Should student financial aid be tied to "workforce needs"

If reimbursement means payment of future tuition, it's dumb indeed, especially as we just might end up with a really big wave of unemployed veterans.

Mostly a bookmark....
Thank you all. It has been a pleasure reading through all of your responses.
I am thinking of returning to school soon at age 32. The prospect is daunting.

Prospect Hell! Wait till you see the price tag.

I know we've briefly discussed this before, but while personal satisfaction is, well, satisfying, a cold cost/benefit analysis is in order, and don't forget to factor in lost income while in school.

The daunting-ness is primarily cost related.
I do think that on-line education will be in the longer term the way to go (for society a whole).
Quantifying knowledge/skill is of course the financial value of a "degree".
Stanford and MIT have most of their lectures on YouTube. I could buy/rent the books and follow along. Professors are needed only to help direct learning (evaluate papers/suggest reading) and verify understanding (evaluate papers/grade exams).
The price tag is in exchange for that.
University stamp of approval. Certified learned.