College Uncovered

Throughout the 2024 presidential campaign, President-elect Donald Trump railed against colleges and universities for being too expensive, too partisan and too “woke.”

Trump’s anti-elite, anti-immigration tone channeled the frustrations of many working-class Americans — and led him to a decisive win at the polls.

 So, with Trump returning to the White House for a second term, how much of his higher education message is rhetoric and how much is potential policy? And what comes next for students and colleges?

 As they wrap up this election year season, Kirk and Jon explore how college may change under a new Trump administration and ask a simple question: what comes next on campus?

 We hear from Michael Brickman, who worked as a senior advisor in the U.S. Education Department during Trump’s first term, and Ted Mitchell, president of the American Council on Education, the nation’s biggest association of colleges and universities.

 Then, Jennifer Thornton with the Business Higher Education Forum and Maria Flynn with Jobs For the Future explain why on-the-job training through apprenticeships is one policy likely to move forward quickly in a second Trump administration.

We also hear from students who backed Trump and those who fear his return to the Oval Office, including Jenson Wu with The Trevor Project, who tells us a second Trump term could have a significant impact on LGBTQ college students.