Please lower the cost of college first before handing out “free” money

A recent article in MLive outlined a new college scholarship program proposed by the newly elected Governor of Michigan in her state-of-the-state address.  At the same time, probably one of the best kept secrets in the US, Purdue University’s president, Mitch Daniels, has kept tuition level for 7 years.

Instead of first reaching for “free money”, why isn’t it the Michigan governor’s first order of business to set everyone down (university presidents from across Michigan in this case) and ask how Michigan, working together, can emulate what Mitch Daniels is doing?

And 2setsofrules isn’t just singling out officials in Michigan.  Why aren’t education department officials from Washington to university representatives from across the country, all beating a path to Purdue?

That would be leadership.  But that’s also the harder path.

It’s always easy when you are spending other people’s money to just hand it out for free.