The debate over what college is actually worth is getting louder, and now tech entrepreneur Sue Khim is wading in with a blunt message: stop treating the symptoms of student debt and fix what causes it. Her call comes as a growing number of parents say schools aren't teaching the things that matter — and some schools are testing AI tutors that help students think for themselves without pushing teachers out of the picture.
Why the debt cycle keeps spinning
Khim, who spoke at an education conference this week, argued that the trillion-dollar student loan problem won't go away simply by forgiving loans or capping interest rates. "You have to address it at its core," she said, according to a transcript of the event. She didn't spell out a specific policy fix, but her point was clear: tuition keeps rising while the payoff — a job that uses the degree — is less guaranteed than it used to be. Borrowing $50,000 for a credential that doesn't open doors isn't a financing problem; it's a product problem.
What parents say they want
Separately, surveys and school board meetings across the country have picked up a consistent demand from parents: teach the skills that actually get used in the real world. Not just coding or bookkeeping, but critical thinking, communication, and the ability to solve a problem without Googling the answer. The complaints aren't aimed only at universities. K-12 systems are hearing it too, as families question whether the traditional diploma still signals readiness for work or for college. The push has nudged several districts to redesign their career and technical education tracks, though no single national standard has emerged.
How AI tutors step in without replacing the teacher
One tool getting attention is an AI tutoring platform called Koji. It's designed to boost students' problem-solving skills by offering hints and feedback instead of handing over answers. The idea is that a kid stuck on a math or physics problem can get a nudge from the AI, then work through the logic alone. Koji doesn't grade papers, and it doesn't take over the classroom. Teachers still set the lesson plan and step in for the tough conceptual leaps. Early pilot results from a handful of high schools show students who used Koji scored slightly higher on end-of-unit tests, though the sample size is small and the study hasn't been peer-reviewed yet.
What the debt-and-skills intersection means for schools
The three threads — Khim's debt argument, the parent demand for skills, and the rise of tools like Koji — point toward a possible shift. If the price of college stays high but the skills gap stays wide, more families might start looking for alternatives: shorter credential programs, apprenticeships, or even self-directed learning with AI as a coach. Khim's core message implies that until the education system itself delivers better value per dollar, the debt load will keep growing regardless of any loan-forgiveness plan. Schools, meanwhile, are watching the AI tutor experiments carefully. A few university systems have started pilot programs that let students use similar tools for introductory courses, hoping to cut dropout rates without adding staff.
The next test comes in September, when a coalition of state education departments is expected to release guidelines on using AI assistants in classrooms. Those rules could decide whether tools like Koji become a standard part of the curriculum — or stay on the sidelines.
