Larry D. Lauer

Since I spent much of my career communicating and marketing universities I think its time I weigh in on this current topic of polarizing political discourse: Is college worth the cost?  What is its value to individuals, and to society? 

My basic answer: For anyone who has even a slight inclination toward wanting a college education it is more than worth the cost.  That may mean it’s not literally for everyone.  But it does mean it should be accessible to anyone.

So what about its cost?  The hallmark of American higher education is our diversity of institutions.  We have private, public, large and small.  We have research, professional, liberal arts, technical and career based. We have church related and secular. We have high, medium and low-cost, with financial aid available for those with need, and scholarships for those with talent.  

The challenge is for people everywhere, both rich and poor, to have the information and help they need to find the right place for them.

The problem arrises when people assume that if they can’t afford any university they choose then all of higher education costs too much.  Higher education, like everything else, is priced relative to its cost of delivery. But also like everything else, if one shops around there is always one at acceptable quality within affordable reach.

This polarized political environment we have today tends to over simplify the situation. You are asked to either see a college education as an investment in the future, the economy, and the development of future taxpayers; or as something that just costs too much, may not be worth your time and money, and is the fault of greedy educators.

Its true too many people accept high dollar loans to attend high tuition schools. But there is no need to do that if the payoff cannot be seen upfront. Based on my 45 years in higher education I say “choose college,” but go forward only with a sensible financial plan, and attend one that suits your realistic academic abilities and interests. 

And don’t listen to today’s extreme rhetoric. If you do you could end up missing the joy of a life time… the joy of making the world of ideas a permanent part of your life.  And you could also be giving up your best opportunity to change that world that now seems so dysfunctional.

How in the world can anyone see that drastic budget cuts, teacher layoffs, and demonizing criticism can solve anything facing a society that desperately needs to grow new leadership, and, yes, expand its taxpayer base?  It simply isn’t true that most universities are poorly managed.  Like any other enterprise, of course, some are wasteful. But I can tell you as a longtime insider, and as a fairly experienced outside consultant, most institutions have recently gone through exhaustive internal assessments, and as a result they are now better managed than many businesses.

It’s really a “no brainer!” For an individual, a college education is the best path to a richer, fuller life… and a much better chance at financial success. And as for society, universities expand their local economies; produce future leaders who grow the larger economy; cultivate wealthier taxpayers; facilitate the discoveries that result in new products, services and a better quality of life; and ensure American competitiveness around the world.  

We already have the best higher education system in the world. Do we really want to cut it apart and demean it at the very time we need it the most?