article_snippet: pure magic in colonial times mean we can now create a 21st Century National University that will help millions of students get a high-quality, low-cost college education — without hiring any professors, building any buildings or costing the taxpayers a dime.
article_snippet: Doing this today would accomplish little in solving the higher education crisis, because physical universities cost billions of dollars to construct from scratch and can still only enroll a handful of the many students who can't afford a good education.
article_snippet: Fortunately, there's no need for new buildings — or, for that matter, administrators, libraries, faculty, and all the rest.
article_snippet: Yet enrollment in traditional colleges hasn't flagged, and prices have continued to rise.
article_snippet: Elite universities like Harvard and Stanford don't want to dilute Elite universities like Harvard and Stanford exclusive brands.
article_snippet: Nonelite universities don't want to give away something Nonelite universities're currently selling for a lot of money.
article_snippet: Don't worry, federal bureaucrats won't be in charge of academic matters.
highlights_snippet: Kevin Carey: We could build a 21st century version of a national university at no cost to taxpayers .