The Edvocate

Top Menu

Main Menu

  • Start Here
    • Our Brands
    • Governance
      • Lynch Educational Consulting
      • Dr. Lynch’s Personal Website
      • Careers
    • Write For Us
    • Books
    • The Tech Edvocate Product Guide
    • Contact Us
    • The Edvocate Podcast
    • Edupedia
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
  • PreK-12
    • Assessment
    • Assistive Technology
    • Child Development
    • Classroom Management
    • Early Childhood
    • EdTech & Innovation
    • Education Leadership
    • Equity
    • First Year Teachers
    • Gifted and Talented Education
    • Parental Involvement
    • Policy & Reform
    • Special Education
    • Teachers
  • Higher Ed
    • Best Colleges and Universities
    • Best College and University Programs
    • Diversity
    • HBCU’s
    • Higher Education
    • Higher Education EdTech
    • International Education
  • Advertise
  • The Tech Edvocate Awards
    • The Awards Process
    • Finalists and Winners of The 2022 Tech Edvocate Awards
      • Finalists and Winners of The 2021 Tech Edvocate Awards
      • Finalists and Winners of The 2020 Tech Edvocate Awards
      • Finalists and Winners of The 2019 Tech Edvocate Awards
      • Finalists and Winners of The 2018 Tech Edvocate Awards
      • Finalists and Winners of The 2017 Tech Edvocate Awards
    • Award Seals
  • Apps
    • GPA Calculator for College
    • GPA Calculator for High School
    • Cumulative GPA Calculator
    • Grade Calculator
    • Weighted Grade Calculator
    • Final Grade Calculator
  • The Tech Edvocate
  • Pedagogue
  • P-20 Ed Careers

logo

The Edvocate

  • Start Here
    • Our Brands
    • Governance
      • Lynch Educational Consulting
      • Dr. Lynch’s Personal Website
        • My Speaking Page
      • Careers
    • Write For Us
    • Books
    • The Tech Edvocate Product Guide
    • Contact Us
    • The Edvocate Podcast
    • Edupedia
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
  • PreK-12
    • Assessment
    • Assistive Technology
    • Child Development
    • Classroom Management
    • Early Childhood
    • EdTech & Innovation
    • Education Leadership
    • Equity
    • First Year Teachers
    • Gifted and Talented Education
    • Parental Involvement
    • Policy & Reform
    • Special Education
    • Teachers
  • Higher Ed
    • Best Colleges and Universities
    • Best College and University Programs
    • Diversity
    • HBCU’s
    • Higher Education
    • Higher Education EdTech
    • International Education
  • Advertise
  • The Tech Edvocate Awards
    • The Awards Process
    • Finalists and Winners of The 2022 Tech Edvocate Awards
      • Finalists and Winners of The 2021 Tech Edvocate Awards
      • Finalists and Winners of The 2020 Tech Edvocate Awards
      • Finalists and Winners of The 2019 Tech Edvocate Awards
      • Finalists and Winners of The 2018 Tech Edvocate Awards
      • Finalists and Winners of The 2017 Tech Edvocate Awards
    • Award Seals
  • Apps
    • GPA Calculator for College
    • GPA Calculator for High School
    • Cumulative GPA Calculator
    • Grade Calculator
    • Weighted Grade Calculator
    • Final Grade Calculator
  • The Tech Edvocate
  • Pedagogue
  • P-20 Ed Careers
  • Authoritarian Parenting Style: Everything You Need to Know

  • Why Do We Pay So Much For Education?

  • Getting Students Back Academic Track with Credit Recovery

  • Why Video is a Crucial Teaching Element for the Flipped Classroom

  • Learning Loss and Ebbinghaus’s Forgetting Curve

  • Implementing Education Tech by Pursuing Tech Education

  • Continuously Growing as a Tech-Savvy Educator

  • Why Should You Pursue a History Degree?

  • 4 Reasons Why Edtech Startups Fail

  • Continuously Growing as a Tech-Savvy Education Administrator

Education News
Home›Education News›Clinton’s debt-free college comes with a price tag

Clinton’s debt-free college comes with a price tag

By Matthew Lynch
January 21, 2016
1963
0
Spread the love

Donald E. Heller, Michigan State University

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton recently released a major policy paper to address the hot topic of college affordability. Her “New College Compact” is an attempt to gain recognition as the candidate who will stand up for college students and their families.

While there is much to like in her proposal, both from the perspective of those paying for college as well as those on the receiving end of those payments, there are some major problems that will likely render it as unrealistic and unattainable.

For over two decades I have conducted research on college costs and finance, and worked with policymakers in Washington as well as in state capitols to craft programs to help make a postsecondary education more affordable for American students.

American presidential campaigns are famous for bold and innovative pronouncements. For the winner of the contest, however, the reality of having to govern, often in conjunction with at least one if not both houses of Congress under the control of the opposing party, causes the former candidate to become more pragmatic and measured in what is actually introduced in legislation.

Many a grand idea from the campaign is lost between the election and the stroll down Pennsylvania Avenue following the inauguration.

Where the money will come from

Clinton’s set of proposals to address the affordability of college has at its core a key feature: pumping more taxpayer money into the system. And she has put US$350 billion (over 10 years) on the table to do this, a sum that would double the current investment in the federal Pell Grant program, the largest federal grant program for students. This would be an unprecedented rate of growth in federal spending for higher education.

More than half of the total sum, according to the Clinton plan, would come in the form of direct grants to states and students. The money given to the states would be to help control the growth in tuition prices at public colleges and universities, which have skyrocketed in recent years, especially during the recession.

In 10 years, college tuition increased by 42%.
TaxCredits.net, CC BY

Data from the College Board’s Trends in Student Pricing report show that in the ten years from 2004 to 2014, the sticker (non-discounted) price of tuition at the average public, four-year university rose 42% in real dollars, ie, after discounting for inflation. Community college prices grew 28% during this period.

Net prices, or the price students paid after subtracting grant aid, grew less rapidly, as the federal government and many institutions stepped forward with increased scholarship aid. But since incomes have stagnated for most American families, college has still become much less affordable.

Here’s what experience tells us

The idea of using federal funding to leverage state behavior is not new.

The 2008 Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA), which reauthorized the Higher Education Act of 1965, included a “maintenance of effort” provision which required states to maintain certain thresholds of their own spending on colleges and universities in order to qualify for additional federal funding for higher education.

Most observers believe that this stipulation was only partially successful, with whatever success that was achieved attributed to the federal government’s awarding of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds to states. ARRA funds were designed to help states maintain funding for critical needs, including K-12 and higher education, during the depths of the recession.

Once the ARRA program ended in 2012, state appropriations for colleges and universities dwindled. Funding in 2013 was almost 10% below the level in 2009. On a per-student basis, funding dropped even more precipitously, as the combination of the loss of ARRA funds and continued stagnation in state revenues.

The experience with the HEOA shows us that federal funds can be used to supplement state investment in higher education, but only as long as those dollars from Washington continue to flow.

If that spigot is turned off, it is likely that public colleges and universities will once again see their revenues from tax dollars reduced.

What’s the cost of more federal dollars?

States and their higher education institutions must also realize that a large expansion in federal dollars will come at a cost; no better example of this can be found than what occurred with passage of No Child Left Behind (NCLB).

This landmark act passed during the first administration of President George W Bush (and whose policies were largely continued by President Obama) greatly increased the federal role in K-12 education as a requirement for accepting federal dollars. States were required to create new, broad-based school accountability plans focused around testing of all students in grades three through eight.

The question is, are the states willing to participate in a similar quid pro quo in return for Clinton’s proposed large-scale expansion of federal funding for higher education?

Given their experience with NCLB, I suspect most states will tread cautiously before agreeing to this bargain. They learned with NCLB that the value of getting federal money is often outweighed by the requirements that accompany those dollars.

No matter who controls the next Congress, Democrats or Republicans, a newly-elected President would have a Sisyphean battle to get these policies through Capitol Hill.

If elected, Clinton’s proposed mechanism for paying for this new funding, by eliminating or reducing tax credits and deductions for wealthy Americans, would also face fierce opposition from both sides of the aisle.

Nevertheless, by being out early with a splashy proposal on a topic of importance in the public sphere, she has likely forced her opponents to address the issue of college affordability as well.

The Conversation

Donald E. Heller, Dean, College of Education, , Michigan State University

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.

Check out all of our posts on Hillary Clinton here.

Previous Article

Confessions of a MOOC professor: three things ...

Next Article

Explainer: why transgender students need “safe” bathrooms

Matthew Lynch

Related articles More from author

  • Education News

    Chicago State University set to close May 1st

    April 27, 2016
    By Matthew Lynch
  • Education News

    Maryland’s income tax holding only adds to school funding woes

    May 29, 2015
    By Matthew Lynch
  • Education News

    HBCUs get new money in latest spending bill

    January 12, 2016
    By Matthew Lynch
  • Education News

    ASHE receives grant for collaboration

    February 18, 2015
    By Matthew Lynch
  • Education News

    C.A. lawmakers pass bill to protect student online records

    September 8, 2014
    By Matthew Lynch
  • Education NewsInternational Education

    Keeping girls at school may reduce teenage pregnancy and STIs – but sex education doesn’t

    December 6, 2016
    By Matthew Lynch

Leave a reply Cancel reply

  • Artificial Intelligence

    The Difference Between AI, Machine Learning And Digital Assistants

  • Artificial Intelligence

    AI Has Started a Revolution in Education

  • Artificial Intelligence

    In a World of Artificial Intelligence, Where Does Emotional Intelligence Fit In?

Search

Registration and Login

  • Register
  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.org

Newsletter

Signup for The Edvocate Newsletter and have the latest in P-20 education news and opinion delivered to your email address!

Subscribe to The Edvocate Podcast

Apple PodcastsGoogle PodcastsAndroidby EmailRSS
  • Recent

  • Popular

  • Comments

  • Authoritarian Parenting Style: Everything You Need to Know

    By Matthew Lynch
    June 30, 2022
  • Why Do We Pay So Much For Education?

    By Matthew Lynch
    June 30, 2022
  • Getting Students Back Academic Track with Credit Recovery

    By Matthew Lynch
    June 29, 2022
  • Why Video is a Crucial Teaching Element for the Flipped Classroom

    By Matthew Lynch
    June 29, 2022
  • Learning Loss and Ebbinghaus’s Forgetting Curve

    By Matthew Lynch
    June 29, 2022
  • 18 Reasons the U.S. Education System is Failing

    By Matthew Lynch
    April 3, 2017
  • The Top 5 Unexpected Benefits of Early Childhood Education

    By Matthew Lynch
    February 29, 2016
  • 7 Benefits of STEM Education

    By Matthew Lynch
    January 12, 2019
  • What is Culturally Responsive Pedagogy?

    By Matthew Lynch
    April 21, 2016
  • pass or fail

    Black Boys in Crisis: Why Aren’t They Reading?

    By Matthew Lynch
    January 16, 2017
  • Reading Fluency – Educators For You
    on
    June 30, 2022

    Reading Fluency Building Apps, Tools, and Resources That We Love

    […] Try these fluency ...
  • The Top Streaming Trends for 2022 - BingedNow
    on
    June 30, 2022

    Advantages Of Streaming In Schools

    […] also gives educators ...
  • The Top Streaming Trends for 2022 - Telegraph Star
    on
    June 29, 2022

    Advantages Of Streaming In Schools

    […] also gives educators ...
  • Pros and Cons of Live Streaming Education
    on
    June 27, 2022

    Advantages Of Streaming In Schools

    […] live streaming can ...
  • Giving Unto God What Is Ceasar’s: Carson Vs. Makin
    on
    June 27, 2022

    Pass or Fail: Horace Mann – An American Public School Pioneer

    […] of American schools ...

Ask an Expert

  • Ask An Expert

    How Dumbed Down Education Is Creating a National Security Crisis

    Spread the loveFor the past few decades, our country’s educational system has seen both struggle and tremendous change. With the various ailments plaguing our educational system, education reforms have attempted ...
  • Ask An Expert

    21 Inspirational Quotes That Nelson Mandela Made About Education

    Spread the loveWe all have our heroes. Those human beings that seem larger than life and almost achieve Godlike status. One of my heroes is the late-great Nelson Mandela, who ...
  • Ask An ExpertAssistive TechnologyCareer ReadinessChild Development TechClassroom ManagementDigital & Mobile TechnologyDigital LeadershipDisabilitiesDiversityEarly ChildhoodEarly Childhood & K-12 EdTechEdTech & InnovationEducation LeadershipElementary EducationElementary SchoolEquityFirst Year TeachersFreshHigh SchoolK-12Middle SchoolModern ParentingParent & Family TechParental InvolvementParentingPersonalized LearningPodcastPolicy & ReformPreK-12Special EducationSTEMTeacher EducationTeachers

    The Edvocate Podcast, Episode 7: How Digital Age Teachers Can Win Over Parents

    Spread the loveEducation is a collaborative process, as it takes many stakeholders working in unison to help students succeed academically. One of the most integral parts of this collaborative team ...
  • Ask An ExpertAssessmentAssistive TechnologyBlack Boys in CrisisChild Development TechClassroom ManagementDigital & Mobile TechnologyDigital LeadershipDisabilitiesEarly ChildhoodEarly Childhood & K-12 EdTechEdTech & InnovationEdTech Policy & ReformEducation LeadershipElementary EducationElementary SchoolEquityFeaturedFirst Year TeachersFreshGamificationGifted and Talented EducationHBCU'sHigh SchoolHigher EducationK-12Online Learning & eLearningOpEducationPersonalized LearningPodcastPolicy & ReformRetention & Social Promotion SeriesSpecial EducationSTEMTeacher EducationTeachersTesting

    The Edvocate Podcast, Episode 6: 8 Ways That Digital Age Teachers Avoid Burning Out

    Spread the loveBeing a teacher is a tough job. So much so, many new teachers end up leaving the field within their first three years. To ensure that the next ...
  • Ask An ExpertAssessmentAssistive TechnologyBlack Boys in CrisisBullyingChild DevelopmentChild Development TechClassroom ManagementCurrent Ed NewsDigital LeadershipEarly ChildhoodEarly Childhood & K-12 EdTechEdTech & InnovationEdTech Policy & ReformEdTech Startups & BusinessesEducation LeadershipEquityFeaturedFirst Year TeachersFreshGamificationGifted and Talented EducationHBCU'sHigh SchoolHigher EducationHigher Education EdTechK-12Matthew LynchModern ParentingOnline Learning & eLearningOpEducationPersonalized LearningPodcastPolicy & ReformRetention & Social Promotion SeriesSpecial EducationSTEMTeacher EducationTeachersTestingYear-Round Schooling

    The Edvocate Podcast, Episode 5: The Archetype of a Great Teacher

    Spread the loveOne of the questions that I am frequently asked is, what does a good teacher look like? I respond by mentioning my 10th-grade Biology teacher, Mrs. Minor, and ...

International Education

  • Education FoundationsInternational Education

    4 Reasons You Should Study Geography

    Spread the loveUsually, people are under the wrong impression that geography does not offer many job opportunities, and there are no jobs for a geographer. They think that studying geography ...
  • International Education

    How International Baccalaureate (IB) Programs Work

    Spread the loveThe International Baccalaureate Program is a very intensive pre-college program in which when students get involved, they get college credit. Unlike most other learning initiatives, this program deeply ...
  • International Education

    Globalization: Everything You Need to Know

    Spread the loveGlobalization is the growing interconnectedness of countries around the world. It involves increasing communication and various forms of interaction between people of different nations, ethnicities and cultures. There ...
  • AssessmentEducation LeadershipHigher EducationInternational EducationProfessional DevelopmentTeachers

    So You Want to Attend Graduate School: The 411 on Grad School Admissions Tests

    Spread the loveApplying for admission to professional and graduate schools is no less competitive than college/undergraduate admissions. If you’re planning to pursue a degree in business, law, medicine, or graduate ...
  • Higher EducationInternational Education

    What Extracurricular Activities Impress Colleges the Most?

    Spread the loveWhen you apply to schools that offer holistic admissions or apply to a college using the Common Application, you will have to describe your participation in extracurricular activities. ...

Early Childhood Education

  • Early Childhood

    18 Alphabet Videos to Help Kids Learn Their A.B.C.s

    Spread the loveIs anything more important in a young student’s life than learning their A.B.C.s? These alphabet videos help reinforce the letters and their sounds in a fun and engaging ...
  • Early Childhood

    16 Clean Up Songs for Kids

    Spread the loveCleaning up is a real drag, so We’ve put together this list of catchy clean-up songs for kids! Clean Up the Room https://youtu.be/GfTT8WBL3nM  Clean Up Song for Children ...
  • Early Childhood

    15 Fun Phonics Songs for Kids

    Spread the loveIn need of fun phonics songs for your students. Check out ou list? Alphabet Song https://youtu.be/R2frjzrC5Jg  The A.B.C. Song for Kids https://youtu.be/nKYCy4ZNBpU  Alphabet PE Exercise Song https://youtu.be/O6DgdjvbIyQ  CVC ...
  • Early Childhood

    25 Second Grade Jokes to Begin The Day

    Spread the loveAre your second graders in need of a laugh? Here’s a list of 25 fun second-grade jokes to keep the day rolling! Which letter has the most water? ...
  • Early Childhood

    25 Funny Thanksgiving Jokes for Kids

    Spread the loveIn need of some Thanksgiving jokes for your students? Calm the excitement with some belly laughs, and one of our favorite corny Thanksgiving jokes for kids. Why did ...

Gifted and Talented Education

  • Gifted and Talented Education

    Twice-Exceptional: What Does it Mean?

    Spread the loveTo be twice-exceptional is to be exceptionally gifted in some academic aspects while being below average compared to peers in other aspects. As a matter of fact, such ...
  • Gifted and Talented Education

    A Guide to Talent Search Programs

    Spread the loveThe Talent Search Initiative has as its aim; the identification of high-performing students by organizing specific tests. Different avenues are then provided for these students to channel their ...
  • Gifted and Talented EducationK-12

    Homogeneous Grouping: What You Need to Know

    Spread the loveThis term refers to the grouping of students by mental capability, aptitude, or hobbies. For instance, gifted students are placed in one group, and students with special needs ...
  • Gifted and Talented Education

    Cluster Grouping: What You Need to Know

    Spread the loveThis term describes a manner of classifying gifted students to place them in properly segmented classrooms. For example, about five to seven extremely bright pupils with comparable skill ...
  • Gifted and Talented EducationHigher Education

    Merit Scholarships: Everything Your Need to Know

    Spread the loveThese are monetary gifts awarded by institutions to superbly gifted students, who have set themselves apart by their exceptional performance in schoolwork, regardless of whether they require the ...

Black Boys in Crisis Series

  • Black Boys in Crisis

    The Importance of Mentoring Young African-American Males

    Spread the loveTeachers need to realize that at home, in their neighborhoods, and in school, many students face difficulties that can interfere with learning. Compared to their middle-class counterparts, it ...
  • Black Boys in CrisisDiversityEquity

    7 Ways That Black Students are Discriminated Against in U.S K-12 Schools

    Spread the loveAfrican Africans have a long history of being mistreated in the United States, starting with slavery. It should come as no surprise that their children face the same ...
  • Ask An ExpertAssessmentAssistive TechnologyBlack Boys in CrisisChild Development TechClassroom ManagementDigital & Mobile TechnologyDigital LeadershipDisabilitiesEarly ChildhoodEarly Childhood & K-12 EdTechEdTech & InnovationEdTech Policy & ReformEducation LeadershipElementary EducationElementary SchoolEquityFeaturedFirst Year TeachersFreshGamificationGifted and Talented EducationHBCU'sHigh SchoolHigher EducationK-12Online Learning & eLearningOpEducationPersonalized LearningPodcastPolicy & ReformRetention & Social Promotion SeriesSpecial EducationSTEMTeacher EducationTeachersTesting

    The Edvocate Podcast, Episode 6: 8 Ways That Digital Age Teachers Avoid Burning Out

    Spread the loveBeing a teacher is a tough job. So much so, many new teachers end up leaving the field within their first three years. To ensure that the next ...
  • Ask An ExpertAssessmentAssistive TechnologyBlack Boys in CrisisBullyingChild DevelopmentChild Development TechClassroom ManagementCurrent Ed NewsDigital LeadershipEarly ChildhoodEarly Childhood & K-12 EdTechEdTech & InnovationEdTech Policy & ReformEdTech Startups & BusinessesEducation LeadershipEquityFeaturedFirst Year TeachersFreshGamificationGifted and Talented EducationHBCU'sHigh SchoolHigher EducationHigher Education EdTechK-12Matthew LynchModern ParentingOnline Learning & eLearningOpEducationPersonalized LearningPodcastPolicy & ReformRetention & Social Promotion SeriesSpecial EducationSTEMTeacher EducationTeachersTestingYear-Round Schooling

    The Edvocate Podcast, Episode 5: The Archetype of a Great Teacher

    Spread the loveOne of the questions that I am frequently asked is, what does a good teacher look like? I respond by mentioning my 10th-grade Biology teacher, Mrs. Minor, and ...
  • Ask An ExpertAssistive TechnologyBlack Boys in CrisisBullyingChild DevelopmentChild Development TechClassroom ManagementDisabilitiesDiversityEarly ChildhoodEarly Childhood & K-12 EdTechEdTech & InnovationEdTech Policy & ReformEducation LeadershipElementary EducationElementary SchoolEquityFeaturedFirst Year TeachersFreshGifted and Talented EducationHigh SchoolHigher EducationHigher Education EdTechK-12Middle SchoolModern ParentingOnline Learning & eLearningParent & Family TechParentingPersonalized LearningPodcastPolicy & ReformSecondary EducationSTEMTeacher EducationTeachersTesting

    The Edvocate Podcast, Episode 4: How to Create a Culturally Responsive Classroom

    Spread the loveBuilding a culturally responsive classroom is hard. To help you along your journey, here is your guide to exploring and respecting the cultural backgrounds of your students while ...

RSS Matthew on Education Week

  • Au Revoir from Education Futures November 20, 2018 Matthew Lynch
  • 6 Steps to Data-Driven Literacy Instruction October 17, 2018 Matthew Lynch
  • Four Keys to a Modern IT Approach in K-12 Schools October 2, 2018 Matthew Lynch
  • What's the Difference Between Burnout and Demoralization, and What Can Teachers Do About It? September 27, 2018 Matthew Lynch
  • Revisiting Using Edtech for Bullying and Suicide Prevention September 10, 2018 Matthew Lynch

About Us

The Edvocate was created in 2014 to argue for shifts in education policy and organization in order to enhance the quality of education and the opportunities for learning afforded to P-20 students in America. What we envisage may not be the most straightforward or the most conventional ideas. We call for a relatively radical and certainly quite comprehensive reorganization of America’s P-20 system.

That reorganization, though, and the underlying effort, will have much to do with reviving the American education system, and reviving a national love of learning.  The Edvocate plans to be one of key architects of this revival, as it continues to advocate for education reform, equity, and innovation.

Newsletter

Signup for The Edvocate Newsletter and have the latest in P-20 education news and opinion delivered to your email address!

Contact

The Edvocate
5322 Markel Road, Suite 104
Richmond, VA 23230
(601) 630-5238
[email protected]

Follow us

Copyright (c) 2022 Matthew Lynch. All rights reserved.