How can we offer high quality college education and reduce or elimnate the high costs of higher education?

Question

Even state universities and junior colleges are getting so expensive many good students are hard pressed to afford to attend.

How can we make these important opportunities to all deserving students, not just those who are rich or who qualify for programs aimed at eliminating poverty?

This is primarily aimed at education in the United States, but participation from other countries is welcomed, along with any insights you might give us from your own education systems.

Answer 1

We can raise taxes and revert to being a social state. This might be difficult and met with groans from Americans, who have a traditionally-rooted dislike of taxes. This stems all the way back to Colonial times, when the imperialist British imposed taxation on certain goods, such as tea and sugar. In the 50s America had a "social welfare state", and thanks to the GI Bill from WWII, more people could go to college and more people were encouraged to. Americans, however, are not big fans of social welfare. They believe in the "self-made man", and look down on government aid. The shift from a social welfare state to the opposite was most notable in the Reagan era, when Americans decided that taxation was pointless and big government needed to go. Unless we institute some socialist reforms, education will continue to be expensive.

Answer 2

Great answer! Maybe you don't need to go into extremes but you can do like in Canada. Taxes to pay for university, no private university, government control tuition and one great thing: STUDENT STRIKES!!!