What Impact do the Trump Tax Cuts Have on Education?

by Dr. Watson Scott Swail, President & Senior Research Scientist Yesterday the Trump Administration, through the auspices of Steve Mnuchin and Gary Cohn, released a trial balloon to test their tax plan in the media and Congress. True to Trump’s word, this is potentially the biggest change in the tax system in generations, starting with the reduction of corporate tax from 35 to 15 percent … Continue reading What Impact do the Trump Tax Cuts Have on Education?

New York Takes the First Dive into Free Tuition

by Watson Scott Swail, President & CEO, Educational Policy Institute On Friday, the State of New York announced that it would provide free tuition to families earning less than $125,000. The cost of the program is budgeted at $163 million/year in today’s dollars, noting that those costs will escalate in the coming years beyond the cost of tuition. For those who support tuition-free policies, this is … Continue reading New York Takes the First Dive into Free Tuition

The Federal Government and Public Education (A Budget Analysis)

by Watson Scott Swail, President & CEO, Educational Policy Institute I’ve written lately on the issues related to the Trump Administration and Education Secretary Betsy DeVos. There are certainly red flags about the direction of the Administration, but these issues will take a while to play out, even though many of us have concerns about recent changes to student loans and the federal budget. But let … Continue reading The Federal Government and Public Education (A Budget Analysis)

The Rubber Hits the Road

by Watson Scott Swail, Ed.D., President & CEO, Educational Policy Institute In February, I wrote about what a Betsy DeVos Education Department might look like. Last night, the proverbial rubber hit the proverbial road when the Trump White House released “America First: A Budget Blueprint to Make America Great Again.” Basically, a fancy title for the President’s FY 2018 federal budget. If there is one … Continue reading The Rubber Hits the Road

What Betsy DeVos Means as Secretary of Education

by Watson Scott Swail, Ed.D., President & CEO, Educational Policy Institute A little later today, the education world will find out if billionaire Betsy DeVos will take the reins of the U.S. Department of Education. Much has been said about DeVos, the husband of former Amway CEO Dick DeVos and brother of former Blackwater founder and CEO Erik Prince. I only mention those two relatives … Continue reading What Betsy DeVos Means as Secretary of Education