Benjamin Miller: All Publications, Events and Press

Taming the Tuition Beast

Ron Tang — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 12:47:00 -0400

It's not news that the cost of a college degree has risen significantly over the last couple of decades.

Since 1990, tuition and fees have risen by nearly 225 percent at four-year public colleges and by 154 percent at private four-year colleges. The real story is that tuition growth rates often fluctuate wildly from year to year -- which makes it hard for families to plan ahead and budget enough to cover the costs.

Last year, students at Villanova faced an unexpected tuition and fee increase that was double the previous year's.

Students entering Penn State in 2002 had no way of knowing… more

Turning up the Heat on Endowments

Education Policy — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 18:08:00 -0500

As the old adage goes, you reap what you sow. For many years colleges and university endowments, which receive very advantageous government tax breaks, have grown at extraordinary rates. Now, two high-powered senators are starting to ask questions about just what these wealthy institutions have been doing with their funds. While we applaud Congress’ efforts, we are afraid that too much of a focus by the Senators on tuition, rather than low-income student access, could lead to more improperly tilted financial aid policies — and an increasingly bifurcated educational system.

What prompted this latest attention to school wealth… more

A Wobbly Stool

Education Policy — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 16:34:00 -0500

The House version of legislation to reauthorize the Higher Education Act contains language that proposes to change how student loan defaults are calculated, a move that could have serious implications for schools and students’ access to federal student aid. This is a welcome change to the current shaky three-part system of accountability that fails to provide good information about the absolute and relative quality of a school’s education.

The Current System

The absence of national examinations leaves only three things with enough teeth to effectively judge colleges that are not meeting… more

Baby Carrots and Twigs

Education Policy — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 15:05:00 -0500

Yesterday, a key Congressional education committee took a groundbreaking albeit modest step on a top flight concern of parents and students — ever escalating college tuition.

For years, the federal government’s main role in higher education finance has been to bankroll student aid and research. Although there are exceptions, federal funds have come with few strings attached for colleges and universities. In the form of the College Opportunity and Affordability Act, the House education committee aims to take an important step toward changing this paradigm by using both carrots and sticks to get colleges to keep their tuition either… more

A Way to Increase Socioeconomic Diversity at Elite Colleges

Education Policy — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 15:58:00 -0400

The Senate Finance Committee appears to be moving forward with a proposal that would require wealthy colleges and universities to spend a minimum percentage of their endowments each year — a move which we at Higher Ed Watch strongly support. Private foundations, like the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for example, are required by law to spend at least five percent of the value of their endowments each year, but colleges are exempt from such a mandate. As a result, with the help of the Internal Revenue Code, institutions of higher education can legally… more

Making Wealth Work

Education Policy — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 04:12:00 -0400

Last week, we discussed the paucity of low-income students at the country's wealthiest colleges and universities. We offered a proposal that would require the richest private colleges to devote a portion of their yearly endowment income to help increase the socioeconomic diversity of their students. Some might argue that there aren't enough qualified underprivileged students to meet such a goal. But as the experience of one top college shows, economic diversity is achievable — so long as colleges are willing to make the effort.

Smith College, a private women’s college located in Northampton, Mass., has by far the… more

Nelnet's Friend with Benefits

Education Policy — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 21:18:00 -0400

Nebraska Attorney General Jon Bruning is a forgiving man — at least when it comes to those who are helping finance his planned campaign for the United States Senate, like his good friends at the student loan company Nelnet.

As The New York Times first reported, Bruning is allowing Nelnet to renege on a $1 million settlement the company reached with his office in April of this year. Amidst revelations this spring of industry wide kickbacks, improper inducements, and gifts from student loan providers to colleges and… more

Open the Lockbox

Education Policy — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 03:32:00 -0400

In June, we floated a proposal that would require the wealthiest colleges and universities to spend a minimum amount of their endowments to help increase enrollment of low-income students. After taking a closer look at just how inadequately the most affluent private colleges are serving these students, we are even more convinced of the need for such a policy.

According to the U.S. Census, 61% of households… more

Banking on Ben (Nelson) and (Richard) Burr

Education Policy — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 14:13:00 -0400

Congress is inching closer to slashing overly generous subsidies the government provides student loan banks and increasing need-based student aid by a concomitant amount. Last week, the House approved a budget reconciliation bill that would reduce bank subsidies by $19-billion over five years and redirect the savings to expanded grant aid for financially-needy students and lower interest rates for undergraduate student loan borrowers. Today, the focus shifts to the United States Senate, which began debate yesterday on its own version of the bill to cut lender subsidies by $18.3-billion.

When Work Doesn't Pay

Education Policy — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 01:40:00 -0400

Financing a college education isn't easy for anybody these days, but it's an especially Herculean task if you're a working-class student living paycheck to paycheck. The obstacles to attending college are high, and the more you have to work to support yourself and your family, the less help you can expect to receive from the government in paying for college.

A new study by The Institute for Higher Education Policy (IHEP) — "College Access for the Working Poor: Overcoming Burdens to Succeed in Higher Education" — highlights the… more

NEWS SCOOP: Sallie Mae Spending Spree to Buy Political Influence

Education Policy — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 15:44:00 -0400

You can do a lot of things with $108,000 — send close to 50 students to community college for a year, fund 50 Pell Grants or donate 6,033 copies of the forthcoming Harry Potter book to your local school — to name just a few. But Sallie Mae is hoping $108,000 can buy it the hearts and minds of 36 key Democratic lawmakers.

As Higher Ed Watch reported yesterday, and the New York Times follows up today, the loan giant's top strategic goal this year has been… more

Sallie Mae's Plan of Attack

Education Policy — Tue, 10 Jul 2007 09:53:00 -0400

Shortly after the Democrats won control of Congress last November, the student loan giant Sallie Mae laid out a strategy for itself -- and a blueprint for the rest of the loan industry to follow -- to protect the cushy subsidies lenders receive for making government-backed loans to students.

This plan, which was obtained by Rep. George Miller (D-CA) and can be read here, provides a close-up look at the hardball tactics that Sallie Mae set out to employ to maintain its dominance… more