Part of the Trump administration’s plan to fix higher education found one outlet claiming bans were inbound while doomsaying about the impact on “important” work.
Much like the value of the dollar itself, for years the worth of a college education has continued to decline; at the same time, students have taken on increasing amounts of debt to finance their pursuit of liberal arts. Now, the taxpayer-backed gravy train looks to be coming to an end as President Donald Trump’s Education Department set a new rule barring federal loans for degrees that lack a return on investment.
Covering the rule set for 2027, The New Republic claimed “Trump is banning students majoring in degrees that don’t make enough money from taking out college loans,” before bemoaning “Degrees for social work, art, religious studies, teaching aides, and music will be hit the hardest.”
The outlet went on to write, “While the Trump administration is framing the policy as ‘accountability’ for higher education, and some are welcoming the move, others see it as an attack on those whose work is important regardless of salary.”
While the Trump administration is framing the policy as “accountability” for higher education, and some are welcoming the move, others see it as an attack on those whose work is important regardless of salary.
— The New Republic (@newrepublic) September 28, 2026
According to a report from the Los Angeles Times, the rule is expected to impact a third of programs in for-profit schools but only about 3% of those in nonprofit colleges and universities. All told, 4.2% of students receiving federal loans are expected to need a new way to fund their education.
To implement the rule, IRS data will be used to compare the salary of degree-earners four years after completing their studies to the median salary of those holding only a high school diploma aged 25- to 34-years-old. Likewise, loans for graduate programs will require earnings outpacing the same age demographic of those holding bachelor’s degrees.
Institute for Higher Education Policy vice president of policy Diane Cheng told the Times, “It’s kind of a baseline expectation for students that no matter what type of program they pursue that they should be better off because of the investment that they’ve made.”
Despite the screeching about supposed bipartisan concern by The New Republic, the Times indicated that the policy “has relatively broad support, with some student advocates saying it should be tougher.”
As to the suggestion that the Trump administration was “banning” students from pursuing underwater basketweaving or women’s studies, reactions called out that no such ban existed and that schools remain free to offer such programs and figure out how to pay for it on their own.
Additionally, Liz Wheeler, conservative commentator and host of “The Liz Wheeler Show,” reacted, “I have zero problem with this because taxpayers end up paying for the defaulted loans anyway. The more we do to stop subsidizing the indoctrination of kids at college the better. I’d rather all these chicks be waitresses than women’s studies degrees.”
I have zero problem with this because taxpayers end up paying for the defaulted loans anyway. The more we do to stop subsidizing the indoctrination of kids at college the better. I’d rather all these chicks be waitresses than women’s studies degrees.
— Liz Wheeler (@Liz_Wheeler) September 29, 2026
“Degrees for social work, art, religious studies, teaching aides, and music will be hit the hardest.”
Maybe those studies should be restricted to minor degrees and public funding stipulate a requirement to invest in a major of a discipline which is more likely to lead to a…
— Russell Davis (@keith_davis11) September 29, 2026
Congrats TNR you nailed today’s competition in staggering situational unawareness and appalling ignorance of sociology (systematic study of society, social relationships, institutions and human behavior in groups) apparently missing that humans and their institutions…
— brad lena (@bradlena1) September 29, 2026
If government didn’t guarantee these loans, nobody would make them except for honor roll students going into lucrative careers. Even then, there would significant conditions put on them.
Let the free market decide.
— Thomas Dolislager🇺🇸✝️🪖 (@HonestWorldview) September 29, 2026
More like $200k for a $28K/year gig.
— TheRealBorgcube (@TheRealBorgcube) September 29, 2026
In other words, he’s protecting young people from screwing up their lives with loans they can never pay because they majored in fields with poor ROI. I’ve got multiple family members who’ve been paying off loans for decades because they majored in worthless stuff, majors that…
— Paine/Mizrey ’28 (@TheMule1961) September 28, 2026
Thank god!!!! Finally we are going to fix the broken education which serves only to enrich universities while burdening students with loans that permanently anchor them with debt they can never pay back.
This will dramatically reduce the price of education.
— Mike Barba (@MichaelBarba) September 28, 2026
Lefties come out hard in support of predatory lending.
— QTheLibertine (@QTheLibertine) September 28, 2026
Native of Brooklyn, NY, Kevin Haggerty is a graduate of Hunter College where he studied Cultural Anthropology and Geography. An avid reader and truth seeker, he currently resides in Texas with his wife and their dog and, when he isn't researching current events and their impacts, you'll find him spending time with friends and family or working on his next novel.
- Supreme Court lets Trump keep third-country deportations going — and agrees to hear the fight - September 30, 2026
- Charlie Kirk’s mother breaks her silence on Erika rumors: ‘We were 100% behind her’ - September 30, 2026
- Trump floats AI watchdog panel — staffed with the tech titans it would watch - September 30, 2026
Comment
We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, profanity, vulgarity, doxing, or discourteous behavior. If a comment is spam, instead of replying to it please click the ∨ icon below and to the right of that comment. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain fruitful conversation.