From Kentucky Public Radio's Tony McVeighA 25-member panel appointed by Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear will look for ways to make college in the Commonwealth more affordable and accessible.Twenty-five percent of Americans have college diplomas. In Kentucky, it’s 17 percent. Tuition in surrounding states has risen seven percent in the last 10 years. In Kentucky, it’s up 10 percent.Governor Beshear believes more Kentuckians would go to college it they could afford it. So, he’s appointing a higher education task force to find ways to make that happen."This economic crisis only adds urgency to our higher education mission. We cannot afford to be timid. We cannot afford to be tentative. We must be aggressive, strategic and determined," he said.Beshear wants two reports from the group. The first, on ways to reduce college costs, is due January 15th. The other, on stabilizing funding for higher education, is due next September.
Rick Howlett was midday host and the host of LPM's weekly talk show, "In Conversation." He was with LPM from 2001-2023 and held many different titles, including Morning Edition host, Assignment Editor and Interim News Director. He died in August 2023. Read a remembrance of Rick here.