This topic could be going in several other directions. I say this because this is not a one-answer fits all solution and some things are missing:

(1) Goals and models of university are a good topic to pursue but they are not everything.

(2)Funding is important. For example, state funding of education or foundation funding are relevant issues. Charging of fees and per credit hour are fair game, too.

(3) Online, distance learning, directed study, project centered courses, real world experiential learning are important issues, as well.

However, don't forget to focus on issues:

(4) Motivating students, motivating faculty and reducing overall administrative costs at universities--online and on campus, etc.

(5) How to keep a university vibrant in its local community and economic/social contexts

(6) How to keep a university vibrant in its national and global community and economic/social contexts

(7) Discuss specifically in which ways current courses and university designs fail us or in some cases are doing a good job.

I don't want to discourage NextGenU from participating, but I would like to back up and encourage a bit ofinvestigation or reflection (as well) on:

-How was your alma mater (s) started? When did it serve the community best? How has it failed?

-How were your current institutions set up? How are they serving and failing?

It frightened me to learn how much my students were paying back for the privilege of attending my lectures! In industry I was cautious in recommending student assistance in case the student failed, became jobless and could not repay the loan and interest.

My vision is for greater co-operation and sharing from the best institutions. This will require us reaping, inter alia, the benefits of the topics that you are already following: Technology Enhanced Learning, Online Learning, Distance Education. Evolution in Education is difficult. Educating the embedded educators in the benefits of E-learning is also difficult.

I agree with Ian.

Academic material have also become very expensive. I try use open access journal material and free ebooks as far as possible. There are open access course material available as well (lecure notes, tutorials etc) e.g. MIT Opencourseware on http://ocw.mit.edu.

We already have online courses available, yet they are rarely less expensive than classroom based education. Perhaps we haven't complained loudly enough to the educational institutions for, surely, it costs less to run an online course.

Governments can do quite a bit to help ease the financial burden for students, either by merit scholarships or by allocating funds to institutions.

I feel uncomfortable with calling on industry, for they have already, for a large part, hijacked research as well as the outcomes. (read Captive State: The Corporate Takeover of Britain by George Monbiot)

I think simply by a reduction in cost of education even as we do here at the University of Nigeria Nsukka, unn.edu.ng

This is a never-ending discussion, in which we are always avoiding the roots of the problem. I think higher education is becoming a merchandisable product. Universities are not what they used to be; they are now multi-national companies. In the U.S., even "state" universities are going this way. Where there is financial interest, it is not easy to change things. If the business makes money, as long as there are people willing to pay for it, it will keep things as they are. Higher education is a privilege for those who can afford it.

It's a very good question - just a response a difficult. Technology Enhanced Learning, Online Learning, Distance Education? Maybe it really the future?

@David and @Edgar,

Univerisities face an "Innovator's Dilemma". Whether they are non-profit or for-profit, they have a large amount of "revenue" that comes from high tuition. They have become dependent on these funds and might not even survive without them. Any innovation that greatly lowers the cost to the student is contrary to the universities self-interest. However, many universities, whether public or private, feel a strong obligation to community service. So they have an even more difficult dilemma than Innovator's Dilemma for conventional businesses.

The universities have clearly not solved this dilemma and they, and the non-university innovators in massive on-line courses are all struggling to find the right business model. Some seem to think that adverstizing may be the way to produce revenue for "free" courses. I don't think that is the right or best answer. The courses have value. They don't need to be "free".

But right now there seems to be a huge dichotomy between free non-credit courses and for-credit courses that charge the same tuition as for-credit classroom-based courses, including some courses at Stanford where a majority of the on-campus tuition-paying students choose to watch the on-line version instead.

In an innovators dilemma situation, typically new entitiies will arise that are not dependent on revenue from the old, high cost technology and that build a business based on the new low-cost technology.

However, the universities are already offering the new technology "for free", except for the degree credit. This situation, therefore, begs several follow-on questions.

Given the Q&A format of the research gate forums, I will post these questions individually and well as in this answer:

1) How can we create and get accreditation for new entitiies designed to provide low-cost, high-quality education?

2) What is the proper price per student for on-line distance learning, especially in massive on-line courses? How does it compare to the (fair) price for a textbook?

3) How can we maintain high-quality in low-cost courses?

4) How can we increase the net value received per student relative to the cost?

As long as universities are run like multi-national companies in a free trade market, they will not bother to lower the costs to the students. They will lower their investments to the minimum, and try to get the most out of it. In most Latin American countries, college instructors are underpaid and are hired on a per-hour basis. Large classrooms and small libraries, etc. But the cost of tuition remains the same. I bet this also happens in the USA, in its own particular way. Even distance learning does not lower tuitions. It just maximizes the profits. In Spain, hundreds of universities offer online "masters" programs that cost thousands of Euros, and you wonder why the cost is almost the same as a program delivered on-campus, if they don't even use any classrooms, nor do they have to provide any services to the students, besides occasional online help. And there are always people willing to pay the price, because they figure at least they don't have to leave their country to study abroad. In Latin America we have public universities for middle and low class students, that are not for profit, and are mandated by the state to offer their programs in every corner of the country. Perhaps that is one model to follow. But the Ivy leagues and state universities of the USA are beyond reach for minorities and lower class citizens.

Actually, there is an answer: NextGenU.org is the world’s first portal to free, accredited, higher education -- it's been called the world's first free university (we're for credit, for free, unlike any other organization). Starting with a focus in the health sciences, NextGenU partners with leading universities, professional societies, and government organizations including Grand Challenges Canada, the U.S. CDC, World Bank, and the World Health Organization. All NextGenU’s courses are competency-based, and include online knowledge transfer, a web-based global peer community of practice, and local, skills-based mentorships. Our accredited partners give learners credit for this training (or institutions can adopt them and use them with their students), all (for the first time ever) cost-free, and also advertisement-free, barrier-free, and carbon-free.

With NextGenU.org, we expect to educate millions of trainees at a time. We now have over 1,000 registered users in 81 countries, and 131 trainings in development. Founded in 2001, we launched our first full course in March 2012 (Emergency Medicine for Senior Medical Students, in partnership with the Society of Academic Emergency Medicine, the International Federation of EM, and Emory University's Center for Injury Control). In April 2013, we launched Environmental Health (a core training for the Master's degree in Public Health, in partnership with Simon Fraser University and International Society of Doctors for the Environment), and Climate Change and Health (with 350.org, Physicians for Social Responsibility, and George Mason University). Data (in review at BMJ) from our 3-country, four-course pilots show that NextGenU’s training performs comparably to or better than traditional American medical schooling.

A few examples of new trainings we're offering in 2013 (and our partners on each of them):

Mental Health trainings from the community health worker level through psychiatry residency-level rotations – in partnership with the Africa Mental Health Foundation, University of Nairobi, and Grand Challenges Canada’s $1.2 million grant to us;

Residency in Family Medicine -- available for global piloting in late 2013, including in 10,500 Sudanese physicians (locally in partnership with the Sudanese Ministry of Health and the University of Gezira;

Clerkships, Residencies, Fellowships, and Continuing Medical Education in Adolescent Health, Obstetrics/Gynecology, Pediatrics, and Preventive Medicine, in partnership with the American College of Preventive Medicine, International Federation of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Latin American Pediatric Association, Medical Women's International Association, and others;

Certificates in multiple and diverse topics including Exercise and Health (with the U.S. CDC, and the American College of Sports Medicine), Head and Neck Anatomy (University of Pittsburgh), and the Prevention and Treatment of Tobacco Use and of Alcohol Use Disorders (Annenberg Foundation, University of Florida).

Please have a look....

@James: 1) Perhaps the business model should be to set up a parallel universe? However this requires: Quality staff, property, networks, accreditation bodies, recognition, courseware, government and private support etc. Think how you would start up a new university, but then think fully electronic. Leave the laboratory-intensive faculties out of the picture for now.

2) We should aim for half the cost to the student. All we are doing is showing them how to assimilate relevant information and skills.

3) Hire only the best 'lecturers'. Pay them accordingly to attract them. It is OK to expect a higher dropout rate.

4) Savings in travel costs can be a bonus to additionally attract the student.

Or join or try emulating the NextGenU model for non-medical faculties.

I would wonder, if we thought about making education more meaningful. Starting with the HS- offer trades, maybe we do not need so many history teachers as an example-. I have no idea what the actual costs of a course - even the crediting bodies cost, just wondering if the online or distant learning or the next newest technology is less expensive or has better outcomes?

Do we measure the students outcomes as in jobs in their field of study?

What is the actual cost of tenure? Do we need tenure? Cost of administration- labs- seems to me we need to work with the communities we serve to provide meaningful education at a reasonable cost.

Ian, thanks for the nod -- NextGenU,org does indeed accomplish James' #1-4, and is available also for non-medical faculties, for credit, for free -- we've also got environmental sciences and public health already, and many other topics in the pipeline (and happy to add more with interested collaborators!).

Democracy needs educated people but this doesn't mean higher education is a right. It is actually a privilege and a responsability for those able to take profit and give back to society what society has invested in them. Higher education should be affordable to the most talented anywhere. The best primary and secondary education should be provided to anyone, tp give everyone the same chances.

Now I think the Internet is making a the revolutionary change... Stanford's www.coursera.org and Harvard/MIT www.edx.org are wonderful examples. This is a great time for highschoolers like my son, full of opportunities to explore for free... I wish I had had these wonderful tools to study!

I write from Spain where public investment in education hasn't proved to be the way for a good education. Public investment just gives the chance to polititians to manipulate people though inefficient educational systems. Politic criteria are not better than econimic ones!

I think we can make higher education more affordable by using blended learning. This method use both face to face communication and computer based earning (e-learning). If a student use the internet to learn to supplement the traditional classroom learning this will reduce the cost of the education. It will also give an opportunity to a large population who can not commute to the university to learn on daily basis. Classroom lectures will be reduced substantially and hence the cost will be reduced. Moreover, there will be no compromise on the quality of education because the Internet provide a platform for interaction between students and instructors as well as among students themselves. Internet for example can provide online quizzes for practices and forums to enhance learning.

Faris, sorry to sound like a broken record, but we do this at www.NextGenU.org -- have a look at our offerings, and see if Arab Open University could use some courses (for free) for blended learning?

I am amazed about the answers, the question is a huge dilemma, because we believe, maybe more because of faith than for a truth, but we believe Education is the answers of every social and economical problem, but your answers show why is THE main problem.

First of all, One problem is the fact Higher Education is not watching carefully the needs of the labor market, this is not solved with money or more courses, this is solved with a deep analyses of reality: http://www.evolllution.com/program_planning/successful-at-the-academy-less-so-at-finding-employment-different-skills-needed/ and here there is another little research about the topic, but of course it can be done much more: http://www.evolllution.com/opinions/bridging-the-relevance-gap/

The second huge problem is BELIEVE, that there is a relationship between Education and Learning, both concepts are far, far away... here why I can say that: http://talkingaboutneurocognitionandlearning.blogspot.com/2012/12/10-education-issues.html, I know is not a scientific article, but when I have tried to publish about the difference between Education and Learning No education magazine has accepted, I don't know why!!!:)

I think we first start with redefining higher education - what it is, why we need it and how it helps. I used to think that education is essential for creativity. Time and again I have been proved wrong. I used to believe that education and knowledge fostered a sense of responsibility. I am not so sure of that any more. I strongly believed that learning a lot of subjects broadened my views. They did not (I got an engineering education). I thought it improved analysis skills. The concept of analysis never surfaced during my 5 years of college.

So before assuming that education does this or that, we may want to list all those things that education is expected to do ("the purpose of higher education"). Then may be we can come up with a version that may not require students/parents/tax payers spend so much money and use it as a starting point and iterate.

So what is the minimum viable education (stealing a concept from minimum viable product from the Lean movement) and how do we find the best way to deliver it at the lowest cost to all involved.

This topic could be going in several other directions. I say this because this is not a one-answer fits all solution and some things are missing:

(1) Goals and models of university are a good topic to pursue but they are not everything.

(2)Funding is important. For example, state funding of education or foundation funding are relevant issues. Charging of fees and per credit hour are fair game, too.

(3) Online, distance learning, directed study, project centered courses, real world experiential learning are important issues, as well.

However, don't forget to focus on issues:

(4) Motivating students, motivating faculty and reducing overall administrative costs at universities--online and on campus, etc.

(5) How to keep a university vibrant in its local community and economic/social contexts

(6) How to keep a university vibrant in its national and global community and economic/social contexts

(7) Discuss specifically in which ways current courses and university designs fail us or in some cases are doing a good job.

I don't want to discourage NextGenU from participating, but I would like to back up and encourage a bit ofinvestigation or reflection (as well) on:

-How was your alma mater (s) started? When did it serve the community best? How has it failed?

-How were your current institutions set up? How are they serving and failing?

Mutual type of ownership would allow tuition refunds based on performance, course completion and other pertinent criteria, depending on the organizational setting. I am available to collaborate further if this direction is of the interest. Thanks. GIV.

Some privately owned schools (for or not for profit) have very extensive sources of revenue, outside of tuition. Duke University for example, based on its annual reports for 2008 and 2009 only draws less than ten percent of its entire gross income, from tuition. Other schools depend on tuition fully. Availability of good quality scholarship and affordability are two issues that needs to b addressed in a single solution. .

Georgia appropriately noted that in many countries, access to higher education is not a right in the sense that it is not a constitutional right nor necessarily a human right, but states, such as Kansas (USA) where I am from historically used to make it a right in practice--as long as you got a GED.

The problem with this de facto right in many states and country is the cost. This has always been a problem, but in recent decades it has led to a historic rise in debt--often not commensurate to the degrees or diplomas. Underfunding or drastically reduced and fungible funding are major problems.

Likewise, as a de facto right, states need to come up with better funding practices and manage state run (and state supported institutions) in a way which does not lead to de facto slavery for staff nor students. For example, some state universities as well as private ones often have huge endowment funds, but many of them are fungible. The administration has become bloated.

The California system made many failures in recent years by failing to support students and teachers with its funds, rather than lending the money to make more money. This nonsense has to stop. Proper funding and use of funding is needed and the ball lies with administration and those powers that be in boards and in advocate positions on the universities.

One of my alma maters, the University of Kansas, failed to try to compete with Kansas States outreach to the greater citizenry for decades--and is only trying now in this decade to catch up. Meanwhile, the organization and its old bloated administration is still there and paid for by tax payers. This is a great burden for students and teaching staff (many of whom have to work as poorly paid adjuncts).

On the other hand, another alma mater of mine, Wichita State University is still one of the least expensive state universities in the USA. A comparison of many universities is important to this discussion.

Finally, a third alma mater of mine was Bethel College, Kansas--which set a goal some time ago to see if they could create the highest 4-year graduation rate in the state. They have succeeded. (On the other hand, the College is still expensive for many despite scholarships, etc.--including Kansas State tuition grants for the top 25% or so of Kansans in either their graduating class or in the ACT.)

However, across the globe at a public university in Germany where I once both studied and taught, the Bergische University in Wuppertal, tuition costs for students are quite achievable--but student debts and length of time before achieving a terminal degree is high.

Meanwhile, since the 1990s Germany has created many new private universities to allow everyone to go to school. These have followed the USA model of becoming more expensive and in some cases too-capital focused instead of community service focused.

This leads us back to the question (above)

"How can we make higher education more affordable?

An educated populace is the foundation of democracy and is essential to modern economies. Yet student debt is approaching a crisis stage in the US. We not only need to do better, we may need a revolutionary change."

However, in order to answer the question of affordability, we again have to ask what services we (universities) are giving students and society so that affordability is tied in with service and needs of society and students?

Having people do more distance- and experiential learning courses at reduced rates is certainly one way. At Bethel College, I did an experiential learning work project in France and Germany (back in 1983-1984), for which I was allowed to pay a pittance of the cost for 12 hours of credit. (I paid about 1/12th of a regular semester price for 12 hours credit.

That year in Europe changed my life significantly and because of the structure I put in writing my reports, I believe the credits affect on my life are clearly recognizable in my later career.

Or, a country could try the education model of Finland, where you will be funded free up to and including your PhD, as long as you continue passing...

Ian, Finland model will not work within the existing welfare system in the USA. The Finland implemented need based welfare where the recipients get the help they need, rather than choosing from what the system offers. I participated in several conferences with educators from Finland and agree with you that the performance based free ed may be effective. The ownership approach to private education that I study is indeed a fairer type of the Capitalism, nevertheless, an extensive Socialist approach to the existing phenomena will not likely sustain, considering political, legal and historical aspects of the United States education experiment. Thank you

So nice to see a familiar name here; boy things do pop up at the most critical stage, do they not Ian? Hello; first off excellent discussion board. Extremely important points, extremely intelligent points, highly academically focused points but what of the student? At one point in history teachers were "recruited" and those that survived are still teaching; yet a large percentage (sorry, I have not done my homework on this) of teachers are just now obtaining their degrees. Yet they have been teaching for years; and some of them were the best teachers that a student could ever hope for. Education, like everything else, is out of control. I hope that Ian recognizes me as the student that stays focused on the question however will input as much if not more than is needed; but definitely I try not to contribute "nonsense"; but "common sense".

The question is: How can we make education affordable?

First; I think one needs to figure what makes it unaffordable?

Second: Unaffordable to whom? what types of students? what ages of students? I hear of 12 year olds attending college--rather ridiculous, I think.

Being smart is great; but being socially acceptable is even greater. This is where our society stands; if you have not done anything great nor achieved with excellence then there is little if none on recognition thus not encouraging education at all. I hear of many parents, grandparents pushing children into vocational schools. This is wrong. Give the child a chance to show what they can achieve; listen to them; guide them to achieve; present the facts as they are but show them alternatives--once they are mature or near maturity; let them make the choice. Wean them into the cost of their education; and let them know right up front; this help only lasts for x amount of time; after that you must seek alternatives. Textbooks; they say are the major cost of education yet they show ways to make it worthwhile to buy back. This to me is "good education". Much like theologically; the fishers of men. Do not just give what a person needs rather show them how to get what they need. Do not tell them; some people are visual learners. As usual, I have much more to say about this; particularly now; as it is crucial to me. This question actually pertains to me--I am trying to figure out how to afford my education; and I am 63 years old. For the most part there are possibly some trying to take away my achievements; if I have had any; yet it will show my achievements. At least if this be the case; I hope to be right.

Governments and private companies need to help universities more. Universities can't exist without helping governments and private businesses and governments shouldn't live without the support of universities. Businesses can hire good professionals and governments can benefit from the knowledge that emerges from higher education institutions. I strongly critique the divorce that in Latin America governments have lived in from businesses in the last 20 years.

Does higher education have to be for a degree? What about assemble-it-yourself further education? It is nearly free. My father was a self-taught man. Why are there so few people today? Give a man a Google YouTube machine, and he can teach himself anything.

Ian, I both agree and disagree. I agree that knowledge today is really of a little value access to Internet offers much of the knowledge base. Nevertheless to make education useful it must offer discovery of talent, and facilitate skill and knowledge in ways that could be applied. This is much different from what a mere knowledge acquisition process. Gat points nonetheless.

yes Ian but on the job is still key.....but how do you make a new student comfortable enough to WANT to perform at top knowledge level they possess; thus allowing for growth?

Sadly, my Google YouTube machine will not motivate all students. Only those that have innate curiosity and a thirst for further knowledge. So how do we motivate the masses?

Money. It is the best motivation in the Capitalist society. Make it available to students conditioned on performance and completion.

My teenage grandson suggests the the machine dispense food only upon proven learning! Sorry. that's not affordable.

Ian, great idea. I do not think the cost of snack is the problem ;o). It is the bigger cost tickets .... Now. Affordability is not a static phenomena. This is why restructuring the organizational leadership is and should remain of a very top priority in the contemporary American higher education paradigms. Thank you.

Greg as much as I laughed at Ian's response; my personal opinion is that it contains more weight than any academic could understand. Brain food!!!! I must leave now but Ian --thank you later to all.

One thing!!!! Education should not be a business let alone a commodity. College and University degrees should be affordable to all.

Ian is correct in restating that educational leadership--along with possibly entrenched and often societally-confused traditions in effect in educational institutions--have been at issue. Now, how can we take over those key positions and what do we have to say?

Despite the rhetoric, Universities are dominated by the full time three year plus one year MA degree structure. Universities could help students to spread the cost by offering credible alternatives as Part Time, Evening, Modular etc. Despite some changes in the UK, universities still run away from developing academically credible courses that support and relate to those in work.

One wise person once told me that the only way to obtain a degree was through college or university. I agree, this is how it should be. I am sure that anyone truly interested in stats would know that degrees can be obtained with printers. However; they are not accredited. They are "mock ups". Myself, money and a group of people or maybe one individual; I have no idea; because I simply knew better so chose not to research; have given me titles such as Dr.; Reverend and Professor. I would only take credit for the title Professor and I would NOT use this title because it is NOT granted to me through an educational institution. I simply researched the word and found that if used with a lower case letter as opposed to upper case letter denotes that I am more than knowledgeable with the particular area that I denoted my professorship. Being unable to obtain my degree(s) but having academic plus experiences and trainings behind me; using my age to benefit me I "professed" knowledge with "Emotionology" (the study of Emotions) and have written my intentions with it. I have never purposely or intentionally misled anyone. As you can see; even now I chose my platform and as such am "educating" others. However the validity only becomes real through a college or university but it does provide a forum for discussion through a research panel. Does any of this apply to this question? Yes; how? How does one make Higher Education affordable? The question is not specific to mean college and university; however the sub-question does specify. Banking should be the major issue to focus on. It appears that they have in fact become the Highest Educational Institution. If you do not meet their criteria then you do not get the money and you do not get the educational opportunity to obtain that "degree". Is a degree essential? Yes. Why? Because just then anybody or everybody would decide to be a doctor; or anybody or everybody would be a lawyer. I realize at this precise moment this post appears to be non-elemental to the question. It is extremely elemental. As the site progresses; it will become clearer. I have to leave this site now and am quite sure should have edited it or continued explaining; however I can not. Please do not take anything personal with my statements; they are for educational purposes only.

With new student loan interest rates in the US looking as if they will double tomorrow, a conventional degree will become a pipe dream for many youngsters. What revolution do we need to trigger?

Once again; higher education. Excellent question Ian; for if a revolution does indeed need triggered then without higher education no one even has any ideas what revolutions have been into play since the beginning of revolutions. I am speaking as far back as Plato; Aristotle (Freshman College Philosophy 100-101; Dr. Seddons, I think; [I don't remember that far back]) thus how can we know what most revolutions have been built upon. Some were because of banking, some education, some taxes; some civil and so forth. As we speak the word has been handed to me that college costs have indeed risen once again. So; as you say a pipe dream maybe but on the other hand for sociological and other such educational purposes they may become key grant money for individuals that are much more highly educated than even college; I am talking Harvard, Yale and so forth. But do two wrongs make one right? I think most of us know the answer to that.

The wrong people will be affordable to college and higher education. There still is a demographic out there yet that is unexplored but can not and will not be touched for an obvious reason---some one always has to remain at the bottom of the food chain. And to educate that demographic will jeopardize a newer group of lower class individuals; thus causing a flip in the pyramid hierarchy. Because the higher class do not know how to survive without then much will cease to be; because then everyone will be safe there will be no need for protectors and defenders.

Ian's question about self-taught education is important. We always have to question and review certifications in any case.

However, very few of us have been trained in how to award experiential learning credit in our own fields in a regionally, nationally, or internationalized manner.

Does anyone have any resources on this topic?

To my knowledge; if I interpret your question correctly; learning by experience receives no acknowledgement unless the experience occurs through an institution of higher education or learning such as clinic duty; internship. On the job, institutionalization and other such experience does not count towards a degree. I can only cite this by knowing people in both arenas and which ones received their degree and which ones deserved a degree but did not receive any learning credit nor did they receive a degree. This includes myself. The experiences, by itself, can be credited as factual knowledge with the individual being cited as the source but this occurs after lengthy creditability has been achieved. Once again the original question is: How can we make higher education more affordable? Solution: By rearranging priorities, focusing on the problematic area that makes higher education so unaffordable. 1. Determine what is the highest cost with education? a. tuition b. textbooks

c. teachers salaries d. upkeep on the buildings i.e.; housekeeping

e. maintenance of the real estate i.e.; taxes. f. student debt

2. By rearranging the credit criteria. One such effort being, if the student has shown extreme effort in trying to obtain a required credit; automatically after a certain period of time grant that credit by first determining how applicable will that credit be towards the final achievement? Such as a high volume of senior citizens are trying to achieve degrees; if algebra is not going to be used in their lifetime, do not make it a brick wall for a degree; especially if as stated the effort is shown..and even minimal growth towards the knowledge. Such as my case: three-fourths of my financial aid was applied towards one credit; I have obtained the knowledge and can minimally apply it without reference books and more so with reference books thus should I receive credit not only for the learning and effort but should I also be granted credit towards the financial obligation because the institution of learning should have stopped admittance of that particular class after three semesters; thus they wasted my financial aid making the completion of my degree unobtainable financially.

We need to make a distinction between higher education and further training. A higher education equips the graduate to perform many jobs, even those that do not yet exist. Further training helps the worker to achieve greater efficiency and safety in the workplace. The revolutionary change that James is hinting at can only be achieved by changing from bricks and mortar-boards with their high costs to virtual video varsities and global distance training.

Thanks Sandra.

As per changing the courses [ rearranging the credit criteria], like requiring calculus for 60 to 80 year olds, my BA alma mater was quite flexible in this capacity. I was a major in history. I was allowed to attend and take an advanced physics seminar instead. In this essence, it became for me a seminar on big ideas on history of science and an investigation on how physics formulas developed over time--and changed the world.

I just had to attend the lectures, be involved in the discussions, but I did not have to do the advanced math nor formulaic notations required of my peers.

In the end, the new understanding of how research and theories are tested over time in physics has empowered me immensely in several social scientific fields and educational fields I have been involved in.

hmmmm......very interesting.....thank you. Nurturing three children, the main element that I had learned as a mother was that exposure to something was extremely critical to learning. One does not have to fully participate in order to learn; the full participation only gives more experience with which to apply any given knowledge. Kevin, your ending paragraph states in completion what I used to raise my children. I almost started to be more in-depth in my explanation and felt empowered that enough had been said on this for the moment, other than to focus on the word--"understanding." Any therapy, program or treatment I have been through has over-empowered me and I am now humbly working myself to a newer level; with an entirely new level of understanding.