A Collegial Post-Election Agenda for Higher Education
Stuart Nachbar
October 29, 2008
To date, weīve heard very little about higher education in this presidential race. Neither Senator Obama nor Senator McCain has proposed any bold changes to make college more accessible or affordable, nor to address the issue of military recruiting on campus. I would like to weigh in with a few suggestions. They might not sound as sexy as a $4,000 public service credit for public service, as Senator Obama has proposed, but they are equally important.
First is the need for a serious overhaul of student loan programs. Prior to the Gingrich Congress, elected in 1994, student lending was direct lending, meaning that the college evaluated financial need, and served as lender. They were also responsible for collecting the debt. Banks welcomed the switch to private management; the strongest could become preferred lenders and take the collection fees for themselves.
However, bankers crossed the line when they proposed to tie lending decisions to a private definition of a schoolīs quality and, paid incentives to college financial aid officers to maintain their preferred status. The government has the right to punish schools in a direct lending program—for poor collection rates—but it does not need to tie academic quality and lending together. Unaccredited institutions are already ineligible for financial aid programs.
A new president and Congress must give more consideration to the student borrower. This starts with an achievable goal: anyone who can earn an academic scholarship should be able to go to college, regardless of their familyīs income. An aid package should make that possible without leaving a graduating senior with a $50,000 debt. Borrowing limits need to be increased, combined with pressure on colleges to become more accountable to report on their spending and financial management practices. The goal needs to be that every student who starts school can finish, assuming sound academic progress.
There should also be a temporary "stimulus" for recent graduates in the form of a one year "grace period for repayment to allow more time to find employment and save money to begin repaying loans. When I was in college, I had nine months before I had to begin repaying student loans. During President Reaganīs administration, the grace period was shortened to six months. However, President Reagan never faced a national credit crisis like the country has today, nor could his team have ever forecasted the student debt crisis we have today. Or that parents would not be able to share responsibility for that debt with students.
Lastly, neither candidate has addressed the issue of military service in much depth, although Senator Obama has expressed support to repeal "donīt-ask, donīt-tell," and Senator McCain has been a long-time proponent of a strong national defense. A recent story in the Chronicle of Higher Education revealed that the Pentagon had requested funds for ROTC programs to produce 5,350 second lieutenants within the next three years, up from 4,300 today.
The armed forces need to fill that need through expansion of the ROTC programs on college campuses, including military science instruction at schools that do not offer it on-campus right now. The armed forces are already 200 short of their 2008 goal, and opposition to expansion of ROTC by college administrators has been tied to "donīt ask, donīt tell."
Thus, ROTC expansion should be granted, pending immediate repeal of "donīt ask, donīt tell." If U.S. corporations can include gay and lesbians within their executive leadership, with no downturn in morale, then so can the armed forces. Bill Clinton tried to repeal policies that prevented openly gay and lesbian soldiers from military service; the result was "donīt ask, donīt tell." But he did not use a carrot and stick approach to do it. ROTC is the right carrot for repeal.
I know that economic issues and the war in Iraq have taken center stage in this campaign. Thatīs no surprise, because they affect all of us. But the next president has the chance to reform higher education policies that are outdated and ineffective. The failed policies of not only the George W. Bush administration, but also previous presidents and Congress, must be overturned.
Contact Stuart Nachbar at http://www.EducatedQuest.com, a blog on education politics, policy and technology or read about his first book, The Sex Ed Chronicles, a novel on education and politics in 1980 New Jersey, at http://www.SexEdChronicles.com.
First is the need for a serious overhaul of student loan programs. Prior to the Gingrich Congress, elected in 1994, student lending was direct lending, meaning that the college evaluated financial need, and served as lender. They were also responsible for collecting the debt. Banks welcomed the switch to private management; the strongest could become preferred lenders and take the collection fees for themselves.
However, bankers crossed the line when they proposed to tie lending decisions to a private definition of a schoolīs quality and, paid incentives to college financial aid officers to maintain their preferred status. The government has the right to punish schools in a direct lending program—for poor collection rates—but it does not need to tie academic quality and lending together. Unaccredited institutions are already ineligible for financial aid programs.
A new president and Congress must give more consideration to the student borrower. This starts with an achievable goal: anyone who can earn an academic scholarship should be able to go to college, regardless of their familyīs income. An aid package should make that possible without leaving a graduating senior with a $50,000 debt. Borrowing limits need to be increased, combined with pressure on colleges to become more accountable to report on their spending and financial management practices. The goal needs to be that every student who starts school can finish, assuming sound academic progress.
There should also be a temporary "stimulus" for recent graduates in the form of a one year "grace period for repayment to allow more time to find employment and save money to begin repaying loans. When I was in college, I had nine months before I had to begin repaying student loans. During President Reaganīs administration, the grace period was shortened to six months. However, President Reagan never faced a national credit crisis like the country has today, nor could his team have ever forecasted the student debt crisis we have today. Or that parents would not be able to share responsibility for that debt with students.
Lastly, neither candidate has addressed the issue of military service in much depth, although Senator Obama has expressed support to repeal "donīt-ask, donīt-tell," and Senator McCain has been a long-time proponent of a strong national defense. A recent story in the Chronicle of Higher Education revealed that the Pentagon had requested funds for ROTC programs to produce 5,350 second lieutenants within the next three years, up from 4,300 today.
The armed forces need to fill that need through expansion of the ROTC programs on college campuses, including military science instruction at schools that do not offer it on-campus right now. The armed forces are already 200 short of their 2008 goal, and opposition to expansion of ROTC by college administrators has been tied to "donīt ask, donīt tell."
Thus, ROTC expansion should be granted, pending immediate repeal of "donīt ask, donīt tell." If U.S. corporations can include gay and lesbians within their executive leadership, with no downturn in morale, then so can the armed forces. Bill Clinton tried to repeal policies that prevented openly gay and lesbian soldiers from military service; the result was "donīt ask, donīt tell." But he did not use a carrot and stick approach to do it. ROTC is the right carrot for repeal.
I know that economic issues and the war in Iraq have taken center stage in this campaign. Thatīs no surprise, because they affect all of us. But the next president has the chance to reform higher education policies that are outdated and ineffective. The failed policies of not only the George W. Bush administration, but also previous presidents and Congress, must be overturned.
Contact Stuart Nachbar at http://www.EducatedQuest.com, a blog on education politics, policy and technology or read about his first book, The Sex Ed Chronicles, a novel on education and politics in 1980 New Jersey, at http://www.SexEdChronicles.com.
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