President Joe Biden delivered his third State of the Union address on March 7, just days after the Super Tuesday primary elections cemented him and former President Donald Trump as the presumptive nominees for their respective parties. Biden used the speech as an opportunity to highlight accomplishments and set the scene for what a second term might entail. Biden briefly touched on education in his speech, pointing to his priorities in the early education, K-12 and higher education spaces. Below is an analysis of some of the key themes in the speech.
First-term Sen. Katie Britt (R-AL) delivered the Republican response to President Biden’s address—she did not address higher education in her speech but did briefly mention child care.
Higher Education
College Affordability—Pell Grant Award Increases and Other Proposals
Biden focused on college affordability for students who are currently enrolled or enrolled in college, and for students who have graduated with debt. He also pushed for a path to good-paying jobs for those without a college degree. ensuring those who attended college can repay their loans and alternatives to college.
To help with college affordability, Biden noted the need to increase Pell Grants as a pathway to expand access for middle-income families. In fiscal year (FY) 2022, Biden increased the maximum Pell Grant award by $400 and subsequently increased the maximum award an additional $500 in FY2023, which marked the largest increase since the 2009-10 award year. He also called for an $820 increase in his proposed FY2024 budget, which was not adopted. Biden’s Build Back Better framework also included additional proposals to address college affordability, including free community college. This proposal ultimately failed.
In his speech, Biden also called for increased investments in Historically Black College and Universities (HBCUs) and Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs). In total, his administration has invested over $7 billion in new funding for HBCUs and granted numerous awards to both HBCUs and MSIs.
Student Loans
Biden touted his administration’s efforts to fix the student loan system, including attempts to streamline the Income Driven Repayment (IDR) program through the launch of a new loan repayment program— Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) plan. Biden also discussed his administration’s cancellation of student loan debt, highlighting changes to Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) that allow for expanded eligibility for the program. Since the Supreme Court struck down the Biden administration’s plan to cancel all student loan debt, the Department of Education announced the beginning of a rulemaking process to establish a new student loan forgiveness plan; and the negotiated rulemaking committee reached consensus on allowing forgiveness for four types of borrowers. The department is now obligated to publish these policies through the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) process, with a rule to be finalized by November.
Alternatives to College
Biden touched on the importance of increasing access to college alternatives, stressing the importance of access to good-paying jobs regardless of college attendance. He highlighted the investments from his CHIPS and Science Act, which are creating thousands of jobs with sustainable wages. About 90% of the jobs created do not require a college degree.
Both sides of the aisle have become increasingly concerned about the cost of higher education and view colleges as doing little to control rising tuition. However, both parties strongly disagree on what the approach to solving the affordability crisis should be. Both Democrats and Republicans have introduced legislation to address the rising cost of college. Republicans proposed the Cost of College Act and Democrats proposed the Roadmap to College Student Success. Republicans additionally view increasing the Pell Grant as a gateway to increasing tuition prices and deem Biden’s cancellation of student debt as unfair to taxpayers who paid off their debt or did not attend college. While there has been some agreement across the aisle, including around the expansion of Pell Grants to shorter career training programs (Bipartisan Workforce Pell Act), members cannot agree on how to pay for these initiatives, making it unclear if any action is feasible prior to the end of year.
Early Education
Biden emphasized the need for increased access and affordability to early childhood education through providing preschool for three- and four-year-olds. He also highlighted the necessity of affordable child care for working families and the economy. He noted studies showcasing the importance of child care, stating that these children are nearly 50% more likely to finish high school and go on to attend higher education than their counterparts. During the Republican response, Britt recognized increasingly high child care costs and the need for affordable care, but blamed the Biden administration for families struggling nationwide.
Biden failed to pass his Build Back Better framework last year, which would have subsidized child care and preschool for states that opted into system created by the bill. Absent legislation to address the child care crisis, the administration has turned to administrative actions, most recently finalizing a rule on the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF), which encompasses some changes both parties have advocated for in the past.
Both Republicans and Democrats have introduced legislation to make changes to the child care system, though Republicans have proposed changes to the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG), while Democrats have proposed the introduction of a new entitlement. The importance of child care and the need for reform is an area both Republicans and Democrats can generally agree on, but both have different ideas for how to improve access and affordability. There are ongoing attempts to address the child care crisis through other policy proposals. However, legislative action is unlikely in the immediate future.
Looking Forward
Increasing affordability and access to education, starting in the early years through higher education, remains a priority for President Biden. The president’s budget will be released on March 11, which will provide additional insight into how the administration plans to continue to implement its higher education and early education agenda.
For Brownstein's complete analysis of the State of the Union, click here.
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