<p>Penn State, University of Illinois, top the list, but a lot of schools moving up there. What the heck with raising the cost to the $30K range? Outrageous, IMO. As far as I am concerned, private schools can do what the heck they want, and raising OOS costs is fine too, but when an in state kid is not going to be able to go to your flagships, this is truly a shame. These are times when families have become unemployed and have had their investments tank, so even those with the EFC that says they can pay, makes it an unwise move for them to do so. Not that these schools even are meeting EFC defined need in most cases.</p>
<p>Shame on you, state legislatures (where the funding comes from that helps keep state university costs low). Shame on you, the voters, for electing people to the state legislatures who do not make it a priority to fund higher education as an investment in the state’s workforce. Many states are reaping what they have sown.</p>
<p>Some states cut services, dont pay profs equivalent to what they could earn in neighboring states and increase admissions to OOS/international students.
All result in an uproar.</p>
<p>Yes, all the state schools should limit their tuitions to the amounts of Stafford loans.</p>
<p>And if they want to charge more, then only do so if there’s an adequate “state aid” in place to help the lower and middle classes (but do look at both bio parents’ incomes!)</p>
And the gigantic shortfall in funds to run the universities is supposed to come from where? My state taxes are high enough, thank you. No state is in a position to do this.</p>
<p>As far as I am concerned the money to fund the state schools should come from the funds going to privates. I don’t think privates should be getting PELL, Stafford and federal backing for loans. Mayb into work study, Perkins, Seog, as the schools do have to literally buy into those programs, but the other stuff, nope. Why should we be subsidizing that?</p>
<p>New York state schools (SUNY and CUNY) are actually affordable - I think SUNY still about $5000 for tuition (tuition fees room and board come to around $20,000). But the catch is that a lot of programs are underfunded - some popular majors have been or are in danger of being extinguished.</p>
<p>cpt, I agree with you about taxpayers subsidizing tuitions for private schools with no interest loans! Private schools should be paid for with private funds! </p>
<p>If private school students need loans, they should shop for them in the free market. That would probably create enough demand that the private loan interest rates would be more competitive.</p>
<p>NY has done a great job in having state school options for their students. I give them a thumbs up for that. They need to work on the three R’s in terms of getting their top universities on the radar screens as great places to go, as CA has done with the UCs. Right now, we lose most of our best student to the privates because of ratings, reputation and recognition factors. The money being used for the privates can go to that purpose.</p>
<p>The other issue with NY schools is that though the total cost has managed to stay in the low $20K range for boarding options, it’s still to high. Room and board is the problem. Our tuition, not so much. A good cheap basic cafetera option and better prices for the dorms is needed. Also we do have that donut hole where state TAP ends, PELL is long gone and with high cost areas in NY, the need is still there, and there is a financial aid gap. We don’t do well with NPCs at all.</p>
<p>*Quote:
Yes, all the state schools should limit their tuitions to the amounts of Stafford loans.</p>
<p>==================
And the gigantic shortfall in funds to run the universities is supposed to come from where? My state taxes are high enough, thank you. </p>
<p>No state is in a position to do this.*</p>
<p>What? There are states that do this. There are states that have public tuitions around $5500 per year or thereabouts. NY, FL, and many others do. The CSUs in Calif are about $6400 per year.</p>
<p>Indeed, states could decide to increase funding to public higher education - and some do. It’s a choice.</p>
<p>If you care about this issue, sit yourself down and send an email to your state legislators, many of whom get very few contacts from constituents and write a letter to the editor to your local paper.</p>
<p>I agree! I live in Texas, and my friend can’t go to UT or A&M because they both want her to pay around 20k/year (she’s ranked 13/600 students). Like mine, her parents make around 85k in income.</p>
<p>I’ll still have to pay 7k/year for UTD if I end up going there (can’t afford other places), even with the full tuition scholarship (I’m ranked either 1 or 2)</p>
<p>Everybody wants the government to provide their kids and education, but nobody wants to pay tuition or taxes. We spend thread after thread looking for “merit aid” because we’d rather some other generous person, entity or government paid. I’ve been guilty myself. Somebody always pays. </p>
<p>I’ve had it up to here with underfunded public schools for high school and I’m actually starting to look forward to next year when I’m paying full freight for two privates. I will continue to advocate for adequate funding for public education in my community anyway though. Our country needs it to improve. </p>
<p>I feel bad for the students at certain underfunded publics, especially people who pay OOS tuition at places like Berkeley, where people can’t get the classes that they need to graduate on-time, and think they are getting a good deal. At least Michigan, William and Mary, and Virginia seem pretty self-funded and have something unique to offer, but I just may be out of the loop. Not being able to get the classes that you need to graduate costs students time because delayed graduation, delays entering the job market, delays formation of households, delays purchasing their first car, and has a real cost to the economy, both personal and aggregate. </p>
<p>I read that Penn State has been studying the Cornell land grant model and may eventually go private. University of Pittsburgh was private until 1967. You can’t justify giving tuition discounts to your in-state students when the state isn’t sharing the load. </p>
<p>I applaud the ingenuity of the parents and students who make it all work anyway despite this wholly flawed system. Bravo!</p>
<p>I’ve had it up to here with underfunded public schools for high school</p>
<p>Many are not really “underfunded”. The “per child” amounts are quite highish in some states. However, how those dollars end up being appropriated (or really misappropriated) is more of the issue. </p>
<p>The issue isn’t just state tuition (altho it is in big tuition states like PA, IL, and Mich). The issue is that students/families have an unrealistic expectation that tax dollars should pay for room and board so that the student can skip past their local state U and go elsewhere (even tho their major isn’t unique). </p>
<p>There could be an Academic Common Market (so to speak) within a state, where a student only gets need-based aid to “go away” if his local state univ don’t have his major. And, that would be after 2 years at the local CC or state school (no point in paying for the sleep-away experience for students when half of them are going to change majors anyway by junior year)</p>
<p>Plus, the Stafford loan situation should change. IF a student goes to a CC for the first 2 years and doesn’t borrow much/anything, then he should be able to borrow $15k for jr, and $15k for sr years.</p>
<p>"I agree! I live in Texas, and my friend can’t go to UT or A&M because they both want her to pay around 20k/year (she’s ranked 13/600 students). Like mine, her parents make around 85k in income.</p>
<p>I’ll still have to pay 7k/year for UTD if I end up going there (can’t afford other places), even with the full tuition scholarship (I’m ranked either 1 or 2)"</p>
<p>The in state tuition does not exceed 11k at any of these places. No college is required to provide anyone with room and board. They are estimating those costs and if one does not stay in a dorm, no one will be forcing them. So when UTD is saying we will give you 3k on top of tuition, they are giving students free money for going to college.</p>
<p>Sigh. This is where my ideas go to pot. Though it seems to make sense that all that anyone is entitled to get is the state local school, when one applies that rule, only those with the money can afford to go the Flagship U. And there still exists the situation of those whose parents can afford to send their kids to college, but won’t spend the money which is their choice, or can’t because they’ve had setbacks or mishandled their money. Not the kids’ fault. Throw in any failsafe valve and it instantly becomes part of the plan. </p>
<p>The PSU model might be a start for those issues. Two years at a local state school, do well and you get an auto in at a Flagship U with only the top applicants getting all 4 years at the flagship.</p>