This time from the Detroit Free Press, this article by David Jesse came across the the NASFAA listserv yesterday.  Interesting perspective to consider as we redesign the higher education system. As student loan debtor John Whaley puts it in the article:

“Because the government has almost ensured anyone who applies will get the loan they need, schools have been able to drive prices up with no concern as to where funding will come from,”

I'm not sure the facts support this interpretation, altho it makes intuitive sense.  As observed on the NASFAA listserv by Dave Sheridan, Director of Financial Aid at Columbia University in New York, only GradPLUS loans are unlimited, and the limits for undergrad loans are lower than the full cost at many universities.  Still, it plays a role- especially in graduate education where the student can and does frequently borrow whatever the school tells the federal government they need.  The cost of education, and student lending's role in it, needs to be addressed in whatever solution we craft.