While any effort by the White House to implement across-the-board debt forgiveness seems destined for an lengthy court battle, the Biden administration has a chance to improve the nation’s higher education system by focusing on strengthening college accountability and ensuring better oversight, Arnold Ventures President and CEO Kelli Rhee wrote in an op-ed for CNN this week.
“Given the time and distraction required for a long-shot chance at winning in court, the administration would be wise to consider a different approach to its higher education agenda,” Rhee writes.
In her op-ed, she points to policies such as holding predatory for-profit colleges and career-training programs accountable for delivering value to students, working with Congress to improve transparency into tuition costs and student financial aid, and reforming the state regulators and accrediting agencies responsible for overseeing high-risk colleges.
“By focusing on predatory actors within higher education and improving the oversight of risky colleges, the administration would improve our higher education system — and advance policy changes that can stand the test of time.”
This op-ed follows one published last year on CNBC.com by Laura Arnold, co-founder and co-chair of Arnold Ventures, which called for robust action from the Biden administration and Congress to address the persistent problems of rising prices, low completion rates, and low-quality, unaccountable institutions.
Read Rhee’s entire op-ed here: There’s a better way to tackle America’s student debt crisis
