People have been talking about a college diploma as a valuable investment for far too long now; it’s time to put up or shut up.  Higher education as it is practiced today is arguably the most highly subsidized business there is; not including tax breaks or funds earmarked for research, the number is around $43 billion per year.  In the meantime, tuition continues to rise, and the existing portfolio of student loans has grown to around $1 trillion.  It’s easy to point the finger at tenure, but you need look no further than the home mortgage tax deduction to see what government subsidies can do to prices.  If American entrepreneurial spirit still has a pulse, why not allow venture capitalists to invest in student equity, and receive a share of their future income in return?

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/14/opinion/the-college-graduate-as-collateral.html?_r=1