Giving Compass' Take:

· Thomas Lindsay, Ph.D. gives a 2019-20 legislative update debunking higher education myths using research to shed light on the realities that exist at universities. 

· Is free speech protected on college campuses? Is student loan debt increasing?

· Read about key trends in higher education since 2008. 

For the past seven years, the Texas Public Policy Foundation has updated this “Higher Education: Myths and Realities” primer in preparation for each upcoming session of the Texas Legislature. This edition addresses the 86th Texas Legislature, which convenes in January 2019.

What you don’t know about higher education could cost you a lot! Read here to learn the reality behind the myths.

Key points:

  • Across the country, including Texas, an alarming number of universities have earned the worst rating (“Red Light”) for free speech protection.
  • College tuition prices have skyrocketed, increasing faster than both inflation and health care costs.
  • Texas launched the first Affordable Baccalaureate Program in 2014. All public colleges and universities should adopt it.
  • By 2015, 25 million postsecondary students had taken online courses. The number of students studying on physical campuses alone fell from 2010’s 14.4 million to 4.1 million in 2015.

Read the full article about higher education legislation by Thomas Lindsay, PhD at Texas Public Policy Foundation