Friday Interview: Government Fuels Higher Education 'Arms Race

Richard Vedder:

People of all political persuasions have identified significant problems plaguing the American system of higher education. President Obama outlined some reform ideas during a back-to-school tour of New York and Pennsylvania colleges. But Ohio University economist Richard Vedder, director of the Center for College Affordability and Productivity, believes the president's proposals fall short in some important ways. During a visit to the Triangle, Vedder discussed higher education challenges with Mitch Kokai for Carolina Journal Radio. (Click here to find a station near you or to learn about the weekly CJ Radio podcast.)

Kokai: We have heard quite a bit about this issue of what's wrong with higher ed, especially [when] the president made a big deal out of this. ... First of all, you think that some of his ideas made some sense.

Vedder: Yeah, the president said one or two very sensible things. He said we need more transparency in higher education. That is to say people should have better information about the decisions they make. I don't see how one could reasonably disagree with that. Indeed the federal government does have some data available that it could make available, such as earnings data on graduates. There's a decent argument that can be made that that should be provided. So that part of his remarks didn't bother me at all.

Posted by Jim Zellmer at January 8, 2014 12:21 AM
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