An interesting higher-level view of the problem is
here.
And we can take our pick of
these to begin the discussion.
You can condense the first article thusly.
1. "Colleges and universities know that they can raise their prices and that students will still attend – in part because the government is handing them money."
2. "Professional, vocational, or technical training should be viewed as a viable alternative to a four-year degree, not a less worthy undertaking (as it is viewed by many now)."
3. "Expensive athletic programs (supposedly benefiting alumni more than students), trustees’ whims, and professors’ demands are just a few examples of ways that educational institutions have been known to cater to the needs of their customers at the expense of their students."
4. "As college student recruitment and admissions offices fork over hundreds of thousands of dollars each year to obtain enough students to keep their schools operational, that escalating student acquisition cost contributes directly to the tuition costs that wildly continue to increase to levels an average American family will soon find unfathomable."
I note number four with interest, as we've just seen SMCM just drop some fees for first time students, they say to increase availability of education, but I suspect it's one more ploy to increase admissions, a place thay have beenm struggling mightily these last four-five years. And if they are dropping those fees for the students, someone somewhere is paying the bill.