The hidden costs of ‘free’ education, degree-less millennials, and more.

Here’s your weekly roundup of the best education insights, analysis and FOMO-fighting tidbits.

$Free.99: A free education sounds good, but Princeton’s former president explains the hidden costs of such ideas being peddled by politicians. He writes,

“In our view, the leading question about college finance is not how to make college appear to be free but how to share the costs equitably and aim the resources where they are most needed.”

Tuition Payments: When companies offer to pay for their employees’ tuition, everyone wins–at least that’s what a white paper examining Cigna and its education reimbursement program shows.

Funneled: A career center director largely blames colleges and universities–not recruiters–for funneling students into the same consulting, finance and tech careers. He writes,

“It’s incumbent on us to help students remove their blinders, and expose them to the world of possibilities in career choices.”

Degree-less Millennials: Influencer Jeff Selingo shares some surprising stats on college dropout rates among millennials and why so many aren’t getting a degree.

Outdated MBAs: Have MBAs reached maturity? Not quite. But some business schools may have less room for development, writes Influencer Santiago Iniguez.

Scared to Speak: Fear is permeating college campuses, forcing students to be “too considered, too bland [and] too polite,” argues Influencer Michael Fertikfalse.

A Billionaire on Education: Bill Gates answers questions on how ed-tech will help teachers, what he’s hearing from educators during college visits, and personalized learning.

Last week I asked readers to weigh in on the ROI of college. Mom and marketing professional Wendy Alpine wrote about how her daughter avoided the high costs of higher education. The short answer: community college.

George Newman, a program director at a community college in Colorado, also weighed in by asking a student, “Is college worth it?” The student’s answer, he wrote, “made me hopeful that the revaluation of a college education is truly underway.”

Join the conversation with a post of your own on topics tied to education using #EdInsights in the body.