大学为谁而开:美国大学学费持续上涨的制度分析

Whose University:On the Rising of American University Tuition

二战后美国政府积极推动公共事业,用30余年的时间建立起兼顾公平与卓越的高等教育体系。随着高等教育政策的变动,美国大学学费从20世纪80年代起不断增长,时至今日不仅私立大学“高不可攀”,公立大学也不再“平易近人”,学生及其家庭背负上沉重的经济负担,加剧了收入分配的不平等,成为阶层固化和社会分裂的助推器。大学学费上涨的直接原因是教育政策的调整,深层原因则是社会制度的痼疾。高等教育的本质是培育人民心智和增进社会福利,大学应牢牢把握这一原则,根据发展水平不断完善资助与收费制度。

After the World War Ⅱ,the federal government of the United States vigorously promoted the development of public services,and established a higher education system with fairness and excellence in the next 30 years.Because of the changes of higher education policies,the university tuition became rising since the 1980 s;today,the tuition of private universities is unaffordable,as well as the public universities,which made the students and their families under the economic burden.It resulted in income inequality,and intensified the class solidification and social division.The rising of university tuition reflects the changes of American higher education policies,whose underlying cause is the chronic ills of the social system.Then essence of the university is to cultivate the mind of the people and improve social welfare;therefore,the university should adhere to the principle,and improve the supporting and tuition system according to the development level.