An increasing number of Americans say college is important but is becoming less accessible for qualified students due to rising tuition, says a national report on public perceptions about higher education released on Tuesday.
Americans are being “squeezed” by the bloated costs of higher education, according to “Squeeze Play 2010,” a study prepared by Public Agenda, a nonprofit, nonpartisan public opinion research firm.
“People want college but are really losing trust in management and leadership,” said Patrick Callan, president of The National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education organization, which collaborated in the survey.
An anxious public is questioning whether colleges are working toward affordability or their bottom line. Six out of 10 of surveyed respondents agreed colleges today operate more like businesses than nonprofit organizations, which purportedly educate students for the public good.
“People are convinced colleges are not spending money wisely or well,” said report author Dr. John Immerwahr. “People are opposed to cutting programs and raising tuition prices because they both diminish access.”
Nearly 70 percent of Americans said qualified students do not have access to a college education, the largest percentage since the Public Agenda in 1993 began tracking public attitudes toward higher education. Over half said colleges can do more — increase enrollments and maintain quality — with less.
But, despite their skepticism, Americans are optimistic their children will attend college with improved financial aid and loan availability. Immerwahr added that those perceptions will be tempered as the population emerges from the recession more debt-averse.
