WHO: U.S. Department of EducationWHAT: Spent $9 billion between 2003 and 2008 on public college dropouts who did not return after freshman year, according to a report from the American Institute for Research.

WHY IT’S AN OUTRAGE: On average, taxpayer subsidies for students in public colleges stand around $10,000 per student per year. The United States spends more than any other country on higher education, yet only about 60 percent of students graduate from four-colleges within six years.