College Affordability: The Wolf in Sheep's Clothing

Inside Higher Education
Monday, January 12, 2009

By Anthony P. Carnevale

The honorable political pledge to “make college affordable” becomes a wolf in sheep’s clothing during a recession.  And the wolf is at the door.

In tough times like these, the tragic flaw in policies to “make college affordable” is that they tend to focus disproportionately on reducing tuition rates rather than increasing public investments.  At best, the current focus on tuition brings cosmetic changes in college sticker prices and fleeting improvements in access.  At worst, it is a self-defeating tactic that provides a temporary refuge from public frustration over access and affordability.  But the public frustration eventually returns because suppressing tuition only conceals the deeper gap between public investment in — and public demand for — postsecondary education and training.  Click here to read more.