Notes in the Margins: Med school, loans and price discrimination

Surging college costs price out middle class College is becoming so expensive, it's starting to hold families back. The crux of the problem: Tuition and fees at public universities, according to the College Board, have surged almost 130% over the last 20 years -- while middle class incomes have stagnated. (CNN Money)

Medical school, much later in life Maybe it’s time to rethink medical school in the United States. Why not allow bright students to enroll in medical school straight out of high school?* Why not make medical school free? To those who say neither of these is possible, we need only look to Europe to see that both are more than possible — they’re the reality. (The Hechinger Report)

How Colleges Discriminate With Price, And Why They Must Stop Expensive colleges, with asking prices already double and sometimes triple or quadruple the cost of state schools, start high and award all the merit-based aid they must to fill their seats with the students they want. This let's-make-a-deal financial aid game is really price discrimination, and it has gone on long enough. It's time for schools to stop it. (Forbes)

Subprime Education The Obama administration is right to tighten rules for for-profit colleges, which have come under scrutiny for deceptive practices and burying students in unreasonable debt. But the Department of Education is limited in its regulatory authority. It is up to Congress to rein in abuses by toughening the laws that govern this industry. (The New York Times)

Colleges offer graduates help repaying loans Law schools have done it for years. Now, some private liberal arts colleges are experimenting with the idea: They're offering upfront to help students pay off their loans after they graduate. (USA Today)

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