College, University Leaders Testify on College Affordability

Senator Tom Harkins Senator Micheal Enzi    

July 19, 2012

Washington, DC

The Senate Health, Education, Labor & Pension Committee holds a hearing on strategies for controlling the cost of a college degree.

This hearing, chaired by Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), is seeking to highlight strategies and current practices for keeping college costs down.

Panelists/Witness
Don Heller, dean of the College of Education at Michigan State University; Steven Leath, president of Iowa State University; Jim Murdaugh, president of Tallahassee Community College; Thomas J. Snyder, president of Ivy Tech Community College in Bloomington, Ind.; and Carol Twigg, president and CEO of the National Center for Academic Transformation, a group that focuses on the use of technology in education, testified.

Witnesses included representatives from both large state schools and small community colleges.
Tuition at four-year universities have increased exponentially since 1980, and the average student graduates with around $20,000 in student loan debt. For students at private colleges, the total can often be several times that.

For public universities and community colleges, the budget crises in many states have led to lower state funding and higher tuition bills for students. In an address to the National Governors Association last weekend, Education Secretary Arne Duncan urged the governors to address the issue.
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We will provide Senator Harkins and his committee with observations and encouragements by July 26, 2012.  It is within the 10-Day window that the committee takes comments.

We WELCOME YOUR input at:  mpapublicpolicyreview@gmail.com. 
You can listen to this informative hearing by CLICK.