Learning Ecosystems

Population of needy college students is exploding — from The Washington Post by Daniel de Vise

Excerpt (emphasis DSC):

A higher education official from Wisconsin who attended the recent Council of Independent Colleges conference in Florida made a remarkable statement during a question-and-answer session.

There is a group of students who enter college with such dire financial need that the amount the federal government expects their families to contribute to college is effectively zero. In Wisconsin, that zero-pay population has grown by half in a single year: from 42,641 students in the 2008-09 academic year to 65,800 in 2009-10.

The data come from Rolf Wegenke, president of the Wisconsin Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, and surely they mirror a national trend.

Incoming college students have grown markedly more needy since the 2008 economic downturn.

From DSC:
This perfect storm that continues to amass must be addressed.

How can all institutions of higher education — across the board — cut tuition costs by 50% or more?

That should be the #1 question boards are asking themselves throughout 2012 until they have some ideas/answers — then begin experimenting with implementing those pilots/ideas/potential directions.  If not, the conversation will continue to move outside of academia and fewer people will even care what those of us inside higher ed think.  The development of a Walmart of Education has become a sure thing in my mind — it will happen. In fact, it’s already started.