State Lawmakers Say Drastic Change Needed to Make College Affordable, Worthwhile

For millions of American college students, things can go from bad to worse in a hurry, as they take on long-term debt to finance higher education and earn a degree that, based on labor market demands, isn’t worth the paper it’s printed on. Data analyzed by a group of state lawmakers across the country indicates that significant changes are needed to the U.S. higher education system—still viewed as the envy of the world—if a college degree is going to remain the best path for long-term financial stability. “The public discourse on higher education … is filled with anxiety over a host of issues,” stated a recent report from the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) Task Force on Higher Education. “The affordability of higher education tops the list.”...