[PhilBiker]

Pup,

Both the students in your examples, the kid going to commuter college, and the girl going to football U should do two years at their local community college then go on to finish off at commuter U and/or football U. Those things are the best kept secrets around. Book costs are going to be the same but tuition will be 1/3 or less of the regular school.

But the real problem with higher education is the same as health care and umpteen other things in our society. We've passed the point of diminshing returns.