Rubio calls U.S. higher education system a 'cartel', urges overhaul

(Reuters) - U.S. Republican presidential candidate Marco Rubio called on Tuesday for an overhaul of the country's higher education system, saying that universities were operating as a "cartel" and were not meeting the needs of students or the economy. "We do not need timid tweaks to the old system. We need a holistic overhaul. We need to change how we provide degrees, how those degrees are accessed, how much that access costs, how those costs are paid, and even how those payments are determined," said the Florida senator in a policy speech in Chicago. The speech was part of a move by Rubio to increase his visibility on the campaign trail after focusing over the past several weeks on Senate business. (Reporting by Lisa Lambert)