<p>...that what seems inexpensive to some people is prohibitively expensive to others. Reminds me of the old story about the wealthy prep school girl who wondered, when confronted with a news story about some disaster or other that affected poor people, why they "couldn't just sell some of their stock."</p>
<p>I volunteer at a regional university where one boy was distraught over missing out on some minor (to me) opportunity, which meant that he would have to come up with $25 for a required fee. He was willing to do a lot to get out of that $25 fee - that was real money to him, and he was deeply worried about where he could get it. He was working full time but had no insurance, etc.</p>
<p>I may personally see this school as virtually free, but the commuters, immigrants, etc. who go there are constantly struggling, sometimes trying to hold down a full-time, 40-hour a week job while going to school with a full credit load.</p>
<p>It's no wonder at all to me that graduation rates at expensive, elite schools are so good and those at lesser schools are not.</p>