Higher Education Reform Initiative
Develop and advance higher education policy reforms at the state and national levels.
Policy Priorities
Reform America’s Dysfunctional Higher Education Accreditation System
Rethink Public Financing of Postsecondary Study to Encourage Competition and Accountability
Open New Pathways to Family-Sustaining Careers
Combat the Politicization of Higher Education and Encourage Viewpoint Diversity on U.S. Campuses
Protect Students’ and Professors’ First Amendment Rights
Universities are among the most important institutions in American society—responsible for advancing science, fostering economic growth, transmitting a cultural inheritance to the next generation, and preparing young people for citizenship and family-sustaining careers. Unfortunately, although U.S. universities are lavishly funded by state and federal taxpayers, many of them are failing to live up to their important public responsibilities.
The America First Policy Institute’s Higher Education Reform Initiative works to develop and advance policy reforms at the state and national levels. We envision a competitive higher education marketplace that does a better job of graduating students with in-demand skills and credentials at a reasonable cost to families and taxpayers. Universities should also prepare graduates for citizenship and lifelong learning through rigorous academic programs delivered in an environment that fosters free inquiry and a wide range of viewpoints.
Team
Latest
Statement
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May 19, 2026
AFPI Applauds Department of Education’s Finalized Workforce Pell Rule
The America First Policy Institute (AFPI) commends the U.S. Department of Education for finalizing the Workforce Pell Grant rule yesterday, a landmark step toward restoring opportunity, dignity, and economic mobility for millions of American workers shut out of the traditional four-year college pipeline.
Expert Insights
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May 18, 2026
Governing Public Universities: How States Can Reassert Authority and Restore Trust
Upon taking office in January 2025, President Trump embarked on an ambitious higher education reform campaign. The urgency of this task was punctuated by the recent wave of antisemitic protests at elite universities. Yet that obscene spectacle was just one manifestation of a larger sickness—a rot eating away at the heart of U.S. institutions of higher education (IHEs).
Statement
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May 11, 2026
New Rules from Ed to Simplify Student Loan Payments & Lower College Costs
AFPI has released the following statement from Dr. Michael A. Shires, vice chair for Education Opportunity, on the U.S. Department of Education’s newly released rules which intend to lower college costs and simplify student loan repayments.
State Testimony
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March 19, 2026
Strengthening Pennsylvania’s Workforce in the Skilled Trades
The America First Policy Institute (AFPI) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, nonpartisan research institute. Our guiding principles are liberty, free enterprise, foreign-policy engagement in the American interest, freedom of conscience, and the primacy of American workers, families, and communities. To this end, AFPI affirms and celebrates the American experiment and works to promulgate American values in our educational institutions, public policy, and culture. We are committed to policies that prioritize American workers, foster economic independence, and promote practical training pathways to high paying jobs.
Commentary
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March 18, 2026
Students and Taxpayers Deserve Outcome Transparency
Public confidence in higher education has plummeted to historic lows. Parents, students, and even colleges are increasingly aware that not all college degrees are likely to meaningfully improve students’ future earnings.
Topics
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