The American Action Forum (@AAF) today released a unique new national survey examining the public’s views on higher education, including tuition costs, the role of Federal aid, higher education responsibility, and alternative education programs. AAF released an accompanying video featuring Public Opinion Strategies pollster Glen Bolger and AAF President Doug Holtz-Eakin explaining key findings and policies.

The poll, conducted by Glen Bolger and Jim Hobart of Public Opinion Strategies, finds that more than 9 in 10 respondents (92 percent) believe that college costs are expensive. Additionally, nearly 7 in 10 (68 percent) of respondents feel that individual students or their parents are responsible for making sure they have an opportunity to gain a college degree, rather than governments or universities;

Other Key Findings From the Survey Include:

• 54 percent of respondents agree that increased Federal spending on student loans and grants has led tuition costs to rise;
• Just 34 percent of respondents feel that it is the role of either the Federal or State governments to control college costs;
• 52 percent of respondents believe that a four-year college degree is not worth $26,000 in debt upon graduating.
• 55 percent of respondents oppose giving the federal government the authority to set price controls on public colleges and universities;
• Respondents strongly favor prior learning assessments and open online courses as viable alternatives to traditional college classrooms.

Survey Presentation:

AAF Higher Education National Survey