I wrote the following guest editorial for the Mt. Lake Observer-Advocate, the home-town paper in the Minnesota community where I grew up: College costs too much and students are graduating with too much debt. That’s why some wonder if it’s worth it. Unfortunately, the national debate over cost is obscuring the simple fact that a college degree is still the best investment people can make in their own futures.

College costs too much. That’s why we should support all reasonable attempts to make it more accessible and affordable.   The Tennessee legislature recently passed (and the Governor signed) a bill creating “The Tennessee Promise” making two years of community college free for all the state’s high school graduates. Similar bills are being considered elsewhere. I applaud all efforts that affirm higher education as a “public good” rather than a “personal benefit.” President Obama’s 2020 goal of returning the United States to first in the world in terms of college completion is predicated on increasing access, making higher education more affordable and ensuring that students graduate. While getting into college is easy, the hard part is getting out.

The final buzzer signaling the end to this year’s March Madness left me staring at the TV screen in disgust.  I had hoped that both the Kentucky Wildcats and the UConn Huskies would somehow lose!   A highly unlikely fantasy, I know.  Full disclosure, I earned both my Masters and Ph.D. at the University of Wisconsin so rooted for the Badgers in their loss to Kentucky in the semi-finals. Before dismissing my reaction to the title game as the whining of a disappointed Wisconsin alumnus, hear me out.  I absolutely love intercollegiate athletics!  However, Kentucky and Connecticut reflect several things that are very wrong with NCAA Division I basketball.