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ment, ensuring foreign funding is trans- parent and does not compromise Ameri- can interests.” Foreign agitators. In January 2025,
Trump promised to revoke visas for “Hamas sympathizers” on college cam- puses. That same month, Trump signed an
executive order pledging to deport for- eign students participating in “pro-jihad- ist” protests and to withhold federal fund- ing from colleges that permit lawlessness.
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60%OF FACULTY LIBERAL OR FAR-LEFT.
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MEMBERS IDENTIFY AS
And Trump is following through. Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia grad-
uate student and Syrian-born Palestin- ian activist, was apprehended by ICE
Four-year college
Trade
programs have
increased by 16%
applications fell by
3%
tag of four- year schools has also left many middle-class Americans behind.
“More and more students are becoming
aware of debt and loans, and particularly with job shortages in these trades, attending a two-year technical school can earn $90,000 right out of the gate,” said Handel, director of the Education and Workforce Development Task Force for the American Legislative Exchange Council. “That is very appealing, whereas four
years ago, everyone was told they had to attend a university; that has shifted.” The cost diff erence is stark. The average
VOCATIONAL SCHOOLS BOOMING
Skilled trades in big demand — U.S. needs 500,000 plumbers, electricians, and construction workers.
A
cross America, a seismic shift is reshaping higher education.
Soaring costs and leftist ideology at
traditional four-year colleges have created a booming new market for trade schools, which are gaining traction among young adults seeking aff ordable, hands-on training for lucrative careers. President Donald Trump has long championed this shift. During his 2020 campaign, he emphasized the economic power of skilled trades, promising rallygoers that if reelected, he would be “bringing back the trades, big league.” “Not everyone needs a four-year
58 NEWSMAX | JUNE 2025
degree,” said Trump. “We need welders, carpenters, machinists — great people who build our country.” According to
education expert Andrew Handel, the skyrocketing price
$10,000
The average vocational program, which lasts one to two years, costs between $10,000 and $20,000, compared to $160,000 for a four-year degree at a private college.
$160,000
vocational program, which lasts one to two years, costs between $10,000 and $20,000, compared to $160,000 for a four-year degree at a private college, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. Consequently, graduates often enter the
workforce without debt, presenting a sharp contrast to the $37,000 average student loan burden for bachelor’s degree holders. Furthermore, skilled trades are in high demand, with the U.S. facing a shortage of 500,000 plumbers, electricians, and construction workers. According to the Bureau of Labor
Statistics, median earnings for plumbers reached $60,000 in 2024, with top earners surpassing $100,000, thus outpacing many white-collar professions. In contrast, many college graduates
experience underemployment, with 40% working jobs that don’t require a degree. Consequently, the National Student Clearinghouse has reported that enrollment in trade programs has increased by 16% from 2020 to 2024, while four-year college applications fell by 3%. — M.L.
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