Vincent J. Cannato outlines the push and pull of home ownership in a National Affairs essay, “A Home of One’s Own,” a piece that doesn’t distinguish clearly between thoughtful and thoughtless homeownership. President Harry Truman glued together homeownership and higher education as key components of the G.I. Bill that would resettle and energize a nation coming home from war. Universities can ill afford to neglect the impact of over borrowing in pursuit of the American dream. During my visit to Canyon High School, I suggested to the students, “If you have to borrow money to attend WT as a freshman or sophomore, please don’t come here, but graduate debt-free from a community college.” One local leader in Canyon asked me if I feared firing for suggesting that students should not attend WT but go to a lower-priced community college. My simple-minded response: “For telling the truth?” The leadership of Chancellor John Sharp and the Board of Regents of The Texas A&M University System is rigorously focused on honest, forthright communication. Truthfulness and transparency are foundational burdens of effective service in a republic. Panhandle pragmatism rules in Canyon, Texas. Education is both a value proposition and a valued proposition. Dollars and good sense work together where land, natural resources and agriculture are woven into an economy that cannot thrive without thoughtful utilization of all resources and the opportunities provided by them. A local banker praised the position saying he too frequently had to deny mortgage loans to families due to over indebtedness from education loans. Being transparent is critical in gaining the trust of future students. Wherever their aspirations take them, their perception of our university’s integrity and honesty is paramount. I am betting my professional career that such relationships will prevail. Panhandle pragmatism rules in Canyon, Texas. Education is both a value proposition and a valued proposition. Dollars and good sense work together where land, natural resources and agriculture are woven into an economy that cannot thrive without thoughtful utilization of all resources and the opportunities provided by them.
Seek a university that appreciates the fullness of the American Dream and sees a university education, when it is desired and earned, as only one element of that aspiration.
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