THE STATE OF HIGHER EDUCATION - Hearing of the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions - May 21, 2025

Oct 15, 2026

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Official U.S. Senate committee hearing record examining the state of higher education, held May 21, 2025, by the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. The opening statement argues the higher-education system has lost its purpose, citing rising costs and weak value relative to workforce outcomes. It highlights concerns about negative returns on investment, ideological capture, and burdensome student debt. It calls for comprehensive reform and references multiple legislative proposals affecting transparency, graduate lending, and student loan repayment.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages96

Reading Time4 h 2 min

AccessFree to download

Committee Meeting Record

Opening Statement of Senator Cassidy

THE STATE OF HIGHER EDUCATION HEARING OF THE COMMITTEE ON HEALTH,EDUCATION,LABOR,AND PENSIONS UNITED STATES SENATE ONE HUNDRED NINETEENTH CONGRESS FIRST SESSION ON EXAMINING THE STATE OF HIGHER EDUCATION MAY 21,2025 Printed for the use of the Committee on Health,Education,Labor,and Pensions 密 Available via the World Wide Web:http://www.govinfo.gov U.S.GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICEWASHINGTON:2026 60-602 PDF RAND PAUL,M.D.,KentuckySUSAN M.COLLINS,MaineLISA MURKOWSKI,AlaskaMARKWAYNE MULLIN,OklahomaROGER MARSHALL,M.D,KansasTIM SCOTT.South CarolinaJOSH HAWLEY.MissouriTOMMY TUBERVILLE.AlabamaJIM BANKS,IndianaJON HUSTED,OhioASHLEY MOODY.Florida COMMITTEE ON HEALTH,EDUCATION,LABOR,AND PENSIONS BILL CASSIDY,M.D.,Louisiana,Chairman BERNIE SANDERS I),Vermont,RankingMember PATTY MURRAY,WashingtonTAMMY BALDWIN,WisconsinCHRISTOPHER MURPHY,ConnecticutTIM KAINE,Virginia MAGGIE HASSAN,New HampshireJOHN HICKENLOOPER,ColoradoED MARKEY,MassachusettsANDY KIM,New JerseyLISA BLUNT ROCHESTER,DelawareANGELA ALSOBROOKS,Maryland MATTHEW GALLIVAN,Majority Staff DirectorDANIELLE JANOWSKI,Majority Deputy Staff DirectorWARREN GUNNELS,Minority Staff DirectorZAIN RIZVI,Minority Deputy Staff Director CO N T E N T S STATEMENTS WEDNESDAY,MAY 21,2025 Page CoMMITTEE MEMBERS Cassidy,Hon.Bill,Chairman,Committee on Health,Education,Labor,andPensions,Opening statement……… …………… ……… …… 1Sanders,Hon.Bernie,Ranking Member,U.S.Senator from the State ofVermont,Opening statement… ……… … … ……… … … 3 WITNESSES Gillen,Dr.,Andrew,Research Fellow,CATO Institute,Washington,DC…… 5Prepared statement…………………………………… …… 7Summary statement…… ………………………… … … 11Lindsay,Dr.,Michael,President,Taylor University,Upland,IN …… … … 12Prepared statement……… …… ……………… …… 14Brown,Dr.,Mark A.,President,Tuskegee University,Tuskegee,AL…… … 25Prepared statement ………………… …… …… ………… 27Lowery-Hart,Dr.,Russell,Chancellor,Austin Community College District,Austin,TX…………… … ……………… … …… … … 32Prepared statement…………………… …… … ……… 34Pierce,Mike,Executive Director,Student Borrower Protection Center,At-lanta,GA……………………………… ……… ……… ……………… … 38Prepared statement…… … …… …… …… 40Summary statement…… … … ………………………… 66 # THE STATE OF HIGHER EDUCATION Wednesday,May 21,2025 U.S.SENATE, CoMMITTEE ON HEALTH,EDUCATION,LABOR,AND PENSIONS,Washington,DC. The Committee met,pursuant to notice,at 10:01 a.m.,in room430,Dirksen Senate Office Building,Hon.Bill Cassidy,Chairmanof the Committee,presiding. Present:Senators Cassidy [presiding],Marshall,Hawley,Banks,Moody,Sanders,Kaine,Hassan,Hickenlooper,Kim,Blunt Roch-ester,and Alsobrooks. # OPENING STATEMENT OF SENATOR CASSIDY The CHAIRMAN.The Senate Committee on Health,Education,Labor,and Pensions will please come to order.In some respects,the American higher education system has lost its purpose. Many college students are not learning skills needed to succeedin the modern workforce,and studies show that the cost of collegeis quickly outpacing the value of a student's education.In the last30 years,tuitions and fees at private nonprofit colleges rose by 80percent. At public 4-year institutions,they have increased by 109 percent.Meanwhile,according to a non-partisan analysis,23 percent ofbachelor's degree programs and 43 percent of master's degrees havea negative return on investment.This is to say that students paymore for their degrees than the increase in salaries they can ex-pect.Now,this increased cost often is not going to improve edu-cation. Often those dollars are being funneled to promote a DEI ide-ology,dividing students based on race and ethnicity.A reportstudying 65 colleges and universities found that the average insti-tution was paying for 45 staff members to promote DEI policies.Bythe way,these programs are subsidized by taxpayers who con-tribute significant funding ann

FAQs

What concerns does Senator Cassidy raise about American higher education?

He argues that the system has lost its purpose: many students are not gaining workforce-ready skills, and college costs are rising faster than educational value.

How does the statement describe the relationship between college pricing and outcomes?

It cites studies suggesting many degree programs have negative return on investment, meaning students pay more than the salary increase they can expect.

What reforms does the statement call for?

It calls for comprehensive higher-education reform and references legislative efforts to improve transparency, limit certain graduate borrowing, and streamline student loan repayment options.

Oct 15, 2026

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