MIAMI — Possible presidential contender Marco Rubio of Florida called for overhauling the nation's higher education system to close an “opportunity gap” between Americans with and without advanced degrees.
The Republican senator said on Monday that the reforms should include state-accredited alternatives to four-year colleges, income-based terms for repaying college loans and new standards for accrediting free Internet courses.
“Those with the right advanced education are making more money than ever. But those who are not are falling farther and farther behind,” Rubio said at an education forum at Miami Dade College. “The result is an opportunity gap developing between haves and have-nots. ... And if we do not reverse that trend, we will lose the upward mobility that made America exceptional.”
Rubio's proposal was made as Republicans seek an alternative to President Obama's agenda to bolster the middle class, some of which touches on the same education issues.
The price tag for tuition and fees at public four-year colleges is up 27 percent beyond overall inflation during the last five years, according to the latest figures from the College Board. The average annual cost for a full-time student at a four-year public college is $18,390, including room, board and tuition. Subtract grants and tax benefits, and it drops to $12,620.
More than 70 percent of the national college class of 2012 had loan debt at graduation, and their debt averaged $29,400, according to the most recent figures from the California-based Institute for College Access and Success.
At the heart of his proposal are alternatives to a four-year college degree. Free online courses — evaluated and overseen by an independent accrediting board — would be transferable to traditional schools and eligible for federal aid. Workers could use their skills to earn certifications or degrees outside traditional institutions by passing new standardized tests.
“I want to add more options to the menu. And the more options we have, the more affordable it will be and the more people we're going to be able to empower,” he said before the conference, presented by National Journal.
