November 10, 2011 - Terry Morrow, a State Legislator and Professor at Gustavus Adolphus College joined us to talk about higher education.
Gustavus Professors and Alums
Easy access to higher education is one of the great hallmarks in this country. Studying at advanced centers of learning has been an important touchstone whether someone is a legacy student, attending on the GI Bill, or the first in their family to matriculate. College has also become a necessary path for those hoping to succeed at a career. While it’s not mandatory, having a degree is the fastest avenue for advancement that someone can have.
Over the past several decades, the university landscape has changed in variety of ways. The costs for tuition and books have increased nearly 500% in the past 25 years according to Bureau of Labor Statistics. This increase has caused total outstanding student loan debt to skyrocket to over 1 trillion dollars with an average graduate leaving school with $25,000 in debt. What has caused these costs to skyrocket and what can we do to change them?
We are facing many other issues as well. Projections indicate that we will have a shortage of graduates that meet future employment demands. How can we ensure that the first member of a family to attend college is able to afford it and prepared for the demands? Which areas can we affects and what is out of our reach?
What issues do you see faces college students in the future? If you are student, what are your greatest concerns?
Part 3 and 4 are currently unavailable.
