There’s a legal phrase, cui bono, which means, roughly, “who benefits?” — it’s meant as a reminder to look at what people involved in a law case stand to gain. It’s a question, and a real question, that we can ask ourselves about pursuing a four-year college education.

Diane Rehm (The Diane Rehm Show, WAMU American University Radio) didn’t go to college…she got a job in radio out of high school and, thirty-four years later, is asking her guests and audience the question Who Benefits from College And Why? (8 May 2013.)

An audio archive should be is available shortly at the link, but as usual the comments — strident, anecdotal, passionate, cynical, wise, curious — tell much of the story.

We don’t mean to undersell the value of a college degree — most of us here at the Saylor Foundation have one or more of them, and we partner with some wonderful, innovative schools to help students get theirs. But with U.S. student debt at $1 trillion and a perception that certain degrees (e.g. in the Arts and Humanities) don’t necessarily open doors, concerns naturally arise.

Give it a listen, and share your thoughts. Where does Saylor.org (et al.) fit in? What’s your path?