The passionate campus protests in California and elsewhere last week were a reminder for all of us who work in education that schools -- the people who work in them and the students who learn in them -- are a treasured investment. Decrying college fee increases and widespread budget cuts, the demonstrators especially highlighted the hardships that many families face in affording college, especially in this still-recovering economy.
Last week's demonstrations were also a reminder of why it is essential that Congress pass theStudent Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act (SAFRA), a landmark piece of legislation that addresses college affordability concerns through direct financial aid that cuts out middlemen bankers. Awaiting action by the Senate, SAFRA would expand aid for America's college-going students by billions of dollars, and would restructure our student aid programs to make them simpler, more efficient, and more reliable. The plan pays for these improvements by ending taxpayer subsidies to banks and moving our money to students. We cannot let this opportunity slip away.
But expanding financial aid is only half of the affordability equation; state leaders and college administrators must work to slow the growth of college costs. I am concerned that tuition and fees at public colleges and universities are set to spike even further as states continue to trim their budgets.
State governments generate less revenue in a recession. As state leaders struggle to make up for lost revenue, legislatures tend to cut funding for higher education. Colleges, in turn, answer these funding cuts with tuition hikes. Ultimately, states are resolving short-term crises by undermining long-term investment in future generations.
States should not balance their budgets on the backs of students. Instead, colleges should