Why Doesn't the Public Understand Higher Ed Costs?

"To a certain degree, suspicion and distrust of colleges and universities are problems of the higher education sector�s own making. College and university leaders, most of whom were faculty members at some point, have the professor�s reflex against simplified explanations. Professorial skepticism toward neat, tidy, simple (but often inaccurate) answers is understandable and admirable. But politicians and reporters like to hear coherent and compelling narratives that are easy to understand and easy to retell to their constituents and readers. Higher education has often failed to grasp this. And it shows in the explanations higher education gives about the rising cost issue: They are all too often defensive or obfuscating—leaving the public scratching its head in perplexity."

Related ... A related article from Planning for Higher Education that you might want to read is titled Understanding Higher Education Costs by former SCUP president Michael F. Middaugh.