Cost of college has risen over 400 percent in 25 years. That is OUTRAGEOUS!

Parent Cafe
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<p>Speaking strictly from experience and the common sense of history–I remember back in 198? when Stanford was reported to have broken the $10,000 ceiling for tuition and I thought to myself, in the inflection of John McEnroe, “You have got to be kidding me!”–what has happened in the field of financial aid is basically this: If you are a modest fry, whose parents do not have holdings outside of their almost-paid-for home–that is to say, no yachts or summer homes or otherwise sheltered income–and you are applying to a private school that utilizes the Profile instead of the FASFA (which all schools require but only those that don’t require the Profile actually use to determine your need) you will receive a somewhat better offer than a public/private school that only relies on the FASFA. If your parents make over $120,000 and have a little socked away here and there, you will receive a better package through a FASFA-centric school than one that relies on the Profile for its calculations. All in all, what seemed like a terrible miscarriage of justice when the cost of a college education shot through the roof, HAS ACTUALLY MADE IT POSSIBLE for many people to attend who otherwise would not have been able to afford the institutions that generally make their way onto these discussion boards. The people who could afford an $8000 dollar-a-year education way back when, it turns out, could actually afford quite a bit more than that, and what stands in for their generosity along with the gifters who embellish the endowments of these institutions, is what pays the way for the future enfranchised. It’s kind of a neat little package, that. </p>

<p>If, like Notre Dame Al, you have scrimped and saved to pay for your child’s entire college education then, in this case, virtue must be its own reward (not your only reward–afterall, you have a child(ren) to share the wonders of life with), but you have missed the unspoken opportunity into which higher education in America today has evolved. There was a time when only the very few, fortunate, were allowed access to those halls; the GI bill changed everything on that score. What has occurred over the last 25-30 years is a direct reaction to the opening of the gates in the post World War II era. What universities came to realize is that they could rely on a much deeper financial base if they tapped into the economy of those who were already positioned to flip the entire bill for tuition. Do you think there is any other reason why tuition has escalated to its present level? A tax on the non-poor?–you bet your ass it is, and rightfully so.</p>

<p>The middle class is in no worse situation than it ever was. The belief in an arbitrary set of rules continues to reign over the land. The question at hand is–as it has always been since the days of Socrates: What actually constitutes virtue? It’s an important question and we should not be willing to throw it out, but while were working on it, let’s not forget that getting the most industry out of a faultly machine has some practical value. Even Socrates rode out the imperfections of the society in which he lived until it gave him no other choice.</p>

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<p>“The middle class is in no worse situation than it ever was.”</p>

<p>YouTube - The Coming Collapse of the Middle Class</p>

<p>From the UCTV Graduate Council/Jefferson Lectures. Would be worth watching, especially since Dr. Warren is one of the many credible researchers who have clearly noted that the middle classes have been subjected to definite and long developing declines in status. One which is undeniably affected by elements such as the high cost of education. And will be adversely affected by increased pressures which will make access to higher education much more difficult. </p>

<p>We can toss out a postmodern equivalent to Horatio Alger, but that doesn’t negate the unfortunate fact that not all is well…</p>

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<p>If one qualifies for a Pell grant, tuition is free at the University of Washington. It doesn’t cover room and board, but for a local kid, it is a great opportunity at a great university.</p>

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<p>College shouldn’t be unaffordable for any family who starts to plan from their child’s early years. Of course, that child may not be able to attend the most expensive college, but he/she’ll be able to attend a college that changes his/her life.</p>

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<p>If we didn’t want a cup of coffee that cost $2.78, we wouldn’t buy it.
;)</p>

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<p>This thread is getting a lot of spam posts, so please report those promptly by the Report Problem Post link for deletion by the moderation team.</p>

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<p>Well it seems like a dramatic increase in demand with little change in supply. Can you think of any major universities (US News top 50/100 list) that have been created in the last 25 years? Yet, 25 years ago students didn’t spend hundreds of dollars on SAT prep guides and courses. Also, 25 years ago you could get a fairly decent job at auto plants or manufacturers after high school. Yet now you’d be lucky if you can get into McDonalds with a high school education. So of course more students want to go to university. But the number of universities hasn’t changed much. Plus, more international students and simply greater population.</p>

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<p>August:</p>

<p>Your post highlights the problem. There are many universities, not showing up on anyone’s top 100 list, but are excellent places for students to spend years getting an education. As far as I’m concerned, yes, there is a supply/demand problem in the “top 25” schools, but there are still thousands of schoools left , with not enough students. Overall, there is an oversupply of spots in universities. Students should investigate schools, and not let hype get in the way of rational decision making.</p>

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<p>There are many jobs still available to high school graduates. The problem may be not so much a lack of jobs as it is a lack of motivated high school graduates (and their parents–because many high school graduates still let their parents do their talking for them and otherwise allow them to live as children). This accompanies the absence of a grounded work ethic or, in some cases, a work ethic that has been modified to excel in academic pursuits but not necessarily practical applications. A sense of academic entitlement throughout this country (except, perhaps, in some minority sectors of our society) has rendered a high school education superfluous. Now it is really more like a middle school for young adults to prep for real high school which takes place at college or university. These failures–and I do see them as failures–are manifest pretty much throughout our American life–familial, social, political, etc. There is a substantial amount of work to be done here and most of it, alas, much like an iceberg, exists beneath the surface.</p>

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<p>I’m afraid even the lessor known schools are becoming out of reach for many. College has long been the path to upward mobility, it was in my family where very hardworking high school grads rarely managed to make it to the upper middle class, and whose kids who did not make it to college could not find jobs that provided as well as their parent’s jobs did. Like it or not, post HS training or college is required to live a life comparable to many of the good “blue collar” jobs of the past. A large number of under trained adults will haunt the economy for a long time if left unattended.</p>

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<p>Apologies for the YT link, will remember not to use those sources. </p>

<p>Concerning the costs of college and jobs for those with a HS diploma, those conditions are closely correlated. In the past, many HS’s did a fair job in training people for the trades, or such training was available via Union apprentice programs or other alternatives such as dedicated vo-techs. </p>

<p>However this function has largely been moved over to the CC’s, and in general they do ok in regards to training for trades or support staff for the professions. But these institutions have also been subjected to their part of the 400% tuition increases. And the attendant reliance on loans for their populations to pay these increased tuition. </p>

<p>The dilemma is that these trades no longer, in general pay a living wage, and as such those who use this route to elevate their status will find its a blind alley. Which is compounded by the loan debts and abusive conduct by the loan companies. If doctors and professors are having problems adjusting to these pressures, nurses aids, mechanics and etc are under much, much more pressure. </p>

<p>And academe is not a ‘business’ where normal rules of supply and demand actually apply. In part because social and economic pressures demand those who can handle higher education do so-even if it is becoming an increasing case of diminishing returns. And partially because, over the last generation academe has become a government sanctioned cash cow for corporate lending interests. And as such there is little interest in either efficiency or ethics, simply because the end result of such grotesque fee inflation benefits the two parties collecting the money, academe and corporations. Of course, the consequences of such collusion…nee the graduates is simply booted out the door and left to shift as best they can. For the state schools, when these were largely funded via federal grants, state money, rather than dumping the costs onto parents and the students future…there were some practical and moral control over expenditures and standards. </p>

<p>To give an example of how bad current conditions can be, in my state there is a University which has made very close alliances with the corporate lenders (to the extent that both legality and morality are now very subjective conditions). And in this same state, much of the state government is under hiring and expenditure freezes, soon to be extended to higher ed. </p>

<p>But this institution recently built a 20 million dollar structure which has no direct function in education…? </p>

<p>That’s the dilemma…we have schools who are finally addressing rampant tuition, or are seeking other means to fund students. And to their credit they are trying to enact reforms intended to benefit the populations they serve-albeit somewhat belatedly. But at the same time we still have major institutions who feel no compunction about keeping the party going…</p>

<p>And its quite a dilemma for those of us teaching in academe. We know that the costs of our institutions is often way beyond presumed benefit, and know that in the lecture room or in our pay we do not see the effect of these massive increases in fees. But at the same time lingering hope and ethics that teaching is indeed a worthy calling or a just cause keeps many in the field. And for many the costs of their education keeps them working to propagate the same system which they fear to leave. </p>

<p>In all for students, families, and profs, the whole system ever being allowed to become so expensive, obese and oblivious to changing conditions bears a price way beyond a simple price tag…</p>

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<p>You know what else has increased 400% (actually, 397%) in the past 40 years? Prescription drugs.</p>

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<p>Not if they sell them at WalMart.</p>

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<p>(I meant “the past 25 years” above, by the way. And the 397% is actually 25 years and 9 months.)</p>