“People keep making the claim that the colleges somehow scammed the borrowers. I haven’t seen any evidence that they did any such thing. No colleges gave a guarantee that any student would miraculously become rich after attending their classes, etc.”
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You’re right. But, under the current system; easy student loan money, there’s little incentive for universities to improve their product, increase productivity and reduce cost. There are ever so vague signs of hope though. I read an article a few days ago that many universities because I’d declining applicants for their MBA programs are either shutting them down or switching to on-line programs. There are lots of things that could be done to reduce cost though; one that comes to mind is why is it necessary for elementary school teachers go through a four year college program? You got to be kidding me. A two year associate degree would do just fine for aspiring elementary school teachers to learn what necessary to teach at elementary school level. And, being an associate degree can be earned at most regional community colleges many could earn the degree while living at home, working part time, etc. like I said, there’s lots of things that “could” be done to reduce higher level education cost. Just have to blast through inertia, unions, etc.
First, again, pull the plug on any additional taxpayer funding of college. Period. Grants too. If states want to continue their state university systems, which they will. Then fine. As it is, anyone can easily go through the associate degree level just as you suggest—live at home, and then work and/or study part-time if you can’t manage doing them both full-time. Do it year round, and part-time doesn’t take any longer than the average graduating student takes for supposedly full-time study now anyway.
But even after an associate’s degree, most systems guarantee credit transfers and acceptance to their state college system, within which such students can continue on to a bachelor’s degree (or more) if necessary.
I’m okay with four years of college for elementary school teachers, but I would have states ditch their master’s in education requirements immediately and also purge education majors at the undergraduate level. Those ed schools are what have pulled our educational system down to the sorry level it is at today.
Glenn Reynolds at instapundit.com wrote a book about this years ago. Reynolds himself is a law professor in Tennessee.