Initiatives for containing the cost of higher education

Abstract

This report provides a comprehensive reform agenda for policymakers interested in cost containment. The author lays out a series of initiatives that, working in tandem, can promote the larger goal of compelling colleges to spend money wisely. Among the individual reforms, the report suggests the creation of a national database of cost-containment practices, a “Race to the Top” for college productivity, and process audits for all public institutions. The primary aim, the author contends, is to help provide the necessary information for a vibrant higher education market in a way that current policy makers and college leaders can get behind.