<p>50 year old schools are not the driver of higher tuition in our state this year.</p>
<p>Edited to add: Much of the population growth in FL has occurred in the latter half of the 20th century. Of course the state needed universities. FL was 33rd in population in 1900 and 4th in 2000. These “new” universities have nothing to do with driving up the price of tuition in the state. Tuition at FL State Us is increasing because the state is giving the universities less money than they gave them in recent years (not 45 years ago).</p>
<p>I see SO many 18-year-olds in our neck of the woods, a nondescript middle class suburban area, pretty much brainwashed by guidance counselors, parents & peers that one must have ‘the college experience’. Well, does that include clueless parents spending $50,000 plus for two years of their offspring wandering aimlessly at a state college taking Lit 101, binge drinking, and scratching their collective heads while trying to decide on a potentially employable major? In this economy, it’s a waste of money that oft times, the parents do not possess. For them, the 2-year CC is a darn good launching point.</p>
<p>Certainly, there are the gifted, the old souls that are mature beyond their eighteen years that can focus. The 4-year U. is for them to prepare for graduate work.</p>
<p>SteveMA, those are stats for attendance. The last issue of the high school paper in May of senior year lists all seniors. There is a separate one for scholarship monies where all admission and $$$ are listed. Our top 20 stats are pretty pitiful (2-3 ivy, 3-4 service academies, and a handful at best of top 20 schools. </p>
<p>These are half of what they used to be and reflect two different trends. One that kids are happy with the state flagship and state directionals or can’t afford or get into better and the second that the high achievers, 2nd generation well to do immigrant kids, 1%'ers, and so on flock to the several $10k a year private high schools post middle school.</p>
<p>Well, I’d like to see the prices start to come down. I’ve been waiting for 20 years, and watched the prices go from barely affordable to not affordable. If things keep going the way they have, we won’t be able to afford most OOS publics either. Some have already gone that way, and most of the privates are off the list without merit money.</p>
<p>Feels like the mortgage bubble. We started looking for a bigger house in 1998. Prices had already come up nicely. We waited for a pullback. And waited. And waited. It eventually came and boy, did it come. But we had given up by then. The market can remain irrational longer than you can remain solvent. I guess that’s true for college too.</p>
<p>This conversation is one that would have been poo-pooed and derided by many posters when I found CC 5 years ago. </p>
<p>I find it refreshing. And also a validation of my thoughts back in 2005 when it seemed as though every family in my neighborhood was willing to use home equity lines of credit to bankroll the total experience for their snowflakes.</p>
<p>However, the 1945-1969 school growth (which accommodated the GI Bill driven rise in bachelor’s degree attainment from 10% to 30%) is hardly relevant to today’s cost growth.</p>
<p>^Right, that was brought up by someone to evidence the growth in public school funding.</p>
<p>I still contend that, outside of the top 100’ish, price is driven by perception. Or at least was. Schools had to “keep up with Jones’s” and tuition was a way to set ones own peer group. If this article is right? that practice will end up biting them in the a$$</p>
<p>I know what you mean, BCEagle, with the housing market, in particular. Close friends of ours were in a small townhouse and were waiting and waiting for prices to go down, as they really wanted a larger place and they were sure that the bubble would break. The kids got older, space got tighter, prices went higher for homes. They finally broke…and bought at the top of the market! Window’s even tighter for kids’ college.</p>
<p>WEll Khan academy, while excellent for reinforcement of lessons, or going ahead, it is not part of any institution which grants a degree.
ALl online degrees currently are also very expensive, bar of course the state school systems, which are the same price per credit as the brick and mortar attendance.
I think it is wishful thinking to see a drop in cost, the next batch/generation comes and nothing changes.</p>
<p>it’s a trend. You won’t see it come in or after a single event, but as money is invested, and the internet (as a learning medium) matures? you will see this translate into price pressure on traditional institutions.</p>
<p>You’re seeing it in most schools offering “non degree’d” programs online. These will continue to progress; to degree’d and then accredited.</p>