Higher education should open doors, not close them. It should give students confidence, opportunity, and a strong foundation for their futures—not bury them in decades of debt.
Yet today, too many young people feel overwhelmed before their careers even begin. They want to build a life, buy a home, and support a family, but the weight of student loans holds them back.
It is time to rethink the way we prepare students for the workforce.
Imagine a new type of degree program—one that focuses entirely on the field a student chooses. A fast-track degree built around real career preparation. Instead of requiring dozens of unrelated courses, students would study what truly matters for their profession, gaining specialized knowledge without wasting time or money.
For students who already know their path—accounting, nursing, computer science, engineering, and so many others—this approach would save years and thousands of dollars. No more wondering why an aspiring accountant needs to take anatomy, or why a future software developer must take advanced art history. Students deserve the freedom to choose an educational track that fits their goals and respects their investment.
Those who prefer the traditional college experience will always have that option. But for students eager to build a future quickly and responsibly, this streamlined path provides a new way forward. Instead of taking twenty years to pay off loans, graduates could step into adulthood with minimal debt and a clear head start toward homeownership and financial stability.
Employers benefit as well. Businesses consistently say they want graduates who are deeply trained in their field. A company hiring an accounting major wants someone fluent in accounting—not someone who sacrificed essential coursework to fulfill unrelated requirements. A focused curriculum gives employers exactly what they need: graduates who are truly prepared.
Students win. Families win. Employers win. Communities win.
In addition to this career-focused fast-track degree, we will support the creation of a low-cost Online University—an option designed to bring quality education within reach for more people than ever before. Increased competition encourages existing colleges to reevaluate tuition costs and ensure they are offering real value.
Education should empower lives, not financially strain them. It should fuel ambition, not fear. It should serve people—not profit margins.
This new vision of higher education is about giving every student a fair chance to succeed. A chance to start their careers with confidence. A chance to build families and futures without the crush of lifelong debt. A chance to learn with purpose, focus, and dignity.
Together, we can build a system where education is efficient, affordable, and aligned with real-world opportunity—a system that puts people first and opens the door to a better tomorrow for all.