US students drowning in tuition debt

[Buzz Clik]

19. Higher education has to be redefined. The debt is the result of states withdrawing funding.

Universities grew into research institutions as a direct result of the reward system as well as being able to afford to do so. States starting starving state-funded universities, and the upward spiral of costs to students began.

The new university paradigm will be totally different: the isolated school in moderate-sized communities will slowly dwindle in importance. The shift will be toward urban universities. Community colleges are exploding as are "third tier" instructional universities such as the directional schools in Florida (e.g., Central Florida and Southern Florida) at the expense of the old standby colleges. Staying with the Florida example, the impact of University of Florida is diminishing in that state, and they are losing national prominence.

Kids attending community colleges and the third tier schools get the education they need at a lower price.