Dive Brief:
- Amid skyrocketing tuition costs and increased pushes for affordability, it is college presidents themselves who are the most vocal dissenters of proposals to provide free college, according to the New Republic.
- Just as it was private hospital executives most vehemently opposing the idea of universal healthcare, it is presidents of private institutions — who say expanded choice will kill minority-serving and private institutions — who are most opposed to free tuition and student loan forgiveness plans proposed by Democrats.
- With falling state and federal appropriations, the problem may only get worse and more cumbersome for college leaders looking to find resources to reduce costs.
Dive Insight:
Families are becoming much smarter about college affordability and how to secure professional credentials through alternative means of education and training. This means that as college becomes less of a requirement in growing fields like public health, IT and manufacturing, colleges will have to find ways to offer these credentials at a comparative costs to non-higher education competitors.
Bootcamps, competency-based education and distance learning seem to be key strategies, but schools will also need to incorporate liberal arts training for leadership foundations and promote credentials as badging opportunities for educational add-ons.