The dynamism of America partly depends on new entrants into the uber-elite of money and power. (Poor kids becoming super rich within one generation. They shake

The dynamism of America partly depends on new entrants into the uber-elite of money and power. (Poor kids becoming super rich within one generation. They shake things up and change the way things are done. This is partly a result of: 1. Poor kids getting into elite universities 2. The existence of highly elite universities If you provide less funding to the Harvards and MITs of the world do you really expect them to keep getting better and better? And if the overtime become "less awesome" then the benefits one derives from attending will decline. In that case, the poor kid that managed to get into Harvard, etc (or any of the Ivys, they all provide great financial aid) wouldn't benefit the way today's attendee does. The path for that poor kid to break into the uber wealthy just became harder. The Mark Zuckerbergs, Steve Schwarzmans of the world make America dynamic. Poor or middle class kids that break into the uber wealthy and disrupt the way things are done. Non-elite universities don't make that path easier - regardless of how much money you throw at them. Elite universities provide poor kids with things we need: 1. Status / credibility - maybe not important in tech, but definitely important in high-finance, politics, etc 2. Exposure to those who come from families that have done really well 3. Access to leading faculty and research opportunities You can throw tons of money at non-elite colleges, they still will not be able to provide the above. I'm not saying that non-elite universities are useless - they are incredibly important for having a healthy middle class. But what makes America great in my opinion is that every few years 5-10 kids that grew up poor make it to the top, change our world, and kick those that were complacent while at the top out.