Author Profile

Vance Fried

Vance H. Fried is the Riata Professor of Entrepreneurship at Oklahoma State University. He is the author of Better/Cheaper College: An Entrepreneur's Guide to Rescuing the Higher Education Industry. His current research focuses on strategic innovation in higher education and free enterprise public policy. In addition, he has published extensively on the venture capital industry and the management of firms financed by venture capital. He holds a B.S. in finance from Oklahoma State University and a J.D. from the University of Michigan. He is also a CPA.

Articles by Vance Fried

Affordable College Is Here

Feb 7, 2020 · Vance Fried · No Comments

At TEL Library we’ve taken a major step toward reducing the cost of college with the launch of our Courses-on-Demand program. Through this program, students anywhere in the U.S. can take college courses that are entirely self-paced and allow students to start anytime they desire. The all-inclusive cost of these courses is $44 per credit … Continue reading “Affordable College Is Here”

The Endowment Trap

Mar 29, 2011 · Vance Fried · No Comments

Why should a school create a fund that it never intends to spend? Schools aren’t trust companies; they are educational institutions.

Pro/Con: Is Food Insecurity on Campus a Problem? Feb 19, 2020
Campus Food Insecurity Matters Food insecurity among American college students is a significant problem. While outdated stereotypes of higher education presume that undergraduates live on campus, receive stipends from their parents, and gorge themselves in campus dining halls, the facts suggest the opposite. Only 15.6 percent of today’s students reside on a college campus, at … Continue reading “Pro/Con: Is Food Insecurity on Campus a Problem?”
Reinvigorating the Teaching of American History Feb 17, 2020
To be ignorant of what occurred before you were born is to remain always a child. —Cicero It’s no secret that many of today’s students are ignorant of American history and of how American democracy works. According to a 2018 survey conducted by the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation, only 1 in 3 Americans would … Continue reading “Reinvigorating the Teaching of American History”
Race-Centered Narratives Obscure the Problems of College Sports Feb 14, 2020
National discussions of college athletics routinely emphasize race. That emphasis, however, is unfortunate because it diverts attention from issues that affect all student-athletes. Also, discussions of race in college sports commonly rely on questionable statistics. Some of those statistics come from a report by Shaun Harper, head of the Center on Race and Equity at … Continue reading “Race-Centered Narratives Obscure the Problems of College Sports”

Did You Know? Majority of Federal Funding for College Is for Student Loans Feb 20, 2020
The federal government has grown in importance for higher education for decades. The most long-lasting effect could be its status as the lender of first resort for student loans. The vast majority of federal spending on colleges and universities comes in the form of making loans, dwarfing all other activities. Of the $120 billion supplied … Continue reading “Did You Know? Majority of Federal Funding for College Is for Student Loans”
Pro/Con: Is Food Insecurity on Campus a Problem? Feb 19, 2020
Campus Food Insecurity Matters Food insecurity among American college students is a significant problem. While outdated stereotypes of higher education presume that undergraduates live on campus, receive stipends from their parents, and gorge themselves in campus dining halls, the facts suggest the opposite. Only 15.6 percent of today’s students reside on a college campus, at … Continue reading “Pro/Con: Is Food Insecurity on Campus a Problem?”
Did You Know? As Tuition Goes Up, Some Colleges Freeze or Cut Prices Feb 13, 2020
Private colleges that compete with public schools are scrambling to find a way to keep attracting students. To do so, freezing or lowering tuition rates have grown in popularity to bring in cost-conscious young people. Colleges such as St John’s in Maryland and New Mexico, Wells College in New York, and Utica College in New … Continue reading “Did You Know? As Tuition Goes Up, Some Colleges Freeze or Cut Prices”

Reinvigorating the Teaching of American History Feb 17, 2020
To be ignorant of what occurred before you were born is to remain always a child. —Cicero It’s no secret that many of today’s students are ignorant of American history and of how American democracy works. According to a 2018 survey conducted by the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation, only 1 in 3 Americans would … Continue reading “Reinvigorating the Teaching of American History”
Affordable College Is Here Feb 7, 2020
At TEL Library we’ve taken a major step toward reducing the cost of college with the launch of our Courses-on-Demand program. Through this program, students anywhere in the U.S. can take college courses that are entirely self-paced and allow students to start anytime they desire. The all-inclusive cost of these courses is $44 per credit … Continue reading “Affordable College Is Here”
Did You Know? Trade Schools Showing Strong Enrollment Growth Feb 6, 2020
As students are pushed to attend college more than ever before, many of them are beginning to push back. Many students struggle with that predetermined outcome of their lives and have become more open to other options such as vocational education or trade schools. For people with some college or an associate degree, the unemployment … Continue reading “Did You Know? Trade Schools Showing Strong Enrollment Growth”

Did You Know? Majority of Federal Funding for College Is for Student Loans Feb 20, 2020
The federal government has grown in importance for higher education for decades. The most long-lasting effect could be its status as the lender of first resort for student loans. The vast majority of federal spending on colleges and universities comes in the form of making loans, dwarfing all other activities. Of the $120 billion supplied … Continue reading “Did You Know? Majority of Federal Funding for College Is for Student Loans”
Pro/Con: Is Food Insecurity on Campus a Problem? Feb 19, 2020
Campus Food Insecurity Matters Food insecurity among American college students is a significant problem. While outdated stereotypes of higher education presume that undergraduates live on campus, receive stipends from their parents, and gorge themselves in campus dining halls, the facts suggest the opposite. Only 15.6 percent of today’s students reside on a college campus, at … Continue reading “Pro/Con: Is Food Insecurity on Campus a Problem?”
Reinvigorating the Teaching of American History Feb 17, 2020
To be ignorant of what occurred before you were born is to remain always a child. —Cicero It’s no secret that many of today’s students are ignorant of American history and of how American democracy works. According to a 2018 survey conducted by the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation, only 1 in 3 Americans would … Continue reading “Reinvigorating the Teaching of American History”