January 16, 2025
News
Source: USA Today : Repost Fight for Life Foundation 1/16/2025 –
As the presidential inauguration approaches, our country remains starkly divided, and one of the biggest fault lines lies between those who have a college degree and those who don’t.
To help bridge our national divide, we must introduce different approaches to delivering and marketing college so that it becomes within reach for more Americans. Higher education institutions must lead this change so we can rebuild trust and remain relevant for the population at large.
Many voters see higher education as a benefit for the elite, and the politicization around higher ed has severe implications for the health and well-being of anyone living in the United States. Many non-college going families feel college is not appealing or approachable. That may be because the sector has not done an effective job of answering why a college education is important in advancing the dreams of their children and of their communities.
Higher education has a public perception problem
Research confirms that the time and costs of higher education are worth it. A college degree for most graduates confers greater life satisfaction, career outcomes and earning potential.
Yet, students saddled with high debt and low completion rates understandably do not readily see a degree’s immediate benefits and power.