Turn off the spigot to federal tax dollars and kids will find a cheaper alternative for college

Two important articles today worth your time. The first is from the John William Pope Center for Higher Education Policy, the second is from the Heritage Foundation.

The Worst of Both Worlds: Thanks to federal student aid, college now costs much more, but students are learning much less

When the federal government’s major student aid programs began in 1965 (a big component of President Johnson’s “Great Society”) the theory behind them was simple: college improved students’ human capital, so by making it more affordable, those policies would benefit the entire nation. We would get a better educated and therefore more productive and innovative labor force.

Can Online Learning Reproduce the Full College Experience?

Online classes are becoming a common feature of higher education, and this has led some educators to explore whether all of the features associated with a college experience could be accomplished online.