How External Misfortunes Shaped Higher Education

Abstract

The essay makes an attempt to trace the influences that external political and socioeconomic factors like World Wars I, II and Great Depression had on higher education in the U.S. Higher education - autonomous and self – contained system - proved to be one of the center points of main societal developments, at the same time being significantly influenced by external factors. The general impression that one might get from the history of relationship between wider external factors and the development process of higher education is that wars and economic crisis increased public importance of higher education.Public value of higher education; GI Bill; expanded access to higher education; diminishing returns to invetments in higher education; indirect cost recovery; federal research grants; knowledge industry.