The article discusses the escalating costs of higher education, emphasizing the average annual expenses for full-time students and the burdens of student debt on families. It argues that simply cutting overhead or replacing faculty is not effective in reducing costs. Instead, it advocates for a shift to a three-year degree program, asserting that this approach not only lessens financial strain by reducing tuition by 25%, but also supports better educational outcomes by preventing stagnation among students.
Want to cut college costs by 25 percent? That is not a fantasy. Right now, we can reduce the cost of higher education by 25 percent by cutting the amount of time it takes to get a degree.
In higher education, we live with these numbers every day, and we have grown numb to what they mean to ordinary people. Make no mistake: These numbers are shocking. It is virtually impossible for middle- and working-class families to rustle up those kinds of assets, which is why college debt has skyrocketed.
You can cut all the overhead you want, or replace tenured faculty with poorly paid adjuncts, and you still won't move the needle. The only way to radically cut costs is to shorten the time to degree.
The benefits of three-year college are not just financial: This is the right move pedagogically and developmentally as well. College students should not do the same thing for four years.
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