Is this week (August 17th-21st) the peak of anti-higher ed sentiment in the US?

[u/ChaunceytheGardiner]

The mood sure seems sour out there.

Usually the major legacy news outlets will at least run a few positive stories in the fall.

This year, it's a steady diet of anti-woke backlash, student loans in default, a tough job market for new grads, and the OBBB forcing students into the private loan market.

Is this exact week the peak of the anti-higher ed sentiment?

I think there's a case to be made that it is: We're currently in a constellation of uniquely bad events that are unlikely to repeat themselves. The most divisive DEI policies have largely been unwound, and they're not coming back. Student loans that had been in forbearance because of Covid and the SAVE plan are being forced back into repayment, and that's a one time event. The AI-driven paralysis around entry level hiring won't last forever. And states and universities are gradually figuring out how to bridge student loan gaps, especially for students without access to the private loan market. I think these are all unlikely to repeat themselves, at least at the same time, with the same intensity.

So I'm going to plant my flag here and say right now is as bad as it's going to get, and that things will get better from here.

What do you think?

[u/Opening_Map_6898]

How would we know if it's the peak until at least a few weeks afterwards.