Reimagining Education: Beyond the Traditional Degree

Following this week’s major reforms at USAID, the Trump Administration has signaled that the Department of Education (DoEd) is next on the chopping block. Education expert Dr. Beth Akers joined Rep. Crenshaw to discuss the implications of eliminating DoEd, some much needed reforms to student loan programs, and the pathway to empowering parents and local communities to revamp K-12 education.

Dr. Beth Akers is a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, where she focuses on the economics of higher education. She is the author of Making College Pay: An Economist Explains How to Make a Smart Bet on Higher Education. Follow her on X at @DrBethAkers.

The layman’s explanation of what the DoEd does

Would eliminating the DoEd end education grants?

What happens if the DoEd is eliminated?

Stats on student loan debt

Who benefits from student loan forgiveness?

The correlation between student loans and rising tuition

Should university endowment programs be taxed?

Streamlining student loan programs

Opening PELL grants to trade schools and other pathways to a successful career

The debate over school choice

Rethinking K-12 education and turning state education curriculums into labs of democracy

How the USAID reforms are paving the way for broader changes