‘The Gloves Have Come Off’: Lawmakers Ramp Up Scrutiny of Higher Ed

Inside Higher Ed

Katherine Knott

December 19, 2023

n the wake of this month’s hearing on campus antisemitism, Republicans in Congress want elite colleges and universities to pay—one way or another. Over the past week, they’ve proposed bills to end federal student loans to the wealthiest private colleges, to levy new taxes and to restrict institutions’ diversity, equity and inclusion policies. And the list will likely grow in the new year.

The growing hostility in Congress toward higher education, particularly elite institutions, represents a shift that could mean more legislation designed to change colleges and universities’ operations and governance, increase federal oversight and accountability, and impose budget cuts, experts said. House Republicans had already proposed zeroing out the budgets for Federal Work-Study and the Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant program, which sends money to low-income students who qualify.

With a presidential election year ahead, the pressures are likely to only ramp up in 2024.

“There’s certainly a lot of elected officials who want to be seen as being tough on colleges and universities,” said Jon Fansmith, senior vice president of government relations and national engagement at the American Council on Education. “They see [it] to their electoral advantage.”

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