Perry Rebukes Impeachment Committee; Promotes $10,000 Degrees

"And he [Hezekiah] did what was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his father David had done."
2 Kings 18:3

Shortly after Monday's committee vote, Rick Perry upped the ante:

Making sure these graduates have the skills and knowledge they need is as critical as any mission we have before us. An important factor in their success is ensuring they don't carry a crushing debt burden with them after they leave school

Helping students avoid such debt was the goal of the $10,000 degree challenge announced in the 2011 State of the State address. It was a challenge to all Texas colleges and universities to develop degree plans that would cost no more than $10,000.

The idea was to leverage existing technology to cut costs through revolutionary concepts such as competency-based learning, which reduces the need for students to take classes related to skills they've already mastered. This streamlined approach to earning a degree is one that puts the focus on helping a student to earn a quality degree as quickly and efficiently as possible.

So far, 13 schools across Texas have low-cost degree plans in place. These programs use an innovative mix of online classes, dual credit courses, credit for skills mastered and scholarships to bring down the price of tuition and fees.

....

Students who graduate from these programs will not carry a significant amount of debt, and they'll immediately be among the most employable Texans in their respective regions.

This is a win for graduates - who otherwise may not have attended college - and a win for employers seeking the most qualified employees. This helps Texas attract employers and means graduates can find good paying jobs.

....

Texans have access to some of the greatest schools in the world, but that access is threatened when the price of earning a degree sails out of reach. To allow more students to realize their dreams through education, Texas must protect the gains we've made and work even harder to keep the cost of a college degree affordable for everyone.

 Bravo Mr. Governor, read the whole thing here.