Beat up on colleges, sure. But it’s not every day you hear a staunch conservative call on states to do their fair share.
But that’s what happened last week during Chairwoman Virginia Foxx’s (R-NC) closing remarks at the House Subcommittee on Higher Education hearing. After hearing from experts on how to improve college access and completion for low-income and first-generation students, Rep. Foxx expressed exasperation that colleges and states weren’t taking more responsibility for the success of their students:
“Even Mr. Hinojosa (D-TX) who’s always looking for us to increase funding said… it’s not just a matter of money, it’s a matter of tracking students. It’s a matter of working with the students. It’s a matter of showing them what’s possible.
It seems to me that the examples…and the research…that you’re showing, is that the colleges have to take some more responsibility in this area. And it’s a vested interest of theirs to do that. It’s the vested interest of the states to do this, to say we want to invest more money in our students and not just rely on the federal government to do these things,” (emphasis added, see timestamp 1:27:05).
Related: The High School – Higher Ed Nexus
So while arguments around federal and state relations typically get heated in education policy, it seems like Rep. Foxx – perhaps as a bellwether for her Republican colleagues – is reaching a breaking point in higher education, a system largely controlled by states. As she herself noted, the same issues we’re confronting today, like students not being well prepared when they enter college or when they leave college, are the same issues she dealt with nearly 45 years ago as the Director of Upward Bound at Appalachian State University.
“What’s wrong with us as the greatest country in the world where we can’t find a system that matches people with skills for jobs? It’s not a lack of money. It’s a lack of will. Who is going to accept this responsibility?”
Related: Colleges Think They’re Preparing Students, Employers Don’t: Who’s Right?
The answer, for us, is everyone. We think all key players in higher education – the federal government, states, colleges, and students – must take ownership and share responsibility for student success. We think that if:
- The federal government is willing to target existing federal financial aid and deliver it to states through a flexible partnership grant;
- In exchange, states would commit to stabilizing tuition and ensuring all students are prepared for college;
- Colleges would meet minimal performance standards for access and success; and
- Students contribute through work or service,
then we could guarantee our country’s low- and middle-income students a “cap on student debt,” at say 10 percent of discretionary family income.
Related: Debt-Free College: Something New, Something Borrowed
Because like Chairwoman Foxx, we’re also frustrated. Too many students, families, and ultimately our country, are being short-changed by a subpar higher education system. As Rep. Foxx says: “We either haven’t learned a lot in the past 45 years or people don’t change their behaviors very much.”
It’s time for the federal government to embolden others to change their behaviors. We can’t let the fox guard the henhouse any longer.