Some of the most-searched questions on Google following the 2024 presidential election were things like “What is a tariff?” and “How can I change my vote?” But now that the dust has begun to settle and people are looking ahead to President-elect Donald Trump’s second term, there’s another question that’s been popping up, especially among current and future college students: “What is American Academy?”Â
Trump has said a lot of buzzwords about his plans to overhauls the higher education system in the United States as he sees fit (such as slogans like “Make Colleges and Universities Sane and Affordable”), but when it comes to specific policies and initiatives, it seems like people are just now starting to grasp what his actual ideas and plans really are.
One such idea is American Academy, a digital university that will “make a truly world-class education available to every American, free of charge,” according to the Trump campaign’s website. And while the concept of free higher education may sound appealing at face value, there is, of course, more to it.
Here’s what to know about Trump’s proposed American Academy, including what it could teach, how it would supposedly be funded, and how it fits into the incoming administration’s plans for higher education in the U.S.
What would an American Academy education entail?
There is very little information about the exact plans for American Academy. However, in a November 2023 video outlining the initiative, Trump said, “Whether you want lectures or an ancient history or an introduction to financial accounting, or training in a skilled trade, the goal will be to deliver it and get it done properly, using study groups, mentors, industry partnerships, and the latest breakthrough in computing. This will be a truly top-tier education option for the people.” Considering the announcement was shared in reaction to the protests surrounding the war in Gaza and rise of antisemitism on college campuses happening at the time, Trump also noted that the school “will be strictly non-political, and there will be no wokeness or jihadism allowed.”
As far as a degree, Trump stated that the school would not offer bachelor’s degrees, but rather “the full and complete equivalent of a bachelor’s degree,” which are credentials he said would have to be recognized by the U.S. government and all federal contractors.
How would American Academy be funded?
There’s no such thing as a free lunch — and there’s definitely no such thing as a free education. While Trump plans for American Academy to be free for students “without adding a single dime to the federal debt,” he does plan to make *someone* pay: existing colleges. According to his November 2023 video, he plans to bring in “billions and billions of dollars” to fund the school by “taxing, fining, and suing excessively large private university endowments.”
How Would American Academy Fit Into Trump’s Overall Plan For Overhauling Higher Education?
Donald Trump has been very open about his disdain for the U.S. higher education system for a variety of reasons, including his stance that colleges and universities as the breeding ground for left-wing ideology. He has already called for the dismantling of the Education Department (which distributes federal financial aid to college students, among many other crucial functions), claiming it has been infiltrated by “radicals, zealots, and Marxists.” Trump also plans to change the university accreditation process, through which accreditors oversee college programs and verify whether they meet educational standards, by hiring new accreditors with the hopes of “defending the American tradition and Western civilization, protecting free speech, eliminating wasteful administrative positions that drive up costs incredibly, removing all Marxist diversity, equity, and inclusion bureaucrats.”
If American Academy comes to fruition amid all of these other proposed changes to the higher education system, a college degree could hold a much different meaning — and the overall college experience could look very different — in the years to come.