(From The Evolution):
Thomas K. Lindsay
We have reached a point in this country where the issue of the affordability of college now transcends the usual gulf between Democrats and Republicans, the liberals and conservatives. Across the political and ideological spectrum — from President Barack Obama, a liberal Democrat, to Texas Governor Rick Perry, a conservative Republican — all are agreed the past quarter-century’s 440 percent jump in tuition nationwide cannot be sustained. No more sustainable, all agree, is the now $1 trillion-plus of debt students have amassed in an effort to keep pace with tuition inflation.
The question is what to do about it, that is, how to create highly-accessible, low-cost degree programs.
In the last two years, beginning in the Lone Star state, a movement has arisen to develop four-year degrees that cost no more than a total of $10,000, including not only tuition but also fees and books. First launched as a bully-pulpit challenge by Rick Perry in his 2011 State of the State Address, it has led to the creation of at least 13 such programs in Texas. Florida, Oklahoma and California have taken notice of the Texas initiative and are now pursuing something similar in their respective states. Just this week, I was contacted by a state representative in Oregon seeking guidance on how to carry the program there. READ MORE HERE