Speaking before an audience at the University of Michigan, President Obama said it was time to rein in the cost of a college degree. The president even went so far as to suggest tying federal aid to universities, such as Pell Grants, to a school’s ability to keep its costs down. Needless to say, if I may mix religious and rural metaphors, once you tip the sacred cow, people get panicked.

It is impossible not to raise tuition, we are told, especially with states cutting back on what they’re giving to higher ed. Maybe that’s true; maybe it’s not. I would suggest we look at the schools not dependent on state funding (but still often very dependent on various forms of federal monies for higher ed, whether in the form of research funding or student grants and loans) to see whether or not it is possible to re-imagine higher ed. Indeed, it is time for all  colleges and universities to…

Read More