate in our students at public institutions if4158the students are not allowed the opportunity to organize around4159their religious convictions and to be able to have a chance to4160express those.41614162    It has had a chilling effect on many campuses as4163overzealous administrators have said that they are going to try4164and shut down some of the activities of faith-based groups. But4165I think that there is a real hopeful opportunity, and certainly4166I support the expression of those Constitutional rights at4167public and private institutions.41684169    Senator Hawley. Very good. And I just want to come back to4170the first point that I made. I think it is absolutely vital4171that we do everything we can to protect Christian colleges and4172universities, and their rights to exist and educate students on4173an equal plane with every other form of university.41744175    The truth is in the last 4 years, we saw a constant effort4176to undermine, constant effort to undermine, the mission of4177Christian colleges and universities by the Biden4178administration. And I am glad that the Trump administration has4179reversed course, but the Congress needs to do more in making4180sure that we inscribe into law the equal rights of Christian4181colleges and universities so that no one is discriminated4182against on the basis of faith.41834184    Now, you have said several times, Dr. Lindsay, you have4185talked about loving your neighbor. I want to switch gears just4186a little bit and think about the crisis of Antisemitism that is4187currently afflicting many universities, and frankly many parts4188of this country. And what makes me think about this is I was4189having a conversation just the other day with a dear rabbi4190friend of mine who said to me something interesting, caught my4191attention.41924193    He made a reference to the book of Ruth in the Bible, and I4194happened to catch it. And so he said part of the challenge we4195face now is that so few people, so few students in particular4196are taught any kind of biblical history. They are certainly not4197taught the history of Israel.41984199    They don't understand the spiritual foundations that link4200the people of Israel historically with the United States of4201America, our shared moral principles. Here is my question to4202you.42034204    Do you think that Christian colleges and universities have4205a special role to play now in rooting out this terror of4206Antisemitism, this scourge of Antisemitism by recalling us to4207those things that we believe together, to our common moral4208principles, and also to those foundational commitments like4209love of neighbor that you have been talking about?42104211    Mr. Lindsay. A couple years ago, I had a chance to visit4212our honor students who were studying at Jerusalem University4213College. It is one of our partner institutions, literally built4214within the wall around Jerusalem.42154216    Getting a chance to see up close the Holy Land and to see4217the impact it was having on the lives of our students I think4218really did change their understanding of the experience of4219Jewish people around the world.42204221    Part of what we want to try and do is to help our students4222to actually engage a much wider world, for them to understand4223friends and neighbors from a wide variety of backgrounds.42244225    I think as you get to that, you move beyond just sort of a4226mediocre, small level kind of commitment of inclusion, to4227actually pursuing an ethic of love and care.42284229    Senator Hawley. Let me just, in my remaining seconds, put a4230little finer point on this. Wouldn't you agree, don't you think4231that Christians in particular have a particular obligation to4232stand up and speak against Antisemitism and hatred of Jewish4233people? That is a particular obligation--I say this as a4234believer myself.42354236    That we cannot shirk or look aside from, but we have a4237particular obligation as people of the books, people of Bible,4238to stand in solidarity and to say, we are against hate always,4239but we have a particular obligation to stand up and speak4240against Antisemitism. Don't you think that is right?42414242    Mr. Lindsay. Absolutely.42434244    Senator Hawley. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.42454246    The Chairman. Now, Senator Kaine.42474248    Senator Kaine. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And thanks to the4249witnesses. A personal story, a worry, and then a question. So4250personal story. I just, in hearing my colleague, Senator4251Marshall, talk about how community college was really important4252to his educational path, getting a good education and not going4253into too much debt. For me, it was dual enrollment.42544255    Being able to go through the University of Missouri, which4256was at the time relatively low cost public institution in 34257years rather than four, was a really big deal for my family at4258that moment. And so, there is no one-size-fits-all strategy4259around affordability. For some, it might be community college.42604261    For some it is dual enrollment. For some it is Pell Grants.4262For some at Stafford loans. It is just that we have to equip4263students and families much earlier. You have the capacity to4264get a great education. There is a lot of different ways to do4265it.42664267    But so often, parents and kids are getting into the college4268search process without really knowing the breadth of avenues4269they can use to achieve a high quality education at a cost that4270doesn't break the bank. So that is the story. The worry, my4271colleagues have shared worries about higher-ed whether it is4272Antisemitism or other things. I will tell you what my worry is.42734274    My biggest worry right now is if I look at the dismantling4275of the Department of Education, dramatic cuts in research4276funding going on in budgets that are being bandied about, a4277dramatic cut in funding to libraries, museums, and cultural4278institutions, elimination of funding to public broadcasting.42794280    Even outside the education space, directives to certain4281agencies like the National Weather Service and NOAA that have a4282lot of public information that they have been sharing with the4283public, like, hey, you shouldn't share it with the pubic, you4284should sell it. I am a little bit worried that there is sort of4285a privatization of knowledge thing going on, and I am really,4286really worried about that.42874288    That knowledge could be available for those who can afford4289it, but not for those can't. That worries me a lot. There is a4290famous phrase of Jefferson that is sort of paraphrased in the4291Virginia Constitution that says, progress in Government and all4292else depends upon the broadest possible diffusion of knowledge4293among the general population.42944295    That was part of a legislative bill that Jefferson proposed4296in 1779 for Virginia public school system that wasn't adopted.4297But the title and the philosophy was the way to preserve4298Government, and progress is to take knowledge and get it out in4299people's hands and diffuse it broadly among the public.43004301    That will be a counter to tyranny. That will be an4302accelerator of progress. And I worry that the combination of4303budget cuts and privatization of this and that is jeopardizing4304that. And so, that is the worry I have. Here is my question.43054306    Dr. Lowery-Hart, I have been proposing during the 10 years4307of now three Presidents, President Obama, President Trump,4308President Biden, President Trump, with vast bipartisan support,4309the notion that Pell Grant should not be confined purely to4310traditional college curriculum where there is a 15-week long4311semester-like course, but that Pell Grant should be made4312available in a flexible way for high quality, got to define4313that, career and technical education.43144315    I have advocated that as the son of an iron worker who ran4316a vocational school in Honduras as a missionary teaching kids4317welding and carpentry, and I have also been advocating it as we4318have been doing manufacturing bills, and infrastructure bills.43194320    Who is going to make it? Who is going to build it? And yet,4321for 10 years, since I first introduced this with Rob Portman,4322and now I have introduced it with a succession of others,4323recently with Senators Marshall and Collins, and Senator Tina4324Smith, we get close. We kind of fall short. We get it through a4325committee. Falls through on the House. Happens on the House4326side, not on the Senate side.43274328    Again, and again, and again, we have fallen short on this.4329And I have kind of come to the conclusion that in addition to4330maybe I am not as persuasive as I should be, so I have to own4331some of it, there are two other reasons. No. 1, there is kind4332of a snobbishness about college in this place. That college is4333good and career and technical education is not so good. And I4334am all for college.43354336    A proud University of Missouri grad, proud Harvard Law4337School grad, man, I am for college. But I am also, offer high4338quality career and technical education. And I don't think we4339should have policies like Pell Grant that advantage one and4340ignore the other. I am happy to say that the Chairman of the4341Committee has been a co-sponsor in the past of this bill, the4342Jobs Act.43434344    Would it help your students, would it help educate our4345population, Dr. Lowery-Hart, if we allowed flexibility and4346allowed Pell Grants to be used by students who are seeking high4347quality career and technological training?43484349    Mr. Lowery-Hart. Yes, profoundly. We have talked about my4350typical student is named Ashley. And she is a 27 year old4351single mother, raising a kid, working two part-time jobs.43524353    She needs that additional support to get a level one4354certificate that may be 15 hours, may take her 6 months to do,4355but there is a family sustaining wage waiting for her on the4356other side of it that would change the path for her entire4357family and generations that follow. And I would just say, she4358deserves our advocacy.43594360    She deserves to be seen and cared for in the same level4361that my colleagues' students deserve. But she is often4362misunderstood and ignored.43634364    Senator Kaine. I am over my time, but Mr. Chair, as I yield4365back, I said there were three reasons I think this hasn't4366proceeded.43674368    Maybe I am not as persuasive as I should be. I think there4369is a snobbishness about college that we ought to get over. And4370the third thing is, we don't mark up a lot of legislation. And4371I really hope that we can start marking up legislation,4372particularly legislation like the Jobs Act, where there is such4373bipartisan support.43744375    Senator Kaine. I want to mark up legislation, so I look4376forward to that.43774378    Senator Kaine. Good. Good.43794380    The Chairman. Senator Banks.43814382    Senator Banks. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Dr. Lindsay, in4383your opening remarks and your written statement, you talk about4384moral rot. And I wonder if you can just tell us again, what do4385you mean by that?43864387    Mr. Lindsay. I think it is the erosion of basic human4388values that we have seen become sort of the standard and norm4389in a lot of higher education, which is entirely antithetical to4390the very purpose of what education is designed to do.43914392    Senator Banks. Where does it come from though? Why do we4393see it fostered so heavily on college campuses in America?43944395    Mr. Lindsay. Well, I think it is accretion because we are4396humans that make lots of mistakes and we need to have4397guardrails that keep us from our worst sensibilities. So part4398of what we seek to try and do is to put ourselves in4399communities that can encourage us to pursue a virtuous life.44004401    Senator Banks. What motivates it on a college campus?44024403    Mr. Lindsay. I think that probably the important dimension4404that we want to try and do is create an academic community, an4405environment where we uphold values that we agree to. There has4406to be clarity. Institutions have to be able to say, this is4407what we stand for and this is who we are.44084409    A lot of higher education hasn't always been doing that.4410And we realize we may not be the right place for every student,4411so we want to try and recruit the right kind of students. And4412then we want to create an ecosystem where those kind of virtues4413can thrive and flourish.44144415    Senator Banks. I would assume that all of you here, every4416college president in America would agree that their overall4417mission is to prepare students for careers and make them good4418citizens. Prepare them to be better citizens of this great4419country. But why do so many colleges stray from that? I mean,4420what motivates it?44214422    Mr. Lindsay. I think that probably the larger purposes that4423we are seeing, the noble cause of higher education, oftentimes4424it gets eroded when we get involved in the nitty-gritty of4425regulatory environment and trying to respond to the economic4426challenges we face.44274428    All three of us would say, we are working hard to try and4429make our institutions as affordable as possible, and it is hard4430work every single day. But it is those larger aims, those4431higher ideals that draw my colleagues and me to try and do4432everything we can to be able to serve our students more4433effectively. It is part of what gets me up in the morning.44344435    Senator Banks. To me, it almost feels like a political4436movement. And we see it manifests itself in things like DEI.4437For example--and I wonder, you represent a very well-respected,4438independent institution in my state, but who has rejected this4439political DEI movement.44404441    But why have so many colleges in America embraced it? Is it4442donor-driven? Is it pushed on you by institutions in the4443Federal Government? Is it tied to Federal funding? I mean, what4444would motivate a DEI movement on college campuses, which seems4445antithetical to that mission that you just described?44464447    Mr. Lindsay. I can't really speak for what happens at other4448campuses, but I will say, we love our diverse and global4449students, and that has been a part of who we are. Interesting4450story is that our very first international student was a guy4451named Sammy Morris. He was a Liberian prince who had to flee4452Liberia when there was a coup.44534454    He turned to an American couple who he knew to say, is4455there a place where I could go? They happened to be Taylor4456graduates who were doing missions work trying to help the4457people of Liberia.44584459    They wrote to the president of Taylor and said, would you4460consider admitting this student? He was our first student of4461color. He was our first international student. But he became an4462exemplar for the rest of our campus. Sammy Morris's spirit sort4463of lives on our institution, and it sort of informs how we are4464trying to build the kind of community where all God's people4465are welcome at Taylor.44664467    We recognize that we are there to be able to serve and4468bless. So Sammy Morris, he is a prince. He comes to Taylor. We4469didn't actually have a room for him to stay in. He said, give4470me the room that nobody wants to live in. That is where I want4471to stay. That kind of spirit of serving others above yourself4472was what he sort of held up as an exemplar, and it has become4473part of the spirit of our campus ever since.44744475    Senator Banks. I love that. I grew up in a trailer park in4476a small town in Indiana, son of a factory worker, and I worked4477hard just to get into college. And what I appreciate about4478Taylor University is you have a student--I hope didn't get4479accepted because he was a prince, or because he was a foreign4480student, or because he was a minority student.44814482    I hope that he was accepted because of your merit-based4483approach to accepting students. So I wonder, can you talk about4484that, Taylor embracing more of a merit-based approach than the4485DEI or the political approach to admissions?44864487    Mr. Lindsay. I think it is super important that you find4488mission appropriate students. And for us that means they have4489to be academically strong. Our average high school GPA of the4490freshman class is 3.89.44914492    We are really proud of the academic standards that we4493uphold at the university. And it helps us to realize, we might4494not be the right place for every student, but for those who4495want to be at Taylor, we want to find a place for them.44964497    Senator Banks. When we talk about preparing students for4498their career, to be good citizens, I think that is really4499important, to reject the political approach and to accept4500students based on merit and give them that opportunity. And I4501think Taylor does that very well. Mr. Chairman, I yield back.45024503    The Chairman. Thank you, Senator Banks.45044505    Senator Blunt Rochester.45064507    Senator Blunt Rochester. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and to4508Ranking Member Sanders. And I, Mr. Chairman, will be looking at4509your transparency bill. I also want to acknowledge that in the4510House, I had the opportunity to lead on the short term Pell4511bill, and I am hopeful that the Jobs Act will become the law of4512the land. And I want to thank our witnesses for being here as4513well.45144515    Thank you, Dr. Lindsay, especially for the comments that4516you just made about all of us being welcoming, and all of4517really uplifting each other. I think it is a comment that needs4518to be heard and spread far and wide. We all know that college4519isn't for everyone, nor is it necessary for everyone, but every4520student should have the opportunity to pursue higher education.45214522    Not only as the former Secretary of Labor of Delaware who4523is focused on jobs of today and of the future, but also as a4524mom of two children who graduated from Delaware public schools4525and two HBCUs as well, I know a college degree can be4526incredibly valuable. Unfortunately, it appears that the4527Administration is proposing stripping away some of the existing4528supports for students.45294530    Specifically, I am incredibly disappointed that the4531President's budget proposes eliminating TRIO programs. TRIO4532programs provide support to low income, first generation4533students, students with disabilities, and veterans, helping4534them not only get in the door, but to succeed in college and in4535the workplace.45364537    These are programs with bipartisan support that help4538students create brighter futures for themselves through higher4539education, and it also makes us competitive globally. So far,4540more than 6 million students have graduated from college with4541TRIO's help. Dr. Lowery-Hart, can you tell me how many students4542would lose access to support if TRIO was eliminated?45434544    Mr. Lowery-Hart. TRIO has almost 900,000 students currently4545enrolled in the support programs that TRIO offers.45464547    Senator Blunt Rochester. Based on your experiences, what4548impact do TRIO programs have on students? Do you think4549eliminating TRIO would improve our higher education system?45504551    Mr. Lowery-Hart. It certainly wouldn't improve it at all.4552In fact, you have a demonstrative impact of TRIO programs, even4553in our own TRIO programs at Austin Community College that4554reflect the data nationally.45554556    83 percent of the students in our local area that are4557upward bound students enroll in a post-secondary entity. 474558percent of SSS students get a bachelor's degree compared to4559their peers that didn't have the same kinds of supports.45604561    It is--I am looking at data--47 percent of TRIO students4562are more likely to finish a 2-year degree and transfer to a4563bachelor's degree than students that have the demographic4564background but don't have some support that comes in the form4565of financial literacy, mentoring, academic skill building,4566career skill building.45674568    The very things that we have spent our time on this panel4569talking about, TRIO has already done historically and done4570well.45714572    Senator Blunt Rochester. In the budget, the Administration4573refers to TRIO as a relic of the past. I disagree. I think this4574was the 60th anniversary of TRIO this year. I think it was4575because we are close in age.45764577    In fact, I think--it is true. In fact, I just signed on to4578Chairman Cassidy and Senator Warnock's bipartisan funding4579request for TRIO. And to me, TRIO is not a nice thing to do. It4580is not just about it being a nice thing to do. This year alone,4581all high school seniors in Delaware, Delaware Technical4582Community College's TRIO programs, will graduate.45834584    Again, that is staggering. And more than 95 percent of them4585will be attending college. Dr. Lowery-Hart, do you think TRIO4586programs are a relic, or are they relevant?45874588    Mr. Lowery-Hart. They are relevant.45894590    Senator Blunt Rochester. Thank you for that answer. If we4591want a strong economy, we must invest in programs like TRIO4592that help real people access education and the tools they need4593to succeed.45944595    I hope my colleagues see that these budget cuts would be4596harmful, not helpful, and that this program is not a relic, but4597is relevant to today. I yield back.45984599    The Chairman. Senator Alsobrooks.46004601    Senator Alsobrooks. Thank you so much, Mr. Chairman. I4602would like to just begin my comments also by saying thank you4603as well to Dr. Lindsay. Your words were so beautiful. And it4604reminds me of a scripture that says, by this they will know4605that you are my disciples, if we love one another.46064607    I so appreciate your courageous comments pointing out today4608that we have an obligation to love each other, whether we are4609from here or any place else in the world. God commands us to4610lead with love.46114612    Thank you so much for that. I am disturbed and just so sad4613really at the climate that has been created by this4614Administration which pits people against each other. Those who4615have had the opportunity to go to college and those who have4616not.46174618    I am the daughter of two parents who did not have the4619opportunity to attend college, a mother who was a receptionist,4620and a father who worked so hard selling cars and newspapers in4621order that I might be educated.46224623    I have to tell you, nobody is prouder. My father is the4624single most intelligent person I have ever met, didn't have the4625chance to go to college, and I am so proud of him, and he is so4626proud of me. But it was both. His work as a car salesman4627enabled me to become a United States Senator.46284629    I think it is important as we think through what higher4630education looks like, that we remember that. That it takes4631both. That those who have opportunities, we give them to them,4632and then career in technical education and other forms of4633making it to the middle class are important.46344635    I want to just ask two quick questions. I know the time4636goes by quickly. And I want to thank all of the witnesses for4637being here today. Dr. Brown, I am glad that you are here so4638that we can hear the perspective of our HBCUs. And Maryland is4639proud to host four HBCUs in our state.46404641    In fact, I am looking forward to being the commencement4642speaker at Bowie State University this Friday. I am also the4643mother of a proud daughter who is attending Spelman College.4644And so, I am looking forward to working with colleges across4645the aisle to preserve access to this critical funding.46464647    That being said, this Administration took some concerning4648actions earlier this year briefly suspending the 1890 National4649Scholars Program, which funds students' education in4650agriculture at HBCUs. So I just wonder if quickly you can speak4651to the importance of preserving funding streams for our HBCU's.46524653    Mr. Brown. Yes, Senator. Thank you for that question. And4654it is vitally important. And I will start first with the 18904655program, which is--Tuskegee is a recipient of the 1890 program.4656It not only serves the students there, but it serves the4657economy around that area, 200-mile radius.46584659    It is where we teach farmers, as an example, how to farm4660using solar energy and to do so year-round. But we do this with4661students who come to this by virtue of education, not by virtue4662of where they started in their life.46634664    We have students, for example, who had never been on farms4665before. They grew up in Detroit. They got immersed in that, if4666you will, and decided to do that service. The 1890 program4667provides them scholarships in order to go to school, and then4668it provides them internships in programs like those here in4669Washington that allows them to become practitioners there.46704671    The elimination of that program would not only hurt those4672students individually, it would also hurt all of the small4673farmers in programs within a 200 mile radius, in our case, of4674Alabama that would do that. Another instance would be our first4675scientist program, which funds research on cancer, specifically4676ovarian cancer, prostate cancer, and other cancers that are4677specifically related to genes and the study of genes.46784679    That program, which is a part of a grant that has been4680canceled, causes us great concern. We partner with the4681University of Alabama, Birmingham in that research. Important4682for us to do it in the Black belt of the south because that is4683where the disease happens to have the highest morbidity rates4684and other issues that affect not just those in that area, but4685across the country.46864687    Those funding streams are critically important, but not4688only to the student, they are important to the national4689interest when it comes to fighting problematic diseases and4690also the economy, where we make a big difference by virtue of4691those programs.46924693    Senator Alsobrooks. Thank you so much. And I will go4694quickly. I know this subject has been raised, Mr. Pierce. Can I4695just ask you quickly about Pell Grants, how important they are4696to so many students. And just ask, what message do you think it4697sends to hardworking students when the Federal Government walks4698back its investment in Pell Grant funding?46994700    Mr. Pierce. Thank you, Senator. Pell grants are absolutely4701vital for students from lower income communities to be able to4702go to college and achieve a college degree and participate in4703the economy.47044705    I think the message is loud and clear that if we are going4706to cut back on Pell, we are not serious about making sure that4707college is open to everybody. We run the risk of America's4708colleges becoming finishing schools for millionaires and4709billionaires kids instead of being the engine of opportunity4710that has driven our economy for a century.47114712    Senator Alsobrooks. Thank you so much. I yield back, Mr.4713Chair.47144715    The Chairman. Thank you. I want to thank all of our4716witnesses. I noticed that Republicans asked questions of4717Democratic witnesses, and Democrats asked questions of4718Republican witnesses. And that shows that there was a broad4719interest in what everybody had to say as opposed to just merely4720kind of repeating partisan talking points.47214722    I thank you all. I will announce for my colleagues that4723questions for the records are due on June 4th at 5.00 p.m. I4724again thank you all, and this closes the hearing.47254726    [Whereupon, at 11:56 a.m., the hearing was adjourned.]47274728                            [all]