A Starting Point To Fix Higher Education

Imagine the greatest minds in mathematics working with the best teachers to create a program that explains math from a high school level up, with the assistance of experts in the psychology of learning. So at every step there is are videos and essays and multiple styles of practical learning that addresses the subject matter in every way a student might take in and understand information the best. 

Now imagine that since it is an entirely online, automated system, there is no time frame imposed on the student. When a test is taken and passed, they move on to the next lesson. If they fail, they are shown exactly what they got wrong and given resources to help them better understand. But they can fail as many times as they need. If they are about to take a test and they don't feel ready, or life intervenes, there's no penalty, they just take it later. And how much later is up to them.

All of the learning is done at the students pace. Occasional tests to ensure they have mastered a subject area are done in person, at a library, local college, etc where the student can to verify it is them taking and passing the test. But it's still open ended on when, not on only one specific day and time while they are also preparing for final exams in multiple other classes over the same week. If they are taking other courses, they can pause all but the one they are taking a big test in to properly prepare, then resume them when they're ready.

In this way a person with a job and/or children and/or trying to juggle the many unknowns life can throw at people, isn't penalized for having limited time to get an education, neither are they forced to be absent from important things they need to show up for because they also want an education.

Certificates could be given for each milestone, ones that actually have meaning enough that people could put them on a resume. "I have successfully completed level three mathematics, in addition to having the financial planning and accounting two certificates." Something like that anyway. And if the person wants to go to a regular college, any college that accepts federal funds has to give equivalent college credit for completed courses. 

Non-math classes would be harder to implement in an automated manner that is student centered. But I'm sure it could be done. There are plenty of people much smarter than me who could figure something out. Even if it just meant an associates degree worth of courses, with additional learning in the areas it would make the most sense to do so... that's an associates degree without the time or financial pressures of attending current college. With the ability to transfer credits to most other colleges, getting further degrees becomes much more achievable for just about everyone. 

Libraries across the country would get increased funding in order to assist their communities, by becoming a central hub in continued education. Tax breaks for volunteer tutors. Call it the USOC for United States Online College, but really mean Ultra-Stan Ocasio-Cortez. The cost to set up would be nothing compared to what the US spends on the dumbest stuff. We could allow other countries to pay a small fee to also have access to help cover ongoing costs. Or just let them use it because we've probably exploited their resources and labor and it's the least we can do.