The new political landscape still contains many unknowns, but some likely outcomes are clear in the immediate aftermath of the election. Below is an overview of some features of the new political landscape, as well as some of the likely priorities of President-elect Donald Trump and the next Congress.
U.S. Congress
House of Representatives
- House party control has not yet been determined, but it seems probable that Republicans will retain a narrow majority.
- Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-North Carolina) will not remain in an education committee leadership role in any case; she has been “term-limited” by the rules of the Republican caucus. However, given her long interest in higher education policy, she is likely to play a prominent role in this area. Reps. Burgess Owens (R-Utah) and Tim Walberg (R-Michigan) are vying for Foxx’s role as top Republican on the House Education and Workforce Committee. Owens currently is chair of the Higher Education and Workforce Development Subcommittee.
- If the House flips party control, Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Connecticut) will chair the key House Appropriations Committee, and Rep. Bobby Scott (D-Virginia) will return as chair of the education committee. Both have served previously as committee chairs.
Senate
- With the change in Senate party control, Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-Louisiana), the current ranking member, will likely chair the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee. Cassidy is a strong supporter of the College Transparency Act and the JOBS Act, which are top priorities of the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC). Current chair Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) is expected to serve as ranking member.
- Under Republican party control, the Senate Appropriations Committee is expected to be chaired by Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine). This committee has a long, though not exclusive, tradition of bipartisanship.
- The Finance Committee, which writes tax legislation, will probably be chaired by Sen. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho). Tax legislation will almost certainly be a major item on the 2025 Congressional agenda as many provisions of the 2017 Tax Cut and Jobs Act expire.
Upcoming policy proposals
The first Trump administration strongly emphasized apprenticeship and the benefits of skills-based education. Innovation was also a major theme. Some changes in these areas were accomplished through the regulatory process, but legislation could also be forthcoming in these areas.
Budget policy
Current statutory caps on annual appropriations expire at the end of the current fiscal year. These caps greatly affect the amount of money available for programs of interest to community colleges, such as Pell grants and most others. The likely vehicle for imposing new spending limitations in fiscal year 2026 and beyond is the need for Congress to increase the debt limit extension early in 2025. The previous debt-limit negotiations in 2023 led to the current limits on annual appropriations. Community colleges will have much at stake when these limits are debated. Given the election returns, there will likely be strong pressure to reduce spending available for key priorities.
Federal student loans
Student loan policy has divided the Biden administration from Congressional Republicans, who have reviled the president’s efforts to cancel student loans and facilitate student loan programs through regulatory efforts, such as the SAVE program (which is now held up in court).
Republicans have outlined several major changes to student loan policies. For example, Foxx has proposed eliminating Public Service Loan Forgiveness and the Graduate Student Plus Loan Program. She has also proposed changes to loan repayment. AACC has supported some of these proposals, including a cap on the overall interest that students must pay, regardless of whether they are in an income-contingent plan.
It is important to keep in mind that federal loan policy is likely to be front and center next year. While only about 12% of all community college students take out loans, they are very important to those who do rely on them. Furthermore, institutions are held responsible for student loan defaults.
Budget “reconciliation,” which would depend on Republicans retaining control of the House, is a likely venue for such changes.
Regulation
The incoming Trump administration is likely to tilt regulatory policies towards for-profit institutions, in keeping with its previous priorities. This means that the gainful employment (GE) regulations being implemented will likely be rescinded. Furthermore, the granting of student loan forgiveness under the Borrower Defense-to-Repayment regulations, which primarily affect former for-profit institution students, is likely to be reined in.
It is not clear whether the second Trump administration will retain the “Financial Value Transparency” framework that is currently being implemented along with GE. The data that would be gained through this system are consistent with the enhancements made to the College Scorecard when Trump was previously in office.
Campus policies
In recent months, Congress has addressed several high-profile issues related to campus policies and activities, including the application of the First Amendment to institutions, accreditation and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act. The new Trump administration may address these issues. Although community colleges are not always associated with some of the more controversial issues, legislation in these areas nonetheless affects them.
Department of Education
Possible elimination of the U.S. Education Department (ED), with functions transferred to other agencies, is a longstanding Republican presidential position but has now been presented in far greater detail than previously. Connected to the issue of the bureaucratic status of ED is the underlying one of which programs will continue in their present form.
Look for a forthcoming AACC webinar that will more fully examine the impact of this week’s outcomes.
