Book review of "International Perspectives in Higher Education: Balancing Access, Equity, and Cost"

Abstract

"Higher education in the United States has reached a turning point," write Jason Delisle and Alex Usher in their introduction to this thoughtfully conceived volume on international lessons for US higher ed reform. Once considered the greatest higher education system in the world, US postsecondary institutions now face increasing criticism. Rising costs drive tuition hikes, limiting student access to education, contributing to high dropout rates, and saddling graduates with burdensome loan payments. Students, parents, and policy makers are beginning to question the value of postsecondary education relative to lifetime earnings. In light of these concerns, policymakers, researchers, and advocates are increasingly curious about how higher education systems in other countries address the complex and interrelated issues of access, equity, quality, affordability, and cost, and what institutions in the United States can learn from these countries' experience. To address these questions, Delisle and Usher have assembled a diverse group of experts to investigate specific policy questions salient to this debate - notably free tuition policies, cost-sharing arrangements, restricted vs. unrestricted access, and the structure of student loans - drawing out similarities and differences across countries. To complement this cross-country approach, the volume also offers a series of case studies, examining the implications of free tuition in Chile; the labor market and financial impact of expanded access in Australia; and the role of the private sector in Brazilian higher education.-- Introduction / by Jason D. Delisle and Alex Usher -- Part 1. Trends and policies shaping higher education systems abroad: The limitations of free college in Europe / by Jon Marcus -- The expanding role of tuition and other forms of cost-sharing in higher education / by Bruce Johnstone -- Juxtaposing global and U.S. private higher education: what is to be learned? / by Daniel C. Levy -- The practical and ethical underpinnings of higher education access policies / by Anna Mountford-Zimdars -- The architecture of student loan systems / by Alex Usher -- Part 2. Case studies: lessons from individual countries: Chile: the challenges of free college / by Andres Bernasconi -- Australia: the price of greater access to higher education / by Vicki Thomson -- Brazil: expanding access through private institutions / by Dante J. Salto -- Conclusion / by Jason D. Delisle and Alex Usher.