Photo: Anna Moneymaker

When it comes to leaving students with crushing debt they can’t repay, America’s richest colleges and universities are often the worst perpetrators. A Republican-backed bill now wants those institutions to pay millions of dollars in fines if they don’t start giving students a better deal.

So far, the idea of forcing colleges to pay the government back for unpaid federal student loans doesn’t have bipartisan support. Meanwhile, Democrats and higher ed advocates worry the provision would end up hurting community colleges and minority-serving institutions.

Last month, business leaders and child-care advocates from Michigan, Kentucky, North Carolina, and Virginia gathered on Zoom to discuss a new child care model, called “Tri-Share,” that is gaining traction across the country, including in their respective regions.

Each state is experimenting with a slightly different iteration of the model, but they’re all trying to achieve the same end: Improving employee retention and bringing more people—particularly women—back into the workforce by making child care more affordable for families.

 

Last week, Governor Josh Shapiro announced his plans for a sweeping overhaul of higher education in Pennsylvania. His vision for the state college system offers a clear path for more residents to get the education they need to secure good jobs with the opportunity for career advancement. 

A long-time university president offers her perspective on why this matters.