 As a college professor for many years, I saw firsthand the array of problems undermining higher education.
Perhaps the biggest relates to the lifeblood of most colleges and universities both public and private: federal funding.
Financial dependence on Washington, D.C. has caused even excellent private institutions to step away from open inquiry and moral principle. Their dependence on the federal dollar means acquiescing to the demands of accrediting agencies, the Department of Education (depending on who’s in charge), and the ideologies of education bureaucrats.
When I became President of a private college that did not accept federal funding—hoping to avoid this dilemma—I got an even closer look at these challenges. For one thing, I found it nearly impossible to compete with our tax-subsidized peers.
I can recall interacting with parents of prospective students—even those who supported the mission of the college and were defenders of free-market liberty. They often made it plain that they wanted a net price reflecting the tax subsidy that other schools were getting. I couldn’t blame them, because the entire higher education system is designed to run on the fuel of government funds.
The current federal funding scheme is undermining the academic integrity of colleges and universities—and cannot help but have corrupting consequences for American life.
This is why I resonate so much with our Senior Fellow Richard Vedder’s bold proposals to restore higher education. Among other solutions, he lays out several recommendations for ending or significantly revising federal financial aid in his recent Independent book, Restoring the Promise: Higher Education in America.
The solutions from this book have already reached a significant audience, having been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, Fox News Channel, and many more national outlets.
Dr. Vedder and I also had the privilege of discussing these reforms with Department of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos and her senior staff earlier this year.
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From left to right: Graham Walker, Betsy DeVos, and Richard Vedder
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Dr. Vedder’s magnum opus fills a substantial hole in the literature analyzing the glaring threat to American liberty that is higher education. However, none of our books’ success would be possible without the generous support of our donors.
What could you give to ensure that our higher education solutions—and so much more—continue to impact public policy discussion in 2020? Could you give $50, $100, or $250?
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Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays,
Graham H. Walker, Ph.D.
Executive Director
Email Graham
Independent Institute
www.independent.org
The Power of Independent Thinking
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