How can we make higher education more affordable?

Question

Rising tuition costs, private lenders (Sallie Mae, Wells Fargo, Citibank) offering their "private loans" to students that carry outrageous interest, and less payment flexibility than a credit card, kickbacks for financial aid officers.... Where does it end? What needs to be done to make education affordable, and reign in the corrupt student lenders that are strangling all of the money out of new college graduates?

Answer 1

Your question seems to also be the answer. Higher Education use to be for the elite, the well off, and those of money. Over time our country has struggled to change this "elitism" to give everyone an opportunity to go to school. The government has done what it can by providing guaranteed student loans (Stafford).
The government, schools, and other organizations also are In the providing many different scholarships for students to help go to school. (This is especially true for women and minorities.) I hate to be political, but in California an illegal alien can go to school for free. People of poverty can receive enough financial aid to attend school free.
The people who are struggling with school and costs are the white middle class. These are the people who are unable to receive said scholarships and have the credit and financial backing to receive private loans. You are correct that these organizations are gouging the college graduates, but when you look at the salary difference of those who go to college versus those who don't, we should be able to pay back those loans, especially with the many options we do have. From deferment and forbearances to graduated payments, extended loan length, and income based payments they have made repaying loans quite easy.
What we need to shut down is how easy it is to receive private loans. They are so easy that people can rack up huge debt through these companies and none of it going to school. There should be more accountability of where the funds are going, because lets face it 18-22 yr old adults are not the most financially responsible.
In the end Education is a commodity that is in demand. As long as the demand is high, the price will be high. There needs to be some accountability to the system, but we can not expect higher education to be free. (Look at the public school system and the problems with the level of education because of the poor funding)

Answer 2

Loans, financial aid, all make college more achievable for a larger part of society. The complication of this is that demand for education is rising faster than ever. When demand goes up.. costs go up..

To continue to increase demand while preventing increases in or even lowering costs, the simplest answer is to expand the supply. Currently, the best growth in education supply is in public state and local universities and community college. Private 'elite colleges' set insane prices, but so long as students continue to fight over seats at those schools, prices will continue to rise. If more students enroll in public schools and more citizens demand their state and local governments expand these public schools, prices will hold steady.

Answer 3

In my opinion the institutions that provide higher education should be free of charge, and you will pay for your education after graduating and getting a job. I also think it is not fear for our parents. They spend so much money on us. So for good let the students pay for their education. The institutions should get the 30 or 40 % of the graduated students income when they get a job. This is good for parents, government, students and the country. Everyone can get education.

Answer 4

I feel that the government should also raise grants as well, and should provide MORE grants.