Higher education: in need of reform.

• Position: TRENDS AND TRANSITIONS - National Conference of State Legislatures' Blue Ribbon Commission on Higher Education

More Americans must finish college if our country is to prosper in tomorrow's global society, and it's up to state legislators to make that happen. Those are recommendations from the final report of the National Conference of State Legislatures' Blue Ribbon Commission on Higher Education.

Higher education in this country is in crisis, the report says. The American system is no longer the best in the world. At the same time, tuition and fees are skyrocketing and financial aid and loan programs aren't keeping up. As a result, post-secondary education is not accessible to many Americans.

"We call state legislators to action," says Wisconsin Representative Rob Kreibich, co-chair of NCSL's commission. "They have the power to demand that we do better, to demand that we think of higher education not as the balance wheel of budgets, but as an investment in our future."

Higher educationa can get short shrift in tough budget times because it has the built-in funding source of tuition. But still, states provide more funding and regulation of colleges and universities than any other level of government. The federal government's limited involvement includes funding academic research and financial aid for low-income students.

"States must take the initiative to reform higher education now, to avoid unnecessary federal intrusion. Each state's system, traditions, strengths and weaknesses are unique. Higher ed has always been a state responsibility and it must remain that way," says Connecticut Representative Denise Merrill, co-chair of the commission.

The commission came up with the following 15 recommendations for state legislators.

1 Define clear state goals. States need long-term priorities and a public agenda.

2 Identify your state's strengths and weaknesses. Don't make the mistake of borrowing other states' solutions without first determining what problems need to be fixed.

3 Know your state's demographic trends for the next 10 to 30 years. No one can begin to articulate meaningful goals for state higher education if they lack reliable information about current and future students.

4 Identify a place or structure to sustain the public agenda. Have ongoing, statewide discussions about how well the system is performing.

5 Hold...