More power for students and "accountability" for colleges: House Republicans unveiled their education reform

House Republicans unveiled their education reform bill. The legislation arrived this week in the House Education and the Workforce Committee; it has three main goals: boosting "accountability" for colleges, streamlining student loan options, and simplifying student loan repayment.

By way of celebration ahead of Donald Trump 's first 100 days in the White House, the House GOP introduced the Student Success and Taxpayer Savings Plan. As they specified, the legislation would save billions of dollars for the federal government, although it is unclear whether it will meet the goal of $330 billion in savings expected by the Trump Administration.

The legislation will enter committee this week and is part of the mega-bill that the White House will push through Budget Reconciliation.

"For decades Congress has responded to the student loan crisis by throwing more and more taxpayer dollars at the problem—never addressing the root causes of skyrocketing college costs. Colleges have ridden this gravy train of taxpayer dollars without any accountability for the quality of the education they provide or whether students can find jobs when they graduate. This plan brings accountability and holds schools financially responsible for loading students up with debt," said Tim Walberg, chairman of the Education and Workforce Committee.

In turn, he emphasized that the text aims to empower students, to the detriment of universities.

"The bill also includes other reforms that will lower costs for students and families while ensuring the fiscal sustainability of targeted programs like the Pell Grant. Bottom line, it’s time to fix this broken cycle that is costly to taxpayers and leaves students worse off than if they never went to college," the Republican added.

The GOP plan would also limit the amount of federal loans a borrower could apply for. In effect, the amounts would be $50,000 for undergraduates, $100,000 for graduate students, and $150,000 for students in professional programs, also restricting Parent and Grad Plus loans.

In turn, Walberg wrote a recent op-ed in which he praised President Trump's work in the first 100 days in office.

"The first hundred days of the Trump administration have been marked by bold action in defending the nation’s borders, reviving the economy, and restoring American values," wrote the Michigan congressman, who in January replaced Virginia Foxx as chairman of the Education and the Workforce Committee.