Texas higher education faces a crisis in standards. Students receive higher grades now than ever before, even though studies show that too many students (36%) learn little during their four years invested in college. Yet, in spite of inflated grades and a diluted, intellectually aimless curriculum, nearly 40% of students at Texas’ public four-year colleges fail to graduate within six years of enrollment. The fact that the higher education establishment now focuses on six-year rather than four-year graduation rates is another troubling sign.
Higher Education Subsidization: Why and How Should We Subsidize Higher Education?
We provide massive college subsidies at both the federal and state level. This paper explores the justifications for these college subsidies, subsidy design considerations, and evaluates the main subsidy programs to assess whether they are well-designed. Our evaluation discovers reasons to eliminate some subsidies and ways to improve other subsidies. Key points: Subsidies for higher...