A growing number of initiatives aimed at making higher education more accessible to more people may be the early fruits of a significant social movement arising out of concerns in America over widening levels of wealth inequality. The efforts are occurring at all levels of government and are predicated on the belief that greater educational attainment translates into greater economic stability.
The Obama administration has proposed free entry to community colleges and has embarked on a campaign to reform the management of student loans. On state and local levels, a variety of measures are underway to open the doors of higher education to more students. Some focus on costs, while others aim at helping public schools better prepare students for college entrance.
In the aggregate, they are positive and beneficial steps that are occurring within the larger context of a transitioning economy. While we have generally recovered from the 2008 recession, large numbers of people remain less well off than they were before the crash. Unemployment remains stubbornly above ideal levels while many employers in the burgeoning technology sector struggle to find qualified workers.
In recent months, politicians on both sides of the aisle have affirmed the importance of helping middle-class and working-class Americans out of the economic malaise. It’s good to see that rhetoric start to translate into meaningful policy, especially when aimed at improving access to higher education.
There is merit in the notion that community college should be universally accessible, but whether that should come as the result of sweeping federal fiat is another question. States are capable of addressing that need based on their own demographics and the capabilities of their educational institutions.
Tennessee, for example, is attracting attention for an ambitious program that offers full scholarships to students who qualify for entrance to community colleges but who are without the financial means to enroll on their own. The plan arises from concerns again tied to the larger context of a changing economy. Tennessee estimates that 55 percent of the state’s future jobs will require postsecondary degrees or certifications.
As for student loans, the situation is a mess, and efforts to help current loan holders better manage their obligations are worthwhile. But policy must be more forward-focused, working to ensure that for future generations, attaining a higher degree of education doesn’t require taking on long and burdensome debt.
When addressing issues of wealth equality and upward mobility, the government’s best role is to encourage equal opportunity among all citizens to acquire the education necessary to compete and prosper in a changing economy.