Like many people with more sense than money, I completed every single course I could at the local Junior College. When I went to university I only had to take a year and a half’s worth of classes because everything else transferred.
Strengthening the Junior College/Community College system would be a good bang for the buck in my opinion. Ours has EXCELLENT trade and tech classes in everything from diesel and electric car repair and maintenance to landscape architecture and public safety. In my case it let me learn drafting, welding, a bit of graphic arts and get not only my 2 year degree but lots of stuff for my 4 year degree out of the way at a lower cost.
The concept of 4-year college for everyone, combined with the entitlement mentality and the expectation of going to a prestige school makes no sense.
This article opens eyes. Sounds like there’s an education industrial complex at work. 4 year degrees take 5-6 years to complete, time that could be spent in the work force.
Then there’s the GED one should be able to take early and drop out of school if passed..
Last it’s the trimester system that should be applied to community colleges. No wasted summers for those that are serious about going to work in the trades.
These ideas have been posted before. Immature teenagers have the option of ‘parking’ their butts in a lecture hall while figuring out what they want to do later but it should not happen at taxpayer expense.
I’d go for tuition expenses paid for the top 10% of HS grads. They’ll end up pulling the wagon. Gets rid of the welfare serfs.