Page 368 - Crisis in Higher Education

338 • Appendix B

3. Federal government provides funding directly to students.
a. Federal Pell Grants and other smaller grants should be main-
tained as they support students from low- and moderate-income
families. Hopefully, demand for these grants declines as univer-
sities find ways to reduce costs.
b. Student loans should continue, but effort must focus on reduc-
ing the need to borrow, which means planning, savings, and cost
reductions. They must understand their obligation by preparing
a student borrowing and repayment plan (SBRP) that specifies
the amount to borrow, the uses of these funds, and what they will
forego to make payments after graduation.
c. Work-study jobs often do little more than put money in students’
pockets. Universities must provide evidence that students are
learning something and/or doing work that has value, or they
should close the program and roll the funds into the Pell Grant
program.
4. Governments and accreditation agencies have regulations that
drive up compliance costs.
a. The state’s Higher Education Committee (HEC) should consider
the costs and benefits of federal, state, and local governments’
regulations and eliminate those with little benefit.
b. Regulations by government and accreditation agencies should
focus on outputs, not inputs and processes, to make regulations
more relevant and useful in identifying and resolving problems.

B.1.4 Chapter 10: Redesigning Curriculum and Pedagogy
1. Bachelor’s degrees should be limited to 120 credit hours to lower
tuition costs and enable students to graduate in four years, which
reduces cost even further.
2. Universities should engage in effective long-term and short-term
planning to ensure that students do not face closed classes that
prohibit them from graduating in four years.
3. It is critical to separate instruction from testing so there is no
pressure on faculty to cover less material and reduce standards.
4. Online programs and courses can become a low-cost way to deliver a
quality education and make it more accessible. Universities should:
a. Make the upfront investments to develop high-quality programs
and courses.