Free College Education?

[TAC]

Legit question here. What is the real cost to send a kid to school? State schools run about 19K all in. My son goes to a private school which runs in the early 40's. So do we already pay for half of a kids education to go to a state school?

[capt278]

Legit question here. What is the real cost to send a kid to school? State schools run about 19K all in. My son goes to a private school which runs in the early 40's. So do we already pay for half of a kids education to go to a state school?

 

Nope.

 

My son is at UK. Please pay for half of it.

[Hellbird]

I made this prediction a year ago. In 5-10 years the majority of HS graduates will be getting their degrees online. The cost of attending a college or university has gone insane in just the last 6 years. When my oldest went to Morehead her freshman year it was around 8k a year. She transferred her sophomore year to her dream college which was among the most expensive at the time at around 30k a year. She is paying that off herself. Today the avg is around 30k for most universities around the country which is insane. My sons attending the most expensive college in the state of Ohio and luckily he gets around 80-90% of it paid for in Grants and scholarships, without those there is no way you could afford the costs which is around 70k a year now and that is an increase of 10k in just 3 years. It is insane.

 

Unless there is some thoe type of regulations in costs or something, the majority of high school grads will be taking online classes and living at home is my prediction.

[Hellbird]

California is near bankrupt also.

Yes, but it wasn't because of college.

[Hellbird]

Colleges that are going to be feee will become like a high school, show up and do some work and pass. There will be so many people at the free college that professors will be overwhelming worked and can't grade proficiency good enough.

 

Jobs, where are we going to get jobs, are we going to start shipping our grads to Mexico and China to work?

Trust me, it wouldn't be too much different than it is now.

[BaseballIsLife]

I'm not sure "free college" should be the route to go but if it were the only viable option would be for free tuition at community colleges which would minimize the cost of it for the country. However you cannot have affordable or free college without tax increases somewhere but I'd be okay with it if it were to happen. I'd just rather most of those tax increases come on those incomes of $250k/year or more.

[woodsrider]

I guess I just don't understand the mind set that post secondary education of any kind should be provided by the government at no charge. How about we spend our time and energy figuring out how to make it affordable again.

[SnottieDrippen]

I guess I just don't understand the mind set that post secondary education of any kind should be provided by the government at no charge. How about we spend our time and energy figuring out how to make it affordable again.

 

Seems nearly impossible. If universities are expected to be a learning environment for the next generation of brilliant minds, they'll continue to need the newest labs and equipment which will never be cheaper than it was ten years ago. We've gotten to the point where up is the only way the price can go until the country and its economy collapse, or e-classes become the more popular option. Neither of which seem too far ahead.

[woodsrider]

Seems nearly impossible. If universities are expected to be a learning environment for the next generation of brilliant minds, they'll continue to need the newest labs and equipment which will never be cheaper than it was ten years ago. We've gotten to the point where up is the only way the price can go until the country and its economy collapse, or e-classes become the more popular option. Neither of which seem too far ahead.

No one said tuition shouldn't increase but at the rate it has?

[SnottieDrippen]

No one said tuition shouldn't increase but at the rate it has?

 

I think we can thank the amount of post-secondary options for the cost of a degree at a state university. I'm no economist, but it seems like simple supply and demand.

[woodsrider]

I think we can thank the amount of post-secondary options for the cost of a degree at a state university. I'm no economist, but it seems like simple supply and demand.

That would make sense if there were people lined up for college but no spots available. I've never heard of anyone not being able to go to school because all schools are full

[SnottieDrippen]

That would make sense if there were people lined up for college but no spots available. I've never heard of anyone not being able to go to school because all schools are full

 

Sure you do. Every student has attempted to sign up for a class only to find the class is already fully enrolled. Doesn't mean they can't go to that educational institution, but it's at the least a speed bump on that student's path to being educated.

 

I've lost the thought that finishes the above paragraph, but check it out. What if enrollment into the college and its gen ed courses were free and the departmental classes were what cost students?

 

That gives a student maybe 50% of a semester to shoulder as far as cost goes for the first year or two before they have to decide if the degree is worth the burden of student loans. Performance through the first couple semesters makes students eligible for scholarships already, and with my system, the competition for those scholarships results in students who see a reason for going to University 101 at 8am.

 

So you end up with more educated people with a more thorough education. At least make the period of knocking out gen eds blatantly rewarding for the student.

[woodsrider]

Sure you do. Every student has attempted to sign up for a class only to find the class is already fully enrolled. Doesn't mean they can't go to that educational institution, but it's at the least a speed bump on that student's path to being educated.

 

I've lost the thought that finishes the above paragraph, but check it out. What if enrollment into the college and its gen ed courses were free and the departmental classes were what cost students?

 

That gives a student maybe 50% of a semester to shoulder as far as cost goes for the first year or two before they have to decide if the degree is worth the burden of student loans. Performance through the first couple semesters makes students eligible for scholarships already, and with my system, the competition for those scholarships results in students who see a reason for going to University 101 at 8am.

 

So you end up with more educated people with a more thorough education. At least make the period of knocking out gen eds blatantly rewarding for the student.

Again, your theory only makes sense if students are having to go to school for extended periods because they are unable to get into required classes. Sorry but you barking up the wrong tree. The cost has zero to do with supply and demand.

 

The schools charge what they want to charge because they can. They know the government will back the loans and anyone can get one no matter what degree they are after.

[SnottieDrippen]

Again, your theory only makes sense if students are having to go to school for extended periods because they are unable to get into required classes. Sorry but you barking up the wrong tree. The cost has zero to do with supply and demand.

 

The schools charge what they want to charge because they can. They know the government will back the loans and anyone can get one no matter what degree they are after.

 

Like I said, I'm no economist, nor did I enroll in an ECON class.

 

Your explanation is certainly a lot simpler and sounds a lot more like America.

 

Regarding the first paragraph, it really depends on what you consider an extended period. In certain cases, courses are available once per calendar year due to professor's scheduling or Monarch Butterfly migration patterns or whatever. If I only need that credit to graduate, chances are an adviser will give me a break, but if they don't, it's two more semesters before I can even try to enroll again, and three before graduation. That qualifies as an extended period to 99% or more of exhausted students with three hours to graduation.

 

Then again, "victory laps" will always be appealing.

[Wireman]

Go to Alice Lloyd College. You can get a free education there. Just have to work 10 hours a week