Gov. Perry and the $10,000 Degree: Why College Students Should Support Rick Perry

By Hannah Thoreson

Rick Perry is the only candidate running for President in 2012 that has asked his state’s university system to search for a way to produce a $10,000 degree.  He has also introduced a series of reforms known as the “7 Solutions” in an effort to push tuition prices down, and thereby increase access.  Most of the reforms center around pursuing changes in the way university system handles money and data in a way that would make the schools operate more like businesses.

The 7 Solutions can be found at http://texashighered.com/7-solutions.  My personal favorite is #6, which turns the subsidy for higher education into a voucher that can be used at any in-state university.  The benefits of this are numerous.  The most obvious is that, if lower-income families can see how much funding is available for their children to attend school, they will opt to do that instead of assuming it is out of reach for them.  Proponents also claim that, “Student-directed scholarships change the incentives for  universities from lobbying the legislature to favor one institution over another to competing for students as the way to increase revenue”.  Adding a competitive element to higher education, even for those who can’t afford to spend very much of their own money on it, will enhance quality and make institutions more responsive to the educational needs of everyone.  The reform also forces individuals to be more accountable for their own choices, as the subsidies would end after four years of college.  As with everywhere else, many students in Texas take longer than the standard four years to complete a degree.  This comes at a great cost to taxpayers when funding is in no way linked to the individual students.

Not everyone has been happy about the proposed reforms.  There was mass outcry from academics throughout Texas when it was discovered that spreadsheets existed tracking how many students were instructed for the cost of their salary minus any outside research funds received.  However, the continued push for accountability and cost control at universities in Texas proves that Governor Perry has the guts to try and reform institutions to conform to a more conservative sensibility.  It must be noted the similarity between the education voucher system and what any serious effort at entitlement reform at the federal level would likely create, as students would be made aware well in advance how much money will be in their education “account” upon high school graduation.  If any of the current 2012 Presidential candidates could be a serious advocate for fiscal responsibility, it’s Rick Perry.  Students should take a serious look at the Governor from Texas if they are interested in quality, accessible education.

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