Higher Education Reform Initiative
Develop and advance higher education policy reforms at the state and national levels.
Policy Priorities
Reform America’s Dysfunctional Higher Education Accreditation System
Rethink Public Financing of Postsecondary Study to Encourage Competition and Accountability
Open New Pathways to Family-Sustaining Careers
Combat the Politicization of Higher Education and Encourage Viewpoint Diversity on U.S. Campuses
Protect Students’ and Professors’ First Amendment Rights
Universities are among the most important institutions in American society—responsible for advancing science, fostering economic growth, transmitting a cultural inheritance to the next generation, and preparing young people for citizenship and family-sustaining careers. Unfortunately, although U.S. universities are lavishly funded by state and federal taxpayers, many of them are failing to live up to their important public responsibilities.
The America First Policy Institute’s Higher Education Reform Initiative works to develop and advance policy reforms at the state and national levels. We envision a competitive higher education marketplace that does a better job of graduating students with in-demand skills and credentials at a reasonable cost to families and taxpayers. Universities should also prepare graduates for citizenship and lifelong learning through rigorous academic programs delivered in an environment that fosters free inquiry and a wide range of viewpoints.
Team
Latest
Op-Ed
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April 26, 2025
Actually, Trump Should Demand Standards from Woke Universities
America’s ivory towers have forgotten who built them — and who pays the bills. In an increasingly politicized academic environment, President Donald J. Trump’s administration is right to demand accountability and transparency from elite institutions that accept billions in taxpayer dollars.
Bill Analysis
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April 24, 2025
Analysis of House Bill 25-1312: Legal “Protections” For Transgender People
HB 25-1312 would classify a parent’s refusal to affirm (i.e., parrot) their child’s subjective gender identity claims as a form of “coercive control.” Colorado courts would be required to consider this as “abuse” when determining parental rights in custody disputes.
Statement
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April 16, 2025
President Trump Holds Harvard University Accountable for Disregarding Students’ Civil Rights
Yesterday, the Department of Education's Joint Taskforce to Combat Antisemitism froze $2.2 billion in multi-year grants and $60 million in contracts to Harvard University. This action came in response to Harvard’s rejection of the Department of Education’s April 11 settlement proposal which sought to reconcile the university’s status as a recipient of federal education funding with the egregious disregard it displayed for the civil rights and safety of Jewish students during last year’s campus antisemitism crisis.
Op-Ed
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April 11, 2025
Higher education funding should prioritize Americans
Columbia University is becoming the poster child for systemic problems in higher education. The campus’s recent failure to protect the civil rights of Jewish students cost it $400 million in federal grants and contracts.
Bill Analysis
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April 10, 2025
Implementing the College Cost Reduction Act Through Budget Reconciliation
H.R. 6951, the College Cost Reduction Act of 2024 (CCRA), was introduced last year by Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC) and co-sponsored by over 150 Republican lawmakers. The bill aims to fundamentally reform higher education financing by reducing tuition costs, improving transparency, and holding institutions accountable for directing students toward expensive, low return-on-investment (ROI) degrees.
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