The Senate confirmed President Donald Trump’s pick to oversee higher education policy, a man with deep ties to the for-profit college industry, by a 50-to-45 vote on August 1.
Senate Majority John Thune filed cloture on Kent’s nomination earlier in the week. And the education committee had already advanced Kent on a 12-11 vote without a hearing in late May.
The undersecretary at the Department of Education oversees billions in federal financial aid and is charged with ensuring America’s colleges provide a quality education.
Education Secretary Linda McMahon had previously told USA TODAY that Kent is a “natural leader” whose experience and concern for students “make him the ideal selection for under secretary of education."
He had won the support of several prominent university trade groups who are opposed to Trump’s attacks on universities, but said they supported Kent’s nomination. His confirmation comes as the Trump administration seeks to reshape higher education and has launched numerous investigations into high profile universities.
