Graduation Cap on Cash

“If we don’t have climbing walls and sushi bars in our universities, does that make us un-American?”

So asked a panelist in a half-joking comment Thursday about the gravely misplaced priorities of higher education institutions. Five speakers, including Robert Shireman, the deputy undersecretary of Education for the federal administration, met at a discussion hosted by the Education Sector and Washington Monthly at George Washington University. In light of the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act (SAFRA) that is currently before congress, the panelists offered up specific strategies to improve the system with the goal of increasing affordability, graduation rates, and overall quality of education. (more…)