There is a lot of talk about the cost of a college education in the buildup to this year’s presidential election. Tuition across the country is at an all time high, prompting Democrats to outline a plan for free tuition at public universities and community colleges.
Ron Lieber, writing for the New York Times, brings us the story of how a number of colleges are making it hard for parents and prospective students to compare their costs with other schools. A tool called College Abacus allows anyone researching schools to easily compare the price of multiple colleges – except that a number of high-profile universities block the service.
Why? One can only assume that they want to retain control of the process themselves, thereby making it more difficult for students and parents to find the information they are looking for. As it stands, there is no incentive (and therefore zero reason) for institutions of higher learning to provide competitive information.
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