Our take: Trade schools deserve the same funding as universities

We believe this with the fire of a thousand over-regulated welding torches. Trade schools getting the same funding as universities isn’t just a good idea, it’s the kind of common sense that used to be served with a side of black coffee and “shut up and get to work.” But nooo, nowadays, you suggest putting trade schools on the same financial playing field as Ivy League glitter factories and the academic elite start clutching their gender-neutral pearls.

Let’s talk brass tacks. You know what trade school grads don’t have? A six-figure debt load for a degree in “Postmodern Queer Basket Weaving Studies.” You know what they do have? Skills. Real ones. Fix-your-AC, build-your-house, keep-the-country-from-imploding kind of skills. Meanwhile, universities are out here handing diplomas to people who can’t change a tire but can write a 30-page paper on why capitalism is a social construct—while tweeting from their iPhone at a Starbucks.

Let’s throw some facts into this toolbox. According to the U.S. Department of Education, the average student loan debt for a four-year degree hovers around $37,000. Meanwhile, trade school costs are often under $10,000, and many programs take less than two years. And the kicker? Skilled tradespeople are in demand. Like, desperately. As in “we-have-no-one-to-replace-Jim-who-retired-after-40-years-of-wiring-the-entire-damn-town” levels of demand.

Oh, and let’s talk salary, shall we? Electricians, plumbers, HVAC techs, welders—these folks can make $60K to $100K+ a year with zero shame, zero debt, and full benefits while the guy with a master’s in Political Theory is DoorDashing vegan burritos and blaming the system.

And yet, we funnel billions into universities that treat academia like a lifestyle brand and less like, you know, education. These institutions build lazy rivers, diversity lounges, and cry rooms instead of focusing on producing productive citizens. But try to give the same love to trade schools and suddenly it’s, “That’s just for people who can’t handle real college.” Really? Because last I checked, you called someone to fix your toilet, not your Gender Studies professor.

Trade schools build the damn country. Universities? Half of them can’t even build a coherent thought without a trigger warning and a group project. If we’re serious about funding the future—the actual functioning, hands-on, lights-stay-on, buildings-don’t-collapse future—then it’s time we stop treating trade schools like a backup plan and start treating them like the backbone of America.

So yeah, fund the hell out of trade schools. And give those folks a damn raise while you’re at it.