'Excellent idea!' DeSantis promises sweeping reform to hold universities accountable and provide relief to taxpayers

During the fourth GOP presidential primary debate, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis promised to radically reform how student loans work in the United States.

“The governor. Ron DeSantis said he would change the federal student loan system so that the debt is collected by colleges, in an attempt to make colleges more accountable and to prevent taxpayers from having to support the education of elite,” he said. The Wall Street Journal.

Hear his exact words below:

I can't stand a truck driver having to pay a student loan for someone majoring in gender studies. This is wrong.

When I am president, these student loans will be guaranteed by the universities because they need to have an incentive to make a profit…. pic.twitter.com/j8Mf1mcTW5

— Ron DeSantis (@RonDeSantis) December 7, 2023

“Student loans will be guaranteed by universities. I can't stand a truck driver paying off a student loan that got a degree in gender studies, that's wrong, but I'm going to get to the root of the problem,” she said.

His plan earned him praise from unexpected sources, including former CNN talk chief Chris Cuomo.

“DeSantis gave voice to a problem in America … that I haven't heard from any of these candidates on the other side until he said it tonight,” Cuomo said of the governor's plan after the debate.

Listen:

Even Fredo is praising @RonDeSantis'debate performance.

“DeSantis gave voice to a problem in America … that I haven't heard from any of these candidates on the other side until he said it tonight,” Cuomo said of DeSantis' promise to put colleges on the hook for… pic.twitter.com/SEkl35HOn5

— DeSantis War Room (@DeSantisWarRoom) December 7, 2023

DeSantis' plan was likely inspired by President Joe Biden's unconstitutional decision this week to forgive an additional $4.8 billion in student debt.

“President Joe Biden decided to forgive $4.8 billion in student loans Wednesday, providing relief to more than 80,000 borrowers, including public sector employees and Americans who have been paying off their federal debts for decades.” Bloomberg reported

“The measure implements regulatory changes adopted by the administration to expand access to existing programs. Under the new rules, the US eliminated $2.6 billion in loans for more than 34,000 federal, state, local and non-employees for-profit, including teachers and members of the military,” according to Bloomberg.

The problem with this loan forgiveness is that it comes from taxpayer funds collected from working class Americans. In addition, student loan forgiveness is being applied regardless of the borrower's chosen career.

This means that the truck driver, as DeSantis mentioned, is forced to pay off the student loans of people who attended college for meaningless degrees that later left them broke, unemployed, and unable to pay .

Degrees such as gender studies…

In response to the governor's idea, members of the public were mostly receptive.

Look at:

I LOVE this idea!!!

— Patticosh (@patticosh) December 7, 2023

excellent idea Schools should be at least 50% engaged

— turtleman70 (@jimhorsch) December 7, 2023

I've been saying this for years. The way to do this is to make the colleges the co-signers of the loans.

— Silas Dugood (@susqmusings) December 7, 2023

Just like mortgages where the lender owes the first 20% and allows students to default in bankruptcy. Although I would set the bar at 50% for student loans. College which accepted 50% of $ Gvt 50%

— Polybius Champion (@PolybiusChamp) December 7, 2023

Short of repealing any ability of the federal government to divert student loans to taxpayers, forcing universities to have some skin in the game is the only solution. Otherwise, we will continue to see an endless series of bailouts fueling the metastasis of ed.

— The Ivy Exile (@TheIvyExile) December 7, 2023

As for Biden's student loan forgiveness, businessman Kevin O'Leary has called it “un-American.”

“Why would one cohort of graduates be forgiven at this particular time when everyone else who came before or after them potentially has to pay off their debt?” he asked Thursday morning fox News' “Fox & Friends.”

“Debt forgiveness is such a horrible idea. What if you're in the military and you served your country, and then you borrowed money, $60, $80,000, and you have to pay it back and these people don't? I mean , this is wrong”, he added.

“I find this [is] just something that a lot of people will find offensive because it's so unfair. A lot of voters won't like it. It will become a problem,” he continued.

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