Public Agenda: First Choice 2004

Create Your Own Choicework: College Costs

Choicework is a useful way to think through public issues, but the approaches we describe aren't the only way to look at this problem. You may have your own ideas, and people often decide they can't totally buy into one approach. So look at the options below and come up with your own way of looking at the problem. Check off all of the actions you think should be taken and add your own ideas.

Check off all of the actions you think should be taken:

Invest in making sure all students can attend college

Provide tax credits for college tuition.

Increase the number of federal grants to students.

Offer free or reduced tuition at state universities for high school students who maintain a certain GPA.

Expand tax-deferred savings programs to help families save for college.

Expand programs that pay for college if students promise to serve in public service jobs like teaching, law enforcement or public health.

Increase overall state spending on higher education.

Provide opportunity to the needy

Channel federal and state financial grants to students based on their economic need.

Increase state funding to community colleges, which often serve low-income students.

Work with inner-city high schools to ensure their curriculum prepares students for college and expand collaborations between high schools and college to identify and support promising students.

Strengthen remedial programs for college students who are struggling with their work.

Use affirmative action plans in making admissions decisions.

Keep tuition down by making colleges more efficient

Push colleges to use nontraditional teaching methods, like extension courses and courses conducted over the Internet or television.

Establish objective measures, such as testing, class size and faculty qualifications to find out how much college students are learning, and monitor dropout rates. State governments should consider these results when making funding decisions.

Encourage the expansion of for-profit institutions in higher education.

Require public colleges to become more efficient, dropping unpopular or irrelevant programs, adapting new business methods and focus on teaching.

Are there other actions not listed here that you think should be considered? If so, enter them here:

Additional action: