Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) criticized the Trump administration's Department of Education (DOE) rule that she claims targets women-dominated fields in education. During a town hall event in Escanaba, Michigan, on Thursday, Ocasio-Cortez stated, "I want to be very clear that what the Trump administration is doing, specifically, is attacking women’s ability to get an education."
The DOE's new rule, known as the Student Tuition and Transparency System and Earnings Accountability, announced in June, requires undergraduate programs to demonstrate that their graduates earn more than those without a college degree, while graduate programs must show that their graduates earn more than individuals with a bachelor's degree. Programs failing to meet these criteria will be disqualified from federal student loan programs.
This rule gained attention again in September following a Los Angeles Times article indicating that fields such as social work and mental health programs could be adversely affected. According to the Los Angeles Times, the DOE will restrict federal student loan access for college programs that do not provide sufficient postgraduation earnings.
Ocasio-Cortez remarked, "Because they put down that list on what they’re making harder, what they’re not going to give people student loans for, and it’s nurses, it’s teachers, it’s social workers. They don’t want women to go to college." She noted that social work, education, and nursing are among occupations with a significant share of women workers, ranging from 83% to 97.4% in 2024, according to the Department of Labor.
She emphasized the need for accessible education, stating, "I’m from the Bronx, where we desperately need doctors and have some of the highest maternal mortality rates in the United States."
In response to the criticism, the DOE labeled the claims as “fake news” in a post on X, stating, "This is fake news at its finest. First off, we’re not ‘banning’ any program. The federal government doesn’t set curriculum or programs. Here’s the truth: we are holding colleges accountable for leaving students worse off than if they never enrolled." The DOE further explained that many graduates face delays in achieving significant life milestones due to unmanageable debt from low return-on-investment programs.
Ocasio-Cortez advocated for free tuition at public universities and suggested that student loans should not accrue interest, questioning the ethics of burdening individuals with debt for pursuing education. She stated, "And beyond that, we have to really be asking ourselves, what is the utility of putting people in indentured servitude their entire lives for seeking an education?"