A recent survey by the College Savings Foundation found that one in four parents want the federal government to cap college costs. Neither candidate plans anything like that, or even smaller steps such as forcing schools to spend more from their endowments to hold down prices. That's a relief to colleges, which resent interference from Washington.The reasons why college prices are rising are complicated, and largely beyond the purview of the White House. Washington provides $86 billion annually in grants, loans and tax benefits to support students, but it's state budgets that mostly determine public colleges' list prices.
Critics say colleges share the blame, for failing to curtail their own spending. Families also bear some responsibility: While they gripe about rising prices, in the end, many still choose more costly schools. That could change in a prolonged economic downturn.
And there we have it, about the total depth of America's discussion on how to reduce the costs of college education. There is a culture of ignorance in our country about this issue, and even as one of the ignorant I realize that it's time I (and everyone else) get an education on the subject. I'm in the camp that the public college and university system is a grossly inefficient business system that cannot continue to be supported by continually increasing tuition and other costs, and that too many private colleges and universities are mired in branding additional value (and cost) rather than figuring out different and efficient models to expand educational reach. But I'm not married to that opinion, because...
I know I'm ignorant on the topic. I don't feel any less informed than most everyone else, though. I also have two kids that will be in college within a dozen years, and I'd like to hear a national conversation about what we want our country to do about postsecondary education and the values and costs of it. I'd like it to be a focus of the next four years, an effort to start working at a consensus of how our nation expects the college and university system to work in the future - what rewards our society expects, what value it provides, and therefore what kind of cost is reasonable.
I also am tired of the discussion of reducing price to college being so focused on scholarships and grants. That is not a true reduction of price, that is an enhancement to paying costs. Not the same thing, and there's a reason for the difference, and those reasons need to be part of the discussion as well.
So... I hope the next President finds some innovative ways to get the conversation really rolling on this topic. If people want things to change - really change - on this issue, then some radicalizing of the market needs to happen. This begins with a conversation about easy core questions - what are we trying to achieve as a nation with our postsecondary education, how do we measure success or failure with that system, what are the costs and benefits to America with the current system, what are the benefits needed tomorrow and how can we reach them - that have deep philosophical answers that need healthy consideration by the nation.