Let's Crowd the Colleges More, Making Young People Pay While Seniors Don't?

Hat tip to Sarah Turner, Professor of Education and Economics at University of Virginia (via friend Ragan Roberts). In Turner's words:  

"In a public higher education system facing substantial crowding, why would a state increase the subsidy to the population with the fewest years to recoup an investment in higher education?"

Agreed. I can think of no public policy justification for making college free for elders while making young people pay. It's an investment for the youngest, and it's largely consumption for the older students.

UA waives tuition for Arkansans 60 and older

Trends in Sticker Price vs. Net Price in One Graphic

Nicely done graphic on trends in the sticker price of college and the price net of aid.

The Economics of Journals and Open Access

Terrific article that focuses on valuing stock of Elsevier Publishing but along the way provides a great overview of the economics of traditional academic publishing and the rise of open access. 

How To Read Science News

Terrific article about how to get past the smoke and mirrors in newspaper science writing.

"The Double X Double-Take: What to do when reading science in the news 1. Skip the headline. Headlines are often misleading, at best, and can be wildly inaccurate. Forget about the headline. Pretend you never even saw the headline."