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How Washington Could Make College Tuition Free (Without Spending a Penny More on Education)

And, related to today’s other posting, something that’s unlikely to happen.  But, it’s an interesting conversation starter.

How Washington Could Make College Tuition Free (Without Spending a Penny More on Education)

The Atlantic: http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2013/03/how-washington-could-make-college-tuition-free-without-spending-a-penny-more-on-education/273801/

“The federal government already spends enough on student aid to cover tuition for every public college student in America. Maybe it’s time to try.

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“It’s been a glum few weeks in the world of higher education. We officially learned that states kept slashing their funding for colleges and universities in 2012, and tuition in turn kept on rising. Student loan debt expanded over the year, and more borrowers are falling behind on their debt.

In other words, same as it ever was (same as it ever was). The price of a degree has been going up faster than family incomes for decades now, and nobody has a clear fix yet. So rather than bemoan college costs like most days, I thought we could have some fun mulling over a radical solution: What if Washington just went ahead and made tuition at state schools free (or close to it)?

It might be more doable than you think.

We Already Spend the Money

Here’s a little known fact: With what the federal government spent on its various and sundry student aid initiatives last year, it could have covered the tuition bill of every student at every public college in the country. Doing so might have required cutting off financial aid at Yale, Amherst, the University of Phoenix, and every other private university. But at this point, that might be a trade worth considering.”

Check out the article.  I wonder what percentage representatives and senators went exclusively to public education…?

Stephen

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Posted on: March 30, 2013, 9:17 am Category: Uncategorized

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