Little Imagination in the Gates Foundation Papers to "Reimagine" Federal Student Aid

George Leef

In this week's Pope Center Clarion Call, I take a look at the fifteen papers commissioned by the Gates Foundation that were to "reimagine" federal student aid. The trouble is that they all colored within the lines -- never questioning whether the federal government can be any good at this. I maintain that it cannot be and we'd be better off if we went back to a non-governmental system of identifying promising students and assisting them through educational programs that will benefit them the most. The federal student aid system maximizes seat time in approved educational institutions, but that is far from optimizing the development of human capital. In fact, it often impedes that goal.

  • Share

Most Commented
Most Read

May 15, 2015

1.

Where Did We Get the Idea That Only White People Can Be Racist?

A look at the double standard that has arisen regarding racism, illustrated recently by the reaction to a black professor's biased comments on Twitter....

October 12, 2010

2.

Ask a Scholar: What is the True Definition of Latino?

What does it mean to be Latino? Are only Latin American people Latino, or does the term apply to anyone whose language derived from Latin?...

September 21, 2010

3.

Ask a Scholar: What Does YHWH Elohim Mean?

A reader asks, "If Elohim refers to multiple 'gods,' then Yhwh Elohim really means Lord of Gods...the one of many, right?" A Hebrew expert answers....