Does It Really Have to Cost So Much?

The event was held on Wednesday, February 20, 2008 at the Jack Morton Auditorium, George Washington University

CNN correspondent Frank Sesno and a panel of college presidents and students talked about the rapidly rising costs of higher education and what can and should be done to tame them. Among the topics the forum addressed:

• What kinds of changes will help more Americans get through college without unmanageable debt?
• What responsibility do colleges and universities have to expand access and foster social equity?
• Should taxpayers pick up more of the tab? Should state and local governments assume more of the costs for public education and college loans?
• Can colleges and universities reduce their costs without harming quality?

The event featured a student panel voicing their concerns on costs and exchanging views with our expert panel.

This forum, jumping off from the Public Agenda report "Squeeze Play: How Parents and the Public Look at Higher Education Today," included panel discussions both with students and leaders in education and economic policy.

Panel I: How Did We Get Here?

Patrick Callan, Founding President, National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education
Steven Knapp, President, The George Washington University
Jared Bernstein, Director of the Living Standards Program at the Economic Policy Institute
John Immerwahr, Senior Research Fellow at Public Agenda and Professor at Villanova University
Several college students from a private university, a community college, and a state university

Panel II: What Can We Do?

William E. Kirwan, Chancellor, University System of Maryland
Patrick Callan, Founding President, National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education
Jared Bernstein, Director of the Living Standards Program at the Economic Policy Institute
James Boyle, President, College Parents of America
Several college students from a private university, a community college, and a state university

For more information please contact Shaheen Hasan at shasan@publicagenda.org or by phone at 212-686-6610 ext. 50.

Public Agenda, www.publicagenda.org, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to nonpartisan public policy research. Founded in 1975 by former U.S. Secretary of State Cyrus Vance and Daniel Yankelovich, the social scientist and author, Public Agenda is well respected for its influential public opinion surveys and balanced citizen education materials. Its mission is to inject the public's voice into crucial policy debates.

The National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education, www.highereducation.org, is an independent, nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that promotes public policies that enhance Americans' opportunities to pursue and achieve high-quality education and training beyond high school.