Protecting Students and Taxpayers

When it comes to federal funding of higher education, the government’s approach to quality assurance and consumer protection is a public policy and regulatory failure by almost any measure. Protecting Students and Taxpayers discusses the failure of the higher education accreditation system to perform its intended purpose of ensuring academic quality. Instead, burdensome administrative requirements, attention to antiquated input measures, and interference in institution governance have contributed to the skyrocketing cost of higher education, while ignoring student learning. Recognizing calls for higher education reform echoed by President Barack Obama and Senator Marco Rubio alike, the paper makes several key recommendations intended to increase student access and promote academic excellence.