HIGHER EDUCATION REFORM

America needs to free itself from directly financing education and put this back into the free-market. Where applicable, I advocate an “Earn to Learn” program for those seeking higher education where high school graduates would work in the private sector for four years before going to a university. My plan would eliminate the federal government’s participation in higher education loans to students. 

My “Earn to Learn” program teaches young minds the value of a dollar and higher education before going to school. They get a taste of the real-world before their introduction to university. This helps to stress the value of a higher education and have young adults take their education more seriously. Earn-to-Learn would help eliminate those who go to university but take irrelevant courses not valued in the job market and develop attitudes that prevent them from being hired.

My plan:

• Eliminate government involvement in the college loan program.
• Small businesses ($20 million or less in revenues) sign a contract of employment with an employee for at least four years.
•  The employee is enrolled in a higher education program with the employer that the employee earns a $2/hr voucher for higher education for every paid hour of employment.
• The employer higher education voucher must be placed in an interest-bearing account for the employee.
• Employees will qualify to have that $2/hr voucher for higher education matched by the federal government up to $4,000 per year and up to $16,000 over four years.
• Education vouchers can only be redeemed for tuition, room and board, textbooks, university transportation, and meals at college dining halls.

If a student loan is required, it should meet the following criteria:

• Privatized loan.
• Based on a 10-year payback.
• Loans should be capped at 10% of the median income of chosen career path.
• Money used to pay off loans should be tax-free.