????如今，收入不均越演越烈。在這樣的背景下，美國人民應該清醒意識到，當只有富人和特權人群能負擔起高等教育的時候，我們的處境會進一步惡化。因為有研究顯示，大學畢業生一生能多賺100萬美元。

????現實中有了改善院校籌款系統的方案，但是首先，重要的是，學生們要成為精明的消費者。奧巴馬針對高昂的大學學費提出一項計劃，引入“大學計分卡”，根據大學的債務水平和畢業生就業數據，而非聲望和營銷花樣，來對大學進行排名。我們終于邁出了關鍵的一步。但是政府又表示，上面說的這種大學排名方法要等到2015年才開始實行，2018年才會開始問責。太遲了。再說，沒人敢保證，下一屆總統一定會執行這項計劃。也沒人敢保證，各大學的游說團體最終會不會破壞這個計劃。

????學生和家長現在就該組織起來，采取類似“俄勒岡后付學費”計劃（Oregon's Pay It Forward ）的堅定行動。這個計劃要求州立學院和大學免除學費，作為回報，學生在畢業后24年里將收入的3%付給學校。可供成千上萬學生學習的大型網上公開課（Massive Open Online Courses ，縮寫MOOCs）也是降低成本的好辦法，而且部分院校已經開始采用。這類公開課及俄勒岡計劃將有助遏制不斷膨脹的高校教育買賣，最終扭轉高校偏愛富家子弟的局面。（財富中文網）

????本文作者馬太.?席格爾是OurTime.org的共同創始人兼總裁。OurTime.org是一家通過在線組織、新媒體和大眾文化等方式反映美國年輕人政治訴求的全國性非盈利組織。

????譯者：侯婕???

????In light of growing income inequality, it's time for Americans to realize we're all worse off when only the wealthy and privileged can afford a higher education; this is because studies show that college graduates will earn about $1 million more over the course of their lifetimes.

????There are some excellent proposals in place to ameliorate our system of college financing, but first, it's important for students to recognize that they also must be smart consumers. President Obama's latest plan to reduce higher education costs calls for a "college scorecard" that will rate colleges based on their debt levels and job placement statistics as opposed to prestige and marketing allure. This is a great first step, but the Administration also said it won't start rating colleges until 2015 and will not hold them accountable until 2018. This is much too late, and who knows whether the next President will implement this plan or whether college lobbyists will ultimately destroy the measure.

????It's time for students and their parents to organize in favor of bold measures such as Oregon's Pay It Forward program, which would eliminate tuition at state public colleges and universities in exchange for students paying 3% of their income back to the schools over the course of 24 years after graduating. Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), which open curriculums to thousands, are another promising measure to lower costs that some colleges are embracing. Approaches like this and Oregon's will help curb the booming business of college, and ultimately end their complicit role in engendering a system that favors the kids of the wealthy.

????Matthew Segal is co-founder and president of OurTime.org, a nationwide non-profit organization that leverages online organizing, new media, and popular culture to enhance the political voice of young Americans.