In the education sector, which requires inflated prices and under deliversStudents and parents must consider “return on investment” and consider alternatives that will best prepare young people for career success, Education Secretary Linda McMahon told Breitbart News editor-in-chief Alex Marlow.
IN large-scale sit-down interview on The Alex Marlowe Show On Thursday, McMahon discussed empowering states, students and parents, tailoring education to the needs of individual students and making it more accessible—all while trying to fire himself from his job. Ultimately, President Donald Trump achieved ordered dissolving the Department of Education, although Congress should officially close the department since it was created by Congress under former President Jimmy Carter 45 years ago.
Marlowe asked McMahon how Trump's education department is trying to improve the massive student loan debt that many young people take on in hopes of building a career and supporting themselves financially.
“I think we need to take a broad look at the entire education experience, the higher education experience, and what these student loans are for, and I think that's one of the things the president tried to fix in the Big, Beautiful Bill.” He kept loans [and] he took some of the credit that was available,” McMahon responded. “When you think about the fact that a university can just say, 'Here's what it costs to come and get this program,' and then the student can borrow that amount, what incentive do colleges and universities then have to lower their cost? What is an opposing stimulus? That means raising their costs… And so we had to stop that and put some restrictions in place.”
WATCH THE FULL INTERVIEW:
In addition to capping the cost of student loans, McMahon suggested Americans should “look at education differently” and consider alternative paths that may cost less and be better suited to certain careers.
“I don’t think everyone needs a four-year college degree,” she said. “We need to change that mindset because today we have a lot of jobs that are available for our skilled workforce – about 700,000 skilled workforce positions. Students can go straight into programs like this at community colleges or vocational schools, enter the economy and start making money for themselves.”
“They can use the money they earn to go to school if they want to do so later. Or they can start their own business or they can continue working with a company that has those skills,” she added, pointing out that one of the fastest growing millionaire class in the USA these are those who work in the trade sector.
“Please don't get me wrong: I'm very glad that people are going to college, and those who can go to college, and there are some of our professions that really require it – if you're going to be a doctor, you're going to be a lawyer, all that stuff,” she said. “But you can actually live a great life and do things that you really enjoy, and you won’t have to spend four years in college.”
If young people decide to pursue a four-year degree, McMahon says, parents and students should seriously evaluate whether attending a particular school or earning a particular degree will help them succeed.
“We want students to understand [what their] The return on investment depends on college admissions, and parents should pay attention to this. Parents need to think about how much this university will cost me to send their child there. This is the career they are looking for. This is the degree they receive. What will this degree do for them? What is the average ROI? Will they be able to make enough money to avoid spending years on Social Security paying off their loans?” she said.
“One of the things we look at in the student loan program is applying for FAFSA student loans. [We want to build] in a segment that actually advises saying, here's what the cost of this program is… Here's what the average salary for this particular job is. This is another university that offers a very similar program, but with a difference in cost, which will be very helpful for parents,” she said.
McMahon advised parents to “get involved” in their child's education at every stage so young people can make the best choices based on themselves and their strengths.
“Get involved. Go to school board meetings. Help elect school board members… Stay connected with teachers. Get involved in this curriculum,” she said.
“I cannot stress enough that parents are the best people to guide and guide their children through the educational process,” she continued.
The Alex Marlowe Showhosted by Breitbart Editor-in-Chief Alex Marlow, is a weekday podcast produced by Breitbart News and Salem Podcast Network. You can subscribe to the podcast at YouTube, bolt, Apple PodcastsAnd Spotify.
Katherine Hamilton is a political columnist for Breitbart News. You can follow her on X @thekat_hamilton.
