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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September 14, 2026
AFPI Announces Departure of Dr. Jay Menees for Florida Department of Education
The America First Policy Institute (AFPI) announces that Dr. Jay Menees will be departing his role as Senior Policy Analyst for Higher Education and Economy & Trade Policy to join the Florida Department of Education as Vice Chancellor of Research and Policy.
Commentary
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September 10, 2026
Accreditation Reform Is Exactly What Higher Education Needs
America's higher education system has lost the confidence of the American people. Today’s graduates leave campus too often unprepared to find the work needed to pay off the considerable debt they accumulated. Taxpayers now directly underwrite almost $2 trillion in debt despite providing subsidies and payments to universities totaling hundreds of billions each year. The cost to attend a university now equals the price of between one and three modest-sized new cars for each year.
Expert Insights
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September 8, 2026
Make Colleges Pay their “Fair Share”: Congress Should Close the Endowment Tax Loophole
Most traditional U.S. colleges and universities, including nearly all public and most private institutions, operate under “nonprofit” or tax-exempt structures.[1] This designation does not mean that these institutions generate no revenue—colleges and universities receive substantial income from tuition, fees, research grants, philanthropy, and investment earnings. Nonprofit status instead refers primarily to the absence of private shareholders who receive distributions from institutional operations.
Toolkit
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September 8, 2026
Three Strategies for Advancing Workforce Education & Training
For decades, the public education system offered one value proposition: do well here, get a college degree, and enjoy a meaningful career and a middle-class life—or don’t. Workforce education and training programs were deprioritized and viewed as the lower track toward, at best, a job with static prospects.
Statement
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September 4, 2026
Treasury Department Holds Educational Institutions Accountable
The America First Policy Institute (AFPI) applauds Secretary Scott Bessent for the Treasury Department’s newly proposed rules clarifying that educational institutions that discriminate based on race in their offerings may lose their tax-exempt status.
Topics
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A New Era for College Sports: The Saving College Sports Proposal Outshines the SCORE and SAFE Acts
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Supporting the Emerging Civil Rights State
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Detransition Awareness Day
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