Affordable Education

Investing in Education, Investing in Our Future

While governments across the developed world invest heavily in education, we in the United States have increasingly treated it as an expense to be minimized rather than an investment in our collective future. The numbers tell a sobering story: undergraduate degrees now cost $9,596 per semester, master’s degrees run $12,956 per year, and 78.8% of students carry federal loan debt. This $1.8 trillion student debt burden has become the largest debt bubble in our economy—exceeding even credit card debt.

The human cost is staggering. In 2025, 5.5 million students defaulted on their loans, and that number is projected to reach nine million in 2026. Young people are delaying home purchases, postponing marriage and starting families, and abandoning retirement planning because they’re drowning in educational debt.

We must act now to secure our nation’s continued leadership and create a better future for our children. Our public schools are the engine of equity and opportunity, and it’s time we started treating them that way.

Restoring the Community Core

While some view education as a line item to be cut, I see it as an investment in tomorrow’s leaders, innovators, and problem-solvers. We need to increase federal Title I funding to close the gaps created by local property tax volatility. Whether a child grows up in a rural community or an urban center shouldn’t determine the quality of their education or whether their teachers earn a living wage. Every school in Indiana’s 4th District deserves the resources to pay teachers competitive, inflation-adjusted salaries and provide students with the tools they need to succeed.

Supporting Our Teachers

Our teachers show up every day to prepare the next generation, often spending their own money on classroom supplies and working far beyond school hours. Yet we’re losing talented educators to neighboring states that pay better and respect the profession more. It’s time to stop the rhetoric and start supporting our teachers with real action. Federal student loan forgiveness for teachers who commit five years to Indiana public schools isn’t just good policy—it’s a recognition that teaching is a public service worthy of our support. When we invest in teachers, we invest in every student they’ll inspire over their career.

Creating Real Career Pathways

Not every student is headed to a four-year university, and that’s perfectly fine. We need to expand vocational and technical training within our public high schools to prepare students for Indiana’s growing manufacturing and tech sectors. These aren’t second-tier options—they’re pathways to good-paying careers that our economy desperately needs. When a high school graduate can walk into a well-paying job with real skills and no crushing debt, that’s success worth celebrating.

Building Stronger Communities

Strong communities start with strong schools, from pre-K through higher education. When our schools thrive, property values rise, businesses invest, and families put down roots. But we’re experiencing a brain drain as our best teachers leave for better opportunities across state lines, and our young people leave because they can’t find the training or jobs they need here at home. We can reverse this trend by making education a priority and creating the pathways our kids need to build successful lives right here in Indiana.

Ensuring Your Tax Dollars Reach the Classroom

Every parent paying property taxes has a right to know their education dollars are reaching the classroom, not getting lost in administrative overhead. Strong schools build a disciplined, skilled workforce that attracts employers and creates opportunity. We need accountability to ensure that the money communities invest in education actually benefits students and teachers.

Making Student Loans Fair

We must reduce the debt burden crushing our young people and eliminate the predatory lending practices that have turned education into a profit center for financial institutions. Student loan interest rates should never exceed the Federal Reserve’s prime lending rate plus 0.5%. We can reduce the debt bubble by allowing graduates to refinance under this program, with loans that expire no more than ten years after graduation and monthly payments capped at seven percent of net income. If we believe education is essential to our future—and it is—then the American people should underwrite it, not Wall Street.

The Bottom Line

Education isn’t a luxury or a private good—it’s the foundation of our democracy and our economy. Every child in Indiana’s 4th District deserves a fair shot at success, regardless of their ZIP code or their family’s income. As your representative in Congress, I’ll fight to restore education funding, support our teachers, create real pathways to success, and end the predatory student loan practices that are stealing our children’s futures. Together, we can build an education system that invests in people, not profits.