Laboratories of democracy…
What this thread shows is that many states could invest more in public colleges, including establishing clearer paths to transfer from a juco, but choose not to. They spend their dollars elsewhere.
So yeah, in those states with high public education costs, or rural flagships, it can be difficult to obtain an education on the cheap. (years ago, I got into it with a then long-time poster on cc about the cost of UMass, and that it was not all that accessible. While she was correct, my point was that the forefathers of MA made a conscious decision to park their Uni in the beautiful Berkeshires. And then my question to her, who was supporting more federal funding, why should other states have to pay for that decision, particularly if they chose to build colleges in their urban centers, making them more accessible?)
btw: even the ease-of-transfer issue is not simple computer coding. It took the California Legislature to mandate that the three college systems work together. But it can be accomplished, if states make it a higher priority.