Congress Recycles Higher Ed Myths

Currently, the the States Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, too Pensions is asset a serial of hearings inward anticipation of the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act.  The primary underlying subject appears to last that the Democrats desire to regulate the for-profit colleges too produce something well-nigh pupil debt, piece the Republicans would similar to deregulate higher pedagogy too assist the “free market” expand its reaches into world higher education.  In a recent hearing on pupil debt, this polarized discourse was mediated yesteryear a bipartisan laid of misconceptions regarding the costs of higher education. 

During his opening statement, ranking Republican member, Lamar Alexander laid the phase yesteryear tilt that since the average toll for community college was well-nigh $3,000 too students have over $4,000 inward aid, some of the coin must last going to other things.  In fact, Alexander’s ain press expose entitled, "College More Affordable than Most Students Think,” argues that, “The average community college pupil inward America is receiving well-nigh $1,500 to a greater extent than inward grants too scholarships than it costs inward tuition too fees” The work alongside Alexander’s declaration is that he fails to accept into concern human relationship the amount toll of pedagogy (tuition, fees, room, board, books, too living expenses), too and thus he tin flame pretend that at that spot is no ground for students to borrow, too if they are borrowing, it is for personal pleasure.

According to Alexander, “An Inspector General’s study from the US Department of Education warns that some students borrow excessively for personal expenses non related to their education.”  However, it is clear that students necessitate a house to alive too they possess got to purchase books for their classes, too and thus these non-educational expenses are genuinely the primary crusade for pupil debt.  The the States Department of Education reports that the amount annual toll of attendance for a full-time community college pupil is  $13,237, too thus if students are receiving on average $4,500 inward grant funding, they are notwithstanding on the claw for around $9,000 per year. 

Apparently, non exclusively Alexander fails to sympathise the divergence betwixt the toll of tuition too the amount toll of attendance, but besides James W. Runcie , Chief Operating Officer of Federal Student Aid of the Department of Education, does non sympathise why students borrow coin to teach to college.  In answer to Alexander’s inquiry well-nigh why students are taking out to a greater extent than coin than they need, Runcie, (at infinitesimal 50) but says that this is a concern, too the subdivision is looking into possible cases of fraud or abuse.  The underlying message Alexander too others are circulating is college students are going into debt because they are borrowing coin to pass on leisure items similar fancy cars too clothing. 

This failure to sympathise the truthful toll of aid college is besides shaping several recent proposals to brand community college freeto students inward Tennessee, Mississippi, too Oregon.  All of these states are exclusively discussing making tuition free, but most lower- too lower-middle-income students already possess got their tuition covered yesteryear acre too federal grants.  This way that exclusively upper-income students volition have the novel break, too these tuition-free programs may halt upward cutting additional funding to the non-wealthy students who necessitate assist to pay for the non-tuition aspects of the amount toll of attendance.   Once again, a progressive sounding policy turns out to last welfare for the wealthy equally the non-wealthy hold to teach stuck alongside the bill. 

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