PROMOTING FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS: President Donald J. Trump is committed to promoting free speech on college campuses.
- Today, the President is signing an Executive Order that promotes free speech on college campuses.
- Agencies will take appropriate steps to ensure that college and university campuses are places of free thought and debate.
- The Trump Administration believes that public schools should fulfill their obligation to uphold the First Amendment and private schools should comply with their stated institutional policies regarding free speech.
- The Trump Administration believes that schools should promote free speech and be transparent about their speech policies.
IMPROVING TRANSPARENCY: The Trump Administration will ensure students have access to information they need to make the higher education decisions that work best for them.
- The Executive Order will provide students with the information they need to make smart and informed decisions about their postsecondary education.
- The Department of Education (Department) will make improvements to its mobile application so borrowers are better informed about loan balances, payments, and repayment options.
- The Department will also expand data available on College Scorecard, including program level earnings, debt, and loan default and repayment rates.
- Access to this information and additional data will improve borrowing behavior and help students better understand their educational options.
- Improved transparency will help in the development and implementation of options that will improve student outcomes and accelerate degree completion.
- The Department will support efforts of States and institutions to reduce barriers to degree or program completion and save students money.
- The Executive Order requires the Department to develop policy proposals that help ensure postsecondary institutions share more of the financial risk associated with student loans.
- The Trump Administration will explore options for a common sense approach to debt collection.
ADDRESSING STUDENT LOAN DEBT: Across the country, students are taking on massive student loan debt that inhibit them from prospering in today’s booming economy.
- Rising tuition and student debt levels make postsecondary education untenable for many Americans.
- Many students with loans are taking on far too much debt and pursuing degrees that do not lead to well-paying jobs, thereby making repayment difficult.
- Students need better information about prices and outcomes of postsecondary options so they can make better and well-informed choices.
- Further, improving access to data will help allow taxpayers to hold schools accountable for student outcomes.
