The UTC student paper, University Echo, had a story about how President Trump’s tariff might affect students. CRER director Howard Wall said that tariffs are paid almost entirely by Americans and will result in higher prices for many things that students buy. Wall also warned about the broader effects in the event the tariffs spur a recession:
Upcoming college graduates are particularly vulnerable to the potential effects of an economic downturn.
“If you’re a senior and you’re looking to get a job, a lot depends on what happens to the economy,” Wall said. “This is the sort of thing that can spur a recession and then it’s hard to find a job.”
As the economy responds to the tariffs, higher education enrollment could rise. Historically, economic downturns have led to increased demand for college education as job opportunities diminish.
“If the economy goes bad then there’s greater demand to go to college because people aren’t finding jobs,” Wall explained.