The Atlanta Journal-Constitution is publishing a series of guest columns this week asking some educators, education experts and students what President Donald Trump and his administration should focus on during his term. This is the first of these columns.
President Donald Trump:
The 2024 campaign was fierce and hard fought. This week, you have been sworn in as the 47th president of the United States. Now, the hard work truly begins.
You have the opportunity to lead America forward with constructive actions that build confidence. Having served as president of a distinctive American college for 19 years, allow me to offer three proposals that will be broadly admired and reinforce American prosperity.
All are grounded on the understanding that American colleges and universities are among the best in the world. As engines of innovation and invention, they provide a competitive advantage, attracting top talent from across the globe. Higher education is a time-tested means by which individual students can achieve upward mobility and pursue the American dream. America cannot be great without a thriving system of colleges and universities.
Credit: Berry College
Credit: Berry College
The first proposal stimulates economic growth by expanding the number of low-income students able to afford a college education. Doubling the Pell Grant is a low-risk investment with a demonstrated record of return. Second, ratify the DREAM Act for undocumented students who earn a college degree or technical credential, allowing them a tangible means to demonstrate their character and worth. Third, reduce the burdensome number of federal regulations that inflate the cost of higher education and distract from the essential work of educating students.
These actions make good economic sense consistent with your convictions. Each merits a few words of explanation.
First, double the Pell Grant. This year 7 million low-income students will use a federal Pell Grant to help pay for college. More than a third of all students, they come from every part of the nation — rural and urban, politically red and blue counties alike. Pell Grants are made to the student, not the college, upholding individual choice and responsibility.
Both Republican and Democratic voters overwhelmingly support doubling the Pell Grant. It reduces student debt. It increases the percentage of students completing degrees, leading to higher salaries, increased homeownership, better health outcomes and less dependence on government support. Pell Grants are a sound investment in America’s greatest natural resource, its young people.
Of course, colleges must be accountable for providing a first-rate education to students with Pell Grants. At my institution, Berry College, we track both graduation rates and debt for Pell eligible students to ensure these metrics are comparable to other students. Our Pell students receive additional scholarships from the college worth four times the average Pell Grant. We do more than our share.
Indeed, from our founding Berry College has partnered with disadvantaged students willing to invest in their own education. In our Gate of Opportunity program, Pell Grant students work on campus year-round to help fund their own education, gaining meaningful professional experience and graduating with little or no student debt.
How does this experience help students? It instills confidence, initiative and responsibility. What are these graduates doing after 10 years? Consider a few examples. Sarah is an emergency room physician with five years of service in the Navy. Noah is co-founder of a technology firm that specializes in the logistics of global trade. Kelly is a high school math teacher. Jordan is a capital investment adviser. Lydia is director of football operations at a major university. James is a Ph.D. cancer researcher studying aggressive brain tumors. These are American success stories.
Second, break the logjam on the DREAM Act, legislation stalled in Congress since 2001 despite broad bipartisan support. You have expressed support for the Dreamers. Recent versions of the act provide undocumented high school graduates with a lawful pathway to permanent residence and U.S. citizenship based on their obtaining a college degree or trade certification. Taxpayers already have funded K-12 education for these Dreamers and should receive a return on their significant investment. The DREAM Act promotes talent development in a manner comparable to your own campaign proposal to award green cards to foreign students earning diplomas from U.S. colleges and universities.
Finally, I know that as a businessman you despise oppressive regulations. Private colleges and universities must comply with 273 laws, rules and regulations and conduct multiple audits annually. Accountability is necessary, but federal regulations expand year after year; they never diminish. Reducing the burden of these regulations would free up funds to support student success and curb the scope of federal bureaucracy. A win-win outcome.
Other U.S. presidents have not been able to break through the congressional stalemate to achieve these popular goals. Act decisively, Mr. Trump. Astonish the critics.
Steve Briggs is the president of Berry College, located in Rome, Georgia.
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