According to U.S. News and World Report, college tuition and fees at private national universities have increased 112% in the last 20 years. Public national universities didn’t fare much better, with a 107% increase in in-state tuition and a 98% increase in out-of-state tuition over the same period.
The numbers aren’t quite as shocking when adjusted for inflation, but remember: we’ve had sky-high inflation that masks the runaway costs of higher education. With increases like these, it’s no wonder federal student debt in the U.S. has reached approximately $1.81 trillion.
There are numerous variables driving these astronomical figures. A few examples are: 1) government involvement, 2) increasing administration, 3) elaborate infrastructure and services, 4) extracurricular activities, 5) degree requirement inflation, and 6) time required to earn degrees. Keep in mind, these are only a few highlights and not an exhaustive list. Various public funding programs, such as the post-World War II G.I. Bill and federally backed student aid, have changed the landscape of higher education. The major influx of public funding has also enabled runaway non-faculty member organization charts and increased resources dedicated to non-classroom learning. It’s aided in the construction of larger, more elaborate buildings and a campus experience that provides anything a student could dream of. But this high standard of living comes at a significant price. So too do extracurricular activities, when one- or two-income-generating programs are expected to cover elective and government-mandated activities that hemorrhage money. Similarly, constant degree inflation that requires students to earn a doctorate or master’s degree to get an entry-level job that only required a bachelor’s degree a few years ago is absurd.
These topics all need to be addressed, but they’re far too much to cover in a short article. Instead, we’ll tackle the last item: how long it takes to earn degrees. Of the list above, this enormous waste of resources can quickly be corrected here at home. That’s because the Alabama taxpayer is paying twice for the same liberal arts education without knowing it. Allow me to explain.
Our higher education system originated in the British colonial colleges, but, like many things we inherited from across the pond, higher education has changed a great deal since 1776. The classical liberal arts and religious emphasis of the colonial colleges evolved as the Industrial Revolution required vast amounts of scientific and technical knowledge. But, despite a rapidly advancing economy that needed more than philosophy majors, the United States' higher education system held fast to a liberal arts foundation for undergraduate degrees. This was a poor decision when one considers that American high school students on college preparatory tracks are already receiving a taxpayer-funded liberal arts education in high school.
When one examines the British system of today, it’s especially apparent that American colleges and universities endeavor to keep students in school as long as possible. You see, a four-year degree is not actually a four-year degree outside of the United States. When students enter a university in the United Kingdom, they’ve already completed their liberal arts education during their comparative high school programs. That means a bachelor’s degree in the United Kingdom is three years instead of four. And, in this shorter period, students receive an additional year of education in their discipline. Thus, since they already received an extra year of field-specific education, master’s degrees are only one year, not two, like in the United States. There’s also an option to earn a master’s degree through research if students prefer. Similarly, the full-time study required for a doctorate is three years via research. Although it can take longer when adding scheduling, rewrites, and the defense -- yes, it’s still an actual academic sparring match with an internal and external examiner called a viva in the United Kingdom. Another difference is that the British Ph.D. candidate no longer pays tuition during this final evaluation and rewrite period. By comparison, ask a few American Ph.D. candidates how long they’ve spent in school and how much money they’ve spent.
Nevertheless, there are ways to speed up the higher learning process and save money in the United States. If American high school students sign up for Advanced Placement courses, they can receive college credits for classes they’ve already taken. Additionally, Alabama has a dual enrollment program for high school juniors and seniors that allows them to take one college course per semester and earn both high school and college credit.
Dual enrollment is a fantastic start, but Alabama could lead the nation in combating out-of-control higher education tuition costs and redundant time in school for students by expanding this program. If the goal for college-bound Alabama students was to graduate high school with their high school diploma and an associate’s degree, lawmakers could save the Alabama taxpayer from paying twice for liberal arts education and cut the time in half that undergraduate students need to be in college and out of the workforce. All and all, there are fewer requirements to teach a college course than there are to teach in a high school. Thus, if high school teachers were required to have a master’s degree, they’d be qualified to simultaneously serve as adjunct faculty at an institution that’s already participating in the dual enrollment program. In such a scenario, high school students wouldn’t have to leave their high school to attend classes.
Ultimately, expanding the dual-enrollment program is a low-cost, minimal public policy change that could benefit Alabama students and taxpayers. Unfortunately, while it would be beneficial for the United States to eventually adopt the United Kingdom's degree timelines, that’s a federal, not a state, issue.
Dr. Tobias Vogt von Heselholt (shortened to “Vote”) is a retired U.S. Army officer, former professor, author, and elected member of the Alabama Republican Executive Committee. For more, see his author page at Amazon.
The views and opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the policy or position of 1819 News. To comment, please send an email with your name and contact information to [email protected].
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