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The trajectory of higher education took a new turn with President Lyndon B. Johnson's Higher Education Act of 1965, which broadened access through federal financial aid. Colleges quickly adapted, and tuition rates began to soar as institutions recognized they could raise prices with government assistance. For instance, tuition at public universities jumped from an average of $394 in the 1970-71 school year to over $1,500 by 2020-21.

As the baby boomer generation reached college age, the pressures of the Vietnam War led to protests on campuses. This period witnessed a rethinking of educational priorities, creating a divide between vocational training and academic pursuits.

## The Rise of Student Debt and Declining Educational Standards