1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:02,360 Speaker 1: We are joined now by the United States Secretary of Education. 2 00:00:02,400 --> 00:00:05,080 Speaker 1: He is Miguel Cardona. Mister Secretary, thank you so much 3 00:00:05,080 --> 00:00:05,880 Speaker 1: for joining us today. 4 00:00:06,000 --> 00:00:06,880 Speaker 2: It's glad to be with you. 5 00:00:07,480 --> 00:00:10,559 Speaker 1: So let's start with higher education. Very much in the 6 00:00:10,560 --> 00:00:13,280 Speaker 1: news these days, perhaps not for the best reasons, with 7 00:00:13,320 --> 00:00:15,800 Speaker 1: a lot of turmoil on campus coming out of the 8 00:00:15,880 --> 00:00:19,840 Speaker 1: Israeli Hamas conflict. From your point of view at the 9 00:00:19,880 --> 00:00:22,320 Speaker 1: federal level, what are the lessons we could learn from 10 00:00:22,400 --> 00:00:25,560 Speaker 1: that that could make higher education actually stronger and how 11 00:00:25,560 --> 00:00:28,560 Speaker 1: could you at the federal level help the universities. 12 00:00:28,840 --> 00:00:30,000 Speaker 2: Well, first of all, I think we have to be 13 00:00:30,120 --> 00:00:33,200 Speaker 2: very clear that it's first of all our primary responsibility 14 00:00:33,200 --> 00:00:35,880 Speaker 2: to make sure students are safe, and that it could 15 00:00:35,880 --> 00:00:39,559 Speaker 2: be unapologetically themselves on campus. I've spoken to students over 16 00:00:39,560 --> 00:00:44,440 Speaker 2: the last couple of months who have felt harassed. It's 17 00:00:44,479 --> 00:00:48,720 Speaker 2: a starting baseline to make sure students feel safe on campus. 18 00:00:48,760 --> 00:00:51,000 Speaker 2: But we also have to make sure that we're providing 19 00:00:51,080 --> 00:00:54,160 Speaker 2: better access to higher education. You know, when I became 20 00:00:54,200 --> 00:00:57,720 Speaker 2: Secretary of Education, the President told me, look, we got 21 00:00:57,720 --> 00:01:00,000 Speaker 2: to fix it. We need higher education to be accessed 22 00:01:00,280 --> 00:01:03,200 Speaker 2: and affordable to more, and we're working really hard to 23 00:01:03,320 --> 00:01:06,040 Speaker 2: open doors to higher education and more students, whether that's 24 00:01:07,240 --> 00:01:11,440 Speaker 2: you know, redesigning FAFSA, which we know is going to 25 00:01:11,440 --> 00:01:14,600 Speaker 2: open the doors to six hundred thousand more students across 26 00:01:14,640 --> 00:01:17,440 Speaker 2: the country. I'm excited about that six hundred thousand more 27 00:01:17,480 --> 00:01:21,360 Speaker 2: students can have access to higher education, the Safe Plan, 28 00:01:21,840 --> 00:01:24,600 Speaker 2: which is an income driven repayment plan. So you know 29 00:01:24,640 --> 00:01:27,319 Speaker 2: student like me thirty years ago, first generation college student, 30 00:01:27,480 --> 00:01:29,120 Speaker 2: I didn't know if I could afford college. I didn't 31 00:01:29,120 --> 00:01:31,520 Speaker 2: want to put that on my parents. We have programs 32 00:01:31,560 --> 00:01:34,880 Speaker 2: now that give more confidence and the ability for students 33 00:01:34,920 --> 00:01:37,080 Speaker 2: not only to finish college, but to be able to 34 00:01:37,120 --> 00:01:39,520 Speaker 2: pay off their loans and be successful, and that has 35 00:01:39,640 --> 00:01:42,280 Speaker 2: generational impact. I'm really excited about the work we're doing there. 36 00:01:42,280 --> 00:01:44,440 Speaker 1: Well, just to stand PHAPS just a moment, because there 37 00:01:44,480 --> 00:01:47,039 Speaker 1: have been some issues with FAFSA this year as people 38 00:01:47,040 --> 00:01:48,640 Speaker 1: have rolled it out. I know from my point of 39 00:01:48,680 --> 00:01:51,040 Speaker 1: you've been working with some students, they've had some difficulties. 40 00:01:51,120 --> 00:01:53,280 Speaker 1: How are we in that have we worked out the difficulties? 41 00:01:53,440 --> 00:01:57,160 Speaker 2: You know, we've had in the last four days over 42 00:01:57,200 --> 00:02:00,880 Speaker 2: five hundred thousand successful applications. Yesterday we didn't have a 43 00:02:00,920 --> 00:02:04,920 Speaker 2: waiting room on FAFSA it's getting better. But let's keep 44 00:02:05,160 --> 00:02:09,080 Speaker 2: this in mind. We had a system that's older than me, okay, 45 00:02:09,120 --> 00:02:13,160 Speaker 2: that hasn't been touched in about forty years, forty five years, 46 00:02:13,720 --> 00:02:17,480 Speaker 2: that is being overhauled to allow six hundred thousand more 47 00:02:17,480 --> 00:02:20,240 Speaker 2: students to access federal aid. Think about what that means 48 00:02:20,240 --> 00:02:23,520 Speaker 2: for our country. And because we had to overhaul it, 49 00:02:23,880 --> 00:02:25,960 Speaker 2: we did a soft launch. We're testing it out, We're 50 00:02:25,960 --> 00:02:28,280 Speaker 2: working out the kinks of a brand new system, and 51 00:02:28,360 --> 00:02:31,960 Speaker 2: I'm excited about the potential I expect with this new, 52 00:02:32,000 --> 00:02:34,959 Speaker 2: better FASA that the FASA completion rate in this country 53 00:02:35,040 --> 00:02:37,240 Speaker 2: is going to skyrocket. More students are going to have 54 00:02:37,280 --> 00:02:39,600 Speaker 2: access to higher education and fulfill their dreams. 55 00:02:39,680 --> 00:02:43,320 Speaker 1: So, when it comes to higher education generally, what do 56 00:02:43,360 --> 00:02:46,960 Speaker 1: you think about the governance process? You mentioned the affordability. 57 00:02:47,120 --> 00:02:49,640 Speaker 1: That's a business aspect because these universities and colleges are 58 00:02:49,639 --> 00:02:52,639 Speaker 1: big businesses as well as being educational, there's an academic element. 59 00:02:52,760 --> 00:02:54,560 Speaker 1: One of the issues has come to foreign writers. What 60 00:02:54,639 --> 00:02:57,960 Speaker 1: are their respective roles of the president, administration of the faculty, 61 00:02:58,240 --> 00:03:00,600 Speaker 1: of the board, and yes of the donors. 62 00:03:01,200 --> 00:03:02,720 Speaker 2: Well, look, at the end of the day, we need 63 00:03:02,760 --> 00:03:06,400 Speaker 2: to make sure higher education institutions are places where students 64 00:03:06,400 --> 00:03:10,840 Speaker 2: can grow, find their passion. And what we're finding in 65 00:03:11,120 --> 00:03:14,600 Speaker 2: many cases is, you know, people talk about academic freedom 66 00:03:14,720 --> 00:03:17,480 Speaker 2: and that's under attack, and we have some very extreme 67 00:03:17,520 --> 00:03:20,480 Speaker 2: Republicans right now that are looking to higher education to 68 00:03:20,520 --> 00:03:23,080 Speaker 2: continue their culture wars, as they've done with book banning. 69 00:03:24,440 --> 00:03:29,160 Speaker 2: What we're focusing on is affordability, access, making sure students 70 00:03:29,160 --> 00:03:33,400 Speaker 2: are completing, improving the return on investment in higher education. 71 00:03:33,720 --> 00:03:36,120 Speaker 2: For so many students across the country, they don't see 72 00:03:36,200 --> 00:03:41,000 Speaker 2: that being a good investment. I would argue the opposite. 73 00:03:41,240 --> 00:03:43,880 Speaker 2: College graduates earn on average a million dollars more than 74 00:03:44,000 --> 00:03:46,120 Speaker 2: high school graduates. But we have to make sure that 75 00:03:46,160 --> 00:03:49,600 Speaker 2: the universities, whether they're two or four year colleges, are 76 00:03:49,640 --> 00:03:52,920 Speaker 2: preparing students for the careers of today and tomorrow. We've 77 00:03:52,920 --> 00:03:57,920 Speaker 2: worked really hard on creating pathways. You know, a higher 78 00:03:58,040 --> 00:04:01,600 Speaker 2: education system also gives students options, career options, and with 79 00:04:01,640 --> 00:04:05,720 Speaker 2: the tsunami of careers available now due to the Chips 80 00:04:05,720 --> 00:04:08,720 Speaker 2: and Science Act, the Infrastructure Plan, I'm excited about the 81 00:04:08,720 --> 00:04:09,520 Speaker 2: potential higher ed. 82 00:04:09,720 --> 00:04:12,360 Speaker 1: That investment, which is a substantial one, is financed in 83 00:04:12,400 --> 00:04:15,320 Speaker 1: significant part by debt, by student debt, which is of course, 84 00:04:15,320 --> 00:04:17,840 Speaker 1: a big issue. Where are we on that right now? 85 00:04:17,839 --> 00:04:21,839 Speaker 1: And specifically, are we getting less repayment of the debt 86 00:04:21,839 --> 00:04:23,960 Speaker 1: than we were in the past. Are you getting the 87 00:04:24,000 --> 00:04:26,359 Speaker 1: receipts lower? And if so, great, is it because people 88 00:04:26,400 --> 00:04:28,440 Speaker 1: just aren't paying or because we're forgiving more. 89 00:04:28,640 --> 00:04:30,839 Speaker 2: No, Well, we've forgiven one hundred and thirty two billion 90 00:04:30,839 --> 00:04:33,480 Speaker 2: dollars and we've gone after the for profit colleges that 91 00:04:33,520 --> 00:04:35,760 Speaker 2: are taking advantage of students. So we're cleaning up a 92 00:04:35,800 --> 00:04:37,560 Speaker 2: big mess. I'm going to be very frank with you. 93 00:04:37,600 --> 00:04:40,599 Speaker 2: We're cleaning up a big mess. We're also improving the 94 00:04:40,640 --> 00:04:42,960 Speaker 2: processes so that five years from now we're not in 95 00:04:42,960 --> 00:04:46,320 Speaker 2: the same situation, whether the safe program that I talked about, 96 00:04:46,360 --> 00:04:50,880 Speaker 2: income driven repayment program, improving the college scorecard to make 97 00:04:50,920 --> 00:04:53,120 Speaker 2: sure that parents know what they're signing up for, what 98 00:04:53,160 --> 00:04:56,960 Speaker 2: they're going to be paying for, improving that accountability as well. 99 00:04:58,040 --> 00:05:00,520 Speaker 2: We're improving the system so that we're not in situation 100 00:05:00,560 --> 00:05:02,440 Speaker 2: where students are left with a lot of debt and 101 00:05:02,520 --> 00:05:03,120 Speaker 2: low income. 102 00:05:03,600 --> 00:05:07,280 Speaker 1: But our students in general overall paying less than AO 103 00:05:07,880 --> 00:05:09,359 Speaker 1: than before the station. 104 00:05:09,720 --> 00:05:13,440 Speaker 2: Now, what we're finding is we're at about sixty percent 105 00:05:13,520 --> 00:05:15,920 Speaker 2: of the students are back on repayment. I think it 106 00:05:16,000 --> 00:05:20,200 Speaker 2: was like seventy percent before the pandemic, so there's a 107 00:05:20,200 --> 00:05:23,119 Speaker 2: little bit of a dip there, but we're continuing to 108 00:05:23,240 --> 00:05:26,799 Speaker 2: improve those numbers. We have the Fresh Start program, which 109 00:05:26,839 --> 00:05:30,800 Speaker 2: means for those folks that went into default, we're kind 110 00:05:30,800 --> 00:05:33,719 Speaker 2: of setting them back up for success by removing penalties 111 00:05:33,760 --> 00:05:36,400 Speaker 2: and letting them get a fresh start to repayment. The 112 00:05:36,440 --> 00:05:40,360 Speaker 2: Safe program is affordable, meaning people that would go into 113 00:05:40,440 --> 00:05:43,160 Speaker 2: default are now more likely to be able to be 114 00:05:43,200 --> 00:05:46,120 Speaker 2: successful paying bills. Let's keep in mind, this debt forgiveness 115 00:05:46,279 --> 00:05:50,040 Speaker 2: work that we're doing is a result of not only 116 00:05:50,040 --> 00:05:52,680 Speaker 2: the pandemic, but we had over a million people going 117 00:05:52,680 --> 00:05:55,760 Speaker 2: into default every year. So we're working on fixing a 118 00:05:55,760 --> 00:05:59,040 Speaker 2: broken system, making higher education something that people can value 119 00:05:59,279 --> 00:06:02,080 Speaker 2: and connected the careers that we know are coming with 120 00:06:02,160 --> 00:06:04,560 Speaker 2: all the investments in America that the President has made. 121 00:06:04,800 --> 00:06:06,400 Speaker 1: One last one was your secretary, does you all to 122 00:06:06,400 --> 00:06:09,240 Speaker 1: te about deficit these days? A fiscal deficit in Washington? 123 00:06:09,360 --> 00:06:12,000 Speaker 1: What about education deficit? We came out of this pandemic 124 00:06:12,000 --> 00:06:14,560 Speaker 1: from the numbers I've seen with a deficit here, a 125 00:06:14,600 --> 00:06:17,880 Speaker 1: lot of school kids, especially students who could afford it 126 00:06:17,920 --> 00:06:21,520 Speaker 1: the least have fallen behind. How can we make up 127 00:06:21,560 --> 00:06:22,240 Speaker 1: that deficit? 128 00:06:22,320 --> 00:06:25,039 Speaker 2: Yeah? Look, I'm a fourth grade teacher at heart. I 129 00:06:25,120 --> 00:06:27,280 Speaker 2: started as a fourth grade teacher and one of the 130 00:06:27,279 --> 00:06:30,359 Speaker 2: things that I that made me decide to become a 131 00:06:30,400 --> 00:06:33,840 Speaker 2: teacher's I wanted to address achievement disparities and opportunity gaps 132 00:06:33,839 --> 00:06:36,640 Speaker 2: that exist in this country. And now as Secretary of Education, 133 00:06:37,360 --> 00:06:41,400 Speaker 2: I feel even more passionate. The pandemic worsened achievement disparities. 134 00:06:41,839 --> 00:06:45,279 Speaker 2: Within months of serving as president, the President was able 135 00:06:45,320 --> 00:06:47,880 Speaker 2: to usher in one hundred and thirty billion dollars, the 136 00:06:47,960 --> 00:06:50,040 Speaker 2: most education funding I've ever seen in my career as 137 00:06:50,040 --> 00:06:54,400 Speaker 2: an educator, to address disparities. Districts are using it well. 138 00:06:54,440 --> 00:06:57,520 Speaker 2: We're starting to see results. You know, in Nashville, the 139 00:06:57,839 --> 00:07:01,560 Speaker 2: achievement rates are better than the pre pandemic levels. We're 140 00:07:01,560 --> 00:07:05,279 Speaker 2: seeing graduation rates in Chicago and Clark County, Nevada improve. 141 00:07:06,640 --> 00:07:10,480 Speaker 2: But what it says, David, is education is an investment. 142 00:07:10,960 --> 00:07:14,080 Speaker 2: And as we sunset with the American Rescue Plan dollars, 143 00:07:14,240 --> 00:07:18,120 Speaker 2: it's critically important that we don't talk about education federal 144 00:07:18,120 --> 00:07:20,720 Speaker 2: funding as a cliff, but as a baton being passed. 145 00:07:20,920 --> 00:07:23,600 Speaker 2: States and local leaders need to understand the importance of 146 00:07:23,680 --> 00:07:26,520 Speaker 2: investing in education. You know, our plan is not just 147 00:07:26,520 --> 00:07:28,680 Speaker 2: to get back to pre pandemic levels. I want to 148 00:07:28,760 --> 00:07:30,600 Speaker 2: raise the bar and lead the world. And if we're 149 00:07:30,600 --> 00:07:32,440 Speaker 2: going to do that, we have to look at education 150 00:07:32,560 --> 00:07:34,280 Speaker 2: and our students as an investment. 151 00:07:34,560 --> 00:07:36,440 Speaker 1: Mister Secretary, thank you so much for being with us. 152 00:07:36,440 --> 00:07:39,400 Speaker 1: It's Miguel Cardona. He is the United States Secretary of Education.