What is the future of higher education in the United States of America?
Critical Analysis
Find answers to the following questions using the visual above, any links below, your big brain, and your knowledge of American government and politics:
According to the visual above, in 2015 about what percent of Americans had a Great Deal/Quite a lot of confidence in higher education?
According to the visual above, in 2024 (the year before Trump returned to office) about what percent of Americans had a Great Deal/Quite a lot of confidence in higher education?
If the trends illustrated above continue, predict what year that the percent of people who report their confidence in higher education as Very little/None will surpass those who report Great Deal/Quite a lot of confidence in higher education?
How would you describe the change over time in public confidence in higher education?
Why do you think Americans are losing faith in higher education?
President Trump and Elon Musk have taken aim at the Department of Education, cutting its staff in half and slashing its budget. According to the visual below, within the department of education, the offices with the greatest cuts will be Federal Student Aid, Civil Rights, and Educational Science (which measures American educational progress through testing data). How do you imagine these cuts will impact you?
This month, the federal government cut $400 million in funding from Columbia University and pulled $800 million in USAID-related grants from Johns Hopkins University. Vice President JD Vance has said that “the universities are the enemy.” How do you think drastic cuts in Educational spending and the Trump Administration’s demonization of colleges and universities will impact public opinion towards higher education?
Despite these drastic cuts, most of educational spending is paid for by state government, not the federal government. The federal government provides roughly 11% to 14% of funding for public K-12 education, with the majority coming from state and local sources. Explain how education spending illustrates the concept of federalism.
How would you describe your level of confidence in higher education?
Less than half of American over the age of 25 have a bachelor’s degree, and as confidence in higher education falls, the number of college graduates will likely fall. In class this month, my student Cam said, “I’m not going to college, bruh. It’s too expensive. There’s no reason to go to college.” How would you respond to Cam’s claim?
Write and Discuss
Take ten minutes to write about the question at the top of the page and then discuss with your classmates.
Act on your Learning
To receive financial aid, you must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) form. You can use Federal Student Aid Estimator to see how much aid may be available to you.
Get Creative
I wrote a poem about cuts to higher education.
In halls of learning, once so bright,
Where futures bloomed with eager light,
A shadow falls, a chilling frost,
As funding dwindles, dreams are lost.
The hallowed halls, now strained and bare,
Where scholars strive and knowledge share,
Cuts bite deep, a silent sting,
As budgets shrink, and futures wing.
Professors' voices, once so strong,
Now echo with a mournful song,
Resources fade, and classes swell,
A heavy toll, the stories tell.
The students' path, once clear and wide,
Now narrows with a troubled tide,
Debt's heavy burden, ever grows,
As opportunity's flame slows.
The ivory tower, cracked and worn,
Its promise fades, its spirit torn,
A nation's mind, its greatest wealth,
Diminished by a failing health.
Yet hope remains, a flickering spark,
That minds will rise against the dark,
To fight for knowledge, truth, and right,
And bring back learning's guiding light.
Write your own poem, or simply describe the impact of the Trump administration on higher education by using a weather analogy.
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