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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Well colleges and universities need students to survive. So if the cost becomes out of reach for more students, then those schools will either close or find a way to make it more affordable.

I am a Dem but I am actually okay with this because the increase in loan amounts has led directly to higher tuition costs. Schools consistently just move the cost of attendance to take advantage of loan availability -- it's like free money to them. And they don't spend the money on quality teaching or better educational opportunities -- they spend it on administrator salaries and non-educational amenities (dining halls, fitness centers, etc.). That's where the cost spiral is coming from.

I'd like to see more commuter colleges, more part time programs, more programs that feed directly into apprenticeships. Obama actually tried to push higher ed in this direction and he got criticized and it never got off the ground. But he was right. We don't need more people borrowing money to obtain degrees that don't lead to jobs and financial stability. That only benefits college presidents who want nicer homes and fancier vacations. We need a system that actually prepares people for jobs, and creates economic opportunity at all levels. That's not going to happen under the current system, which sucks.

Rolling back the blank check our student loan system has been writing to colleges is the first step. Now we need to incentivize more cost-effective, job-focused programs. We should look to Europe for this. When Dems are in power in again, we should be looking to create pilot programs for shorter, degree-granting institutions located near commuting hubs that could be free or almost free. This is the future.

And you need to start thinking more expansively about what college will look like for your kids, and whether they will truly be served by a classic, 4-yr program at a liberal arts college. Those will still be around and there will be ways to make them affordable, but you need to ask if it's truly right for your kids. It really does not serve everyone well.[/quote]

I doubt you would feel this way if you came from a family which couldn't afford to pay for college.[/quote]

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