WASHINGTON –
With the average price of college continuing to rise considerably faster than inflation or per capita income, many Americans are worried that soaring tuition costs and onerous loans will prevent qualified students from pursuing a college education. To examine measures leaders propose to tame rising costs, Public Agenda, the nonprofit, nonpartisan opinion research and citizen engagement organization, and the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education are hosting "Does it Really Have to Cost So Much? A Forum on the Soaring Costs of Higher Education" on February 20, 2008, from 3 to 6 p.m., at George Washington University's Jack Morton Auditorium, 805 21st Street, N.W., in Washington, D.C.
Presented in association with The Public Affairs Project at The George Washington University's School of Media and Public Affairs, the forum will bring together both students and leaders in education and economic policy to explore the reasons for and effects of college cost growth, as well as many proposals for addressing cost issues. The forum is designed to allow students to weigh in with their concerns and priorities and for college Presidents to hear those concerns and provide substantial answers to questions.
The forum is built on the findings of Public Agenda's study, "Squeeze Play: How Parents and the Public Look at Higher Education Today." The survey research reveals that, while Americans have come to value higher education now more than ever, fears about affordability and access leave many parents and students deeply troubled. The report and updates on the event are available at: www.publicagenda.org/higheredcostforum/
"The public may voice satisfaction with the education that colleges and universities deliver, but there is evidence that this satisfaction with the system as a whole is beginning to erode," says Patrick M. Callan, president of the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education. "Our higher education system must take steps to address cost, access, and quality or face greater losses of public confidence."
The questions the forum will address include:
- How are rising college costs affecting millions of American students and their families?
- Why are college costs outpacing even health care costs?
- Are high costs preventing large numbers of young Americans from pursuing higher education?
- Can colleges and universities reduce their costs without harming quality?
- What changes can help more Americans get through college without unmanageable debt?
- What responsibility do colleges and universities have to expand access and foster social equity?
- Should taxpayers pick up more of the tab? Should state and local governments assume more of the costs for public education and college loans?
- How are the challenges faced by community colleges and state universities different from those of private institutions?
The half-day conference is being moderated by George Washington University Professor of Media and Public Affairs and CNN correspondent Frank Sesno.
The first panel will focus on why college costs are rising so extraordinarily fast, and will feature:
Patrick Callan, Founding President, National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education
Steven Knapp, President, The George Washington University
Jared Bernstein, Director of the Living Standards Program at the Economic Policy Institute
John Immerwahr, Senior Research Fellow at Public Agenda and Professor at Villanova University
Several college students from a private university, a community college, and a state university
The second panel will focus on what can be done, and will feature:
William E. Kirwan, Chancellor, University System of Maryland
Patrick Callan, Founding President, National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education
Jared Bernstein, Director of the Living Standards Program at the Economic Policy Institute
James Boyle, President, College Parents of America
Several college students from a private university, a community college, and a state university
This event is free and open to the public, but seating is limited. For more information or to RSVP for the event, contact Shaheen Hasan at Public Agenda by email at shasan@publicagenda.org or by phone at 212-686-6610 ext. 50.
Public Agenda, www.publicagenda.org, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to nonpartisan public policy research. Founded in 1975 by former U.S. Secretary of State Cyrus Vance and Daniel Yankelovich, the social scientist and author, Public Agenda is well respected for its influential public opinion surveys and balanced citizen education materials. Its mission is to inject the public's voice into crucial policy debates.
The National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education, www.highereducation.org, is an independent, nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that promotes public policies that enhance Americans' opportunities to pursue and achieve high-quality education and training beyond high school.
The Center for Innovative Media (CIM) at The George Washington University's School of Media and Public Affairs is comprised of The Documentary Center and The Public Affairs Project. For more information about GW's School of Media and Public Affairs, visit www.gwu.edu/~smpa. For more news about GW, visit the GW News Center at www.gwnewscenter.org.
