New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said Thursday that some colleges are "drunk on cash,” which has contributed to the rising cost of higher education.
“Today we see an increasing number of schools that aren’t driven by the needs of students, they’re driven by tuition and fees. They aren’t meeting their responsibility to be stewards of public resources,” Christie said in a speech at Iowa State University. “Some colleges, quite frankly, are drunk on cash and they are embarking on crazy spending binges, just because they know they can get huge revenues from tuition.”
The potential GOP presidential candidate offered a number of proposals aimed at cutting the cost of a four-year degree, including discounted weekend classes and an itemized tuition bills that would give students a more complete picture of how schools are spending their money.
College affordability is likely to become a big issue in the 2016 campaign as candidates appeal to young voters and the parents that often foot some of the bill. Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton has expressed support for President Obama’s push for free community college.
“It’s not about just making higher education free, as the president has suggested. That is a typical liberal approach to the problem," Christie said. "As we know, there for free in this world. There are always costs involved.”
