Whether you believe he will indeed make America great again or turn the home of the brave and land of the free into a pariah on the world stage, at some point you have to accept the fact that Donald J. Trump is the President of the United States for four, and possibly eight, years.

What does that mean to you as a student, particularly after Barack Obama’s push for college affordability during his presidency? While Trump has proven to be unpredictable, he has given some glimpses into what you as a student might be in for during school and after graduation.

On Student Loans…

In his book Crippled America, Trump has an interesting take on student loans. While acknowledging that a four-year degree is so costly that students could graduate with a six-figure debt, he notes that the federal government cannot merely forgive the loans. However, he is all for assisting students. As he sees it, the problem is that the federal government, since it profits from student loans, basically makes a dire situation even worse. In fact, Washington pulled in a 2013 profit of $41.3 billion, he says. He says Washington should cut rates for college loans so that it makes no profit off them. If Trump makes changes to the status quo, you could potentially get a better deal on your student loans, which would help you during and after your studies. Who, after all, wants to be bogged down with six-figure debt soon after donning cap and gown?

Learn Outside the Box…

Trump also has some insightful comments when it comes to expanding one’s horizons on the education front. In his book Think Like a Champion, Trump advocates earning a comprehensive education over a limited-focus education. He says that he previous interviewed someone who was a whiz in his area of expertise but was barely competent in any subject outside of his area of specialty. The message? If you want to be successful, you need to become knowledgeable about various subjects. If his ideas on this front take root in a big way, perhaps there will be a trickle-down impact where more students place a premium on learning outside of the box. This sort of comprehensive learning will be beneficial during school and post-graduation.

Affordable Education

Trump says that one of his goals as president is to ensure that anyone who wants to got to college or to trade school can do so in a way that is accessible and affordable. This is obviously good news, if he follows through, particularly when you consider research that shows that a mere 52.9% of students who started their academic careers at two-year and four-year institutions in 2009 went on to graduate. The reasons for the low graduation rate? Costs and ROI. So any effort to make education easier to access and more affordable — thereby encouraging people to continue through to graduation — should count as a benefit.

Yes, a new year, new president, and new opportunities await you in 2017. While there has been plenty of doomsday prognostications pertaining to America under a Trump administration, he has said some of the right things when it comes to college education.

If he comes through and becomes a champion for college students and affordable education, you stand to benefit as a student — due to greater accessibility of education — and after you graduate — due to a lighter debt load should you need student loans.

So, make this year count as you pursue your goals!

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Email:  General Information   |   Prof. David C. Pecoraro

Thank you!

Daniel & David

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New Year, New President, and New Opportunities

Special Post Published: 12/31/16