Higher education experts were reeling amid the release of President Donald Trump’s newly released budget titled “A New Foundation for American Greatness.”
“President Trump’s higher-education cuts are cruel and callous to students, and they betray our responsibility to enable opportunity for young people and provide a path for them to achieve their dreams,” said Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers.
“It is especially catastrophic to lower-income students and those aspiring to public service, while serving as a windfall for loan companies, debt collectors and those seeking a profit off of education.”
Betsy DeVos, the U.S. Secretary of Education, defended the proposed cuts.
“The budget also reflects a series of tough choices we have had to make when assessing the best use of taxpayer money,” DeVos said in a statement, adding that if approved, the new FY18 budget would save taxpayers $142 billion over the next 10 years.
Under the proposed plan, the Department of Education is planning to phase out:
