Government should negotiate tuition cost

The U.S. government, the largest purveyor of loans to colleges, does absolutely nothing to try to reduce the cost of the tuition they pay for on behalf of the student debtor. Our government should negotiate tuition by stating to any given college that their debtor will go elsewhere unless they lower the cost. The government would be able to dictate in part such change in lowering tuition because of its enormous buying power of education. Such is done in the medical industry through Medicare/Medicaid, and such can be done in the educational arena.

The student is helpless since he/she has no direct economic power because he/she is beholden to the government for a loan. Active participation of our government will lower the almost trillion dollars that are outstanding in student loans and will give a student the chance to possibly pay back their loans sooner. There is an alarming default in undergraduate and graduate student loans. The cost of a college education is out of reach of most students without government intervention by way of its loan program.

During the debates, our president stated how he reduced the cost to the government of student loans by loaning the money directly to the educational institutions. He should have thought of a program to try to reduce the pressure on students and families that have to ultimately defray the cost of a college education.

Art Rutledge
Glendale