The Presidential Candidates' Higher Ed Policies

At the Pope Center, Jenna Ashley Robinson has a helpful roundup of the Republican presidential candidates' stated higher education policies. In another essay, Jay Schalin describes President Obama's decisions and positions related to higher education. The fundamental disagreement between the president and the Republican hopefuls seems to center on the role of government in college enrollment and finance and in student loan debt intervention. Obama's policy has been to increase programs and funding for higher education, while Michele Bachmann promises to eliminate the Department of Education if she is elected, and Rick Perry has urged colleges to create a degree that costs only $10,000.