Vouchers go to college: Colorado considers the unprecedented: giving tuition vouchers to undergrads. (Update).

Talk of vouchers has been prevalent in K-12 education, ever since the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of Cleveland's K-12 voucher program last year. But does a voucher system have any place in higher ed? Some Colorado legislators think so. They are floating the idea that the state give each qualified undergraduate student $4,000 annually to apply to tuition at any state public institution. Students would be responsible for the balance of tuition costs, which average $2,400 per year. The vouchers would replace direct state budget appropriations.

The program is a long way from becoming a reality, but if it does survive all the inevitable legislative hurdles, it will be the first of its kind in the nation. No one expects to save the state money with the voucher program, but legislators do hope to increase revenue by encouraging more students to attend state schools. Currently, only 39 percent of Colorado's high school graduates go on to higher education, making it 27th in the nation in sending graduates to college.

Higher ed officials have, so far, endorsed the proposed voucher program. "I believe very few students will be willing to walk away once they realize the state of Colorado is supporting them," Kay Norton, president of the University of Northern Colorado, told the media. "They won't be able to decline the offer."