American higher education is failing “far too many of our students,” Education Secretary Arne Duncan was scheduled to say Monday, as he calls for colleges to be held more accountable for graduating students with high-quality degrees that lead to good jobs. In a speech outlining the higher education priorities of the Obama administration as it enters its final 18 months in office, Duncan will say it is time to “go further” than discussions about rising levels of student loan debt. He will urge a shift toward focusing on degree completion and educational quality. "Student debt is a burden for too many students, but most ultimately repay their loans, and for those who get their degree, college proves an excellent investment," Duncan will say, according to excerpts of his prepared remarks at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. “The degree students truly can’t afford is the one they don’t complete, or that employers don’t value.”

July 27, 2015 ・ From Inside Higher Ed