Some great programs are reasonably priced. One example that HN readers may find interesting is Georgia Tech's online graduate CS program. For roughly $7,000, you can get a CS degree from a top 10 school.
Myth and reality in the crisis of college affordability (2015)
11–20 of 34 posts
Re: Myth and reality in the crisis of college affordability (2015)
#12A large part of the rise in costs is due to the conservative political movement.
For one thing, conservatives are very hostile toward higher education because they consider it a hotbed of marxist atheism. In fact, one of the founding books of the conservative movement, by William F. Buckley, focused on exactly this point.
Secondly, conservatives believe in making government as small as possible, so they have been shrinking tax support for universities. And when universities respond by becoming big businesses in partnerships with profit-making corporations and neglecting teaching, the conservatives think this is just fine.
In the meantime, countries we are competing with like China continue to support public education as a way of beating us in free market competition. Conservatives never seem to make the connection.
Re: Myth and reality in the crisis of college affordability (2015)
#13A large part of the rise in costs is due to the conservative political movement. For one thing, conservatives are very hostile toward higher education because they consider it a hotbed of marxist atheism. In fact, one of the founding books of the conservative movement, by William F. Buckley, focused on exactly this point. Secondly, conservatives believe in making government as small as possible, so they have been shr…
You're telling us that if everyone suddenly had to pay their entire education out of pocket (because the "conservatives" presumably cut all tax benefits) that it would cause a rise in tuition costs?
Free/easy money causes the price of assets to rise, as our Fed is demonstrating. Why would it be the opposite with education?
Re: Myth and reality in the crisis of college affordability (2015)
#14Access to free and easy money causes the price of assets to rise, and a college diploma is a great asset.
Universities have been doing the same thing all businesses do: charge as much as the market will bear.
Re: Myth and reality in the crisis of college affordability (2015)
#15A large part of the rise in costs is due to the conservative political movement. For one thing, conservatives are very hostile toward higher education because they consider it a hotbed of marxist atheism. In fact, one of the founding books of the conservative movement, by William F. Buckley, focused on exactly this point. Secondly, conservatives believe in making government as small as possible, so they have been shr…
You're telling us that if everyone suddenly had to pay their entire education out of pocket (because the "conservatives" presumably cut all tax benefits) that it would cause a rise in tuition costs? Free/easy money causes the price of assets to rise, as our Fed is demonstrating. Why would it be the opposite with education?
By taxes, I meant tax money that the state uses to subsidize public universities.
The easy money of student loans is a federal program, not the state governments. And conservatives like it because then the big financial corporations that make student loans can make lots of money. And the more expensive education is, the more money they can make. So yes, conservatives think it is just great when higher education gets more expensive.
Re: Myth and reality in the crisis of college affordability (2015)
#16A large part of the rise in costs is due to the conservative political movement. For one thing, conservatives are very hostile toward higher education because they consider it a hotbed of marxist atheism. In fact, one of the founding books of the conservative movement, by William F. Buckley, focused on exactly this point. Secondly, conservatives believe in making government as small as possible, so they have been shr…
You're telling us that if everyone suddenly had to pay their entire education out of pocket (because the "conservatives" presumably cut all tax benefits) that it would cause a rise in tuition costs? Free/easy money causes the price of assets to rise, as our Fed is demonstrating. Why would it be the opposite with education?
I am not sure exactly, but a plausible interaction would be:
Tax benefits cut forcing more students to seek financial loans for student expenses. Conservatives further protect lending institutions (and punish students) by making student debt one of the forms of debt not clearable by bankruptcy creating an artificial safety for lenders. Student loans are now a low risk lending market so lenders relax requirements for loans. Now students have greater access to financial loans of larger size so Universities are able to raise tuition without impacting operations/enrollment.
This is obviously a contrived line of reasoning, but the point is that there is a complex interaction occurring resulting in what I (personally) would consider market failure.
Re: Myth and reality in the crisis of college affordability (2015)
#17A large part of the rise in costs is due to the conservative political movement. For one thing, conservatives are very hostile toward higher education because they consider it a hotbed of marxist atheism. In fact, one of the founding books of the conservative movement, by William F. Buckley, focused on exactly this point. Secondly, conservatives believe in making government as small as possible, so they have been shr…
You're telling us that if everyone suddenly had to pay their entire education out of pocket (because the "conservatives" presumably cut all tax benefits) that it would cause a rise in tuition costs? Free/easy money causes the price of assets to rise, as our Fed is demonstrating. Why would it be the opposite with education?
[deleted]
Re: Myth and reality in the crisis of college affordability (2015)
#18Earlier quoted context omitted.
You're telling us that if everyone suddenly had to pay their entire education out of pocket (because the "conservatives" presumably cut all tax benefits) that it would cause a rise in tuition costs? Free/easy money causes the price of assets to rise, as our Fed is demonstrating. Why would it be the opposite with education?
By taxes, I meant tax money that the state uses to subsidize public universities. The easy money of student loans is a federal program, not the state governments. And conservatives like it because then the big financial corporations that make student loans can make lots of money. And the more expensive education is, the more money they can make. So yes, conservatives think it is just great when higher education gets…
Let me explain this in a more organized manner. To start, conservatives have three basic values: democracy, the free market, and religion. The oppose marxism because it is totalitarian, socialist, and atheist.
The opposed the old universities because they believed they were marxist. They like it that the new universities have become more expensive because that keeps people out of universities, or when they are in they enroll in business-oriented programs rather than the humanities, which are rather anti-business. They like it that universities have abandoned education in favor of entrepreneurship. And they like the student loan program because it helps universities be like businesses, and makes lots of money for financial corporations. Do you really disagree this is what conservatives think and feel?
Re: Myth and reality in the crisis of college affordability (2015)
#19"public higher education in this country no longer exists." I graduated from a SUNY school in 1992. My tuition was $675 per semester. Fees were minimal. Especially if you lived at home and commuted, or had an apartment. The minimum wage at the time was $3.35/hr. You could work all summer and pay for your tuition and books, and work a part-time job during the semester to pay for your living expenses. I paid for colleg…
Didn't downvote you, but I think your conclusion doesn't match your anecdote. "We really need to increase public funding for education." Shouldn't the conclusion be to lower costs and not increase funding if it's increased 7 fold in a short period?
The tuition has increased as the costs have been shifted from the state tax revenue (public funding) to the students.
I almost wonder if this might be part of the reason for the rising costs. Since there is no option to escape from college debt free these days, the difference in costs appears minimal, as it comes down to a small monthly difference in a far-off student loan payment. I'll bet this makes students much less likely to protest tuition increases, as it is all essentially far-off funny money, and doesn't impact their bottom line.
I remember participating in massive protests of a new (small) bus fee when I was in school. The fee was imposed in contradiction to a promise of free inter-campus transport made when a second campus was built 20 years prior. I doubt such a small fee increase would result in such massive protests these days. For me, that fee was the difference between ramen and real food for a few weeks.
Re: Myth and reality in the crisis of college affordability (2015)
#20Earlier quoted context omitted.
Didn't downvote you, but I think your conclusion doesn't match your anecdote. "We really need to increase public funding for education." Shouldn't the conclusion be to lower costs and not increase funding if it's increased 7 fold in a short period?
The tuition has increased as the costs have been shifted from the state tax revenue (public funding) to the students. I almost wonder if this might be part of the reason for the rising costs. Since there is no option to escape from college debt free these days, the difference in costs appears minimal, as it comes down to a small monthly difference in a far-off student loan payment. I'll bet this makes students much l…
I guess that's the question I don't have the answer for. Was the OP's education largely subsidized by the government or have other things like increased demand combined with easily obtained student loans driven up the cost?