'Ivory Tower' looks at challenging times for higher education

By Jay Handelman. Andrew Rossi could have made a five-hour film or a series of documentaries about the problems with American higher education.
Instead, in less than two hours, he tries to sum up the troubles and offer possible solutions in his new film “Ivory Tower,” a centerpiece of this year’s Sarasota Film Festival. Rising costs and overwhelming student loan debt are the backdrop for the film, which is hitting film festivals as the Senate considers reauthorizing the 1965 Higher Education Act.
The act sets federal government student aid. The government provides more than $150 billion for various programs each year. But students’ debt has already topped $1 trillion, and graduates who may benefit from their education with higher-paying jobs are spending much of their income just paying off loans. More...