the cost of higher education

[houseelf]

What can be done about the spiraling cost of higher education in a world where education will be an absolute necessity. Several books that I have read recently (The World is Flat, The Two Income Trap) underscore the absolute necessity of top notch education both now and in the future, including a thriving, complex research base to compete in this global economy.

At the same time, if the cost of college education continues to escalate at this pace (two times the inflation rate), it will become inaccessible to a wide range of students and hardly worth the investment. What is the solution to this? I'm interested in your responses because quite frankly, I'm overwhelmed by the enormity of this problem and have no real solutions.

Kelly

[Sheherezade]

This is one of my new conversation topics at parties. I have recently become deeply curious *why* college education costs are rising. All my professoral friends are starving - if they have jobs at all. I know many teaching jobs that have gone strictly adjunct - with poor pay and no benefits. Research is more and more funded only by grants with huge overhead costs. Meanwhile, back on campus......I'm hearing about the new high tech dorms at CWU that are wired to inform residents when the laundry is done in the basement. I'm seeing ads for the climbing walls and "lazy river" social area in the new recreation center at a school in Akron. I'm seeing college sports turn into a huge business instead of a recreational pursuit during school. Where does all that tuition go? I'm seriously curious. I don't think it's going to staff. My FIL told me they recently had trouble hiring a CFO at Yale because they were only offering 25 million a year. WTF? 25 million was low? What else is overpriced? Facilities? Sports?

I'd like to see a breakdown of where my child's tuition is going - and of course the option to not support extracurriculars/perks that I wouldn't purchase. Good teachers/resources are my priority. No lazy river, high priced coaches/administrators or high tech dorm required. After all, when I went to school the dorm room had a radiator I had to adjust with a wrench and hammer, the basement laundry room flooded regularly and the football team hadn't won a game in 40 years. (Maybe that's why I'm not using my degree? )

[houseelf]

Angie,

I couldn't agree more. I think that these universities, especially the public ones, need to be held accountable. There *could* be legitimate reasons for some of the increases: fuel, increased need for translators, whatever. With that being said, I can barely afford to repay my college loans from ten years ago. How am I going to afford to pay off both my loans AND send my kids to college? Is it even worth it?

Kelly

[SueC]

I posted a long, thoughtful response to this yesterday and when I came to my computer this morning, realized the post was just sitting there waiting for me to hit the "submit" button. Now it is gone forever.
Anyhow, I know this will make me sound like a socialist, but I think it would be fabulous if the "American dream" was more attainable for those who don't go to college. Our society needs the garbage collector (just an example, maybe the garbage collectors make good $$, I have no idea) just as much as we need teachers and accountants. Some of my best friends growing up were from families who did not go to college, and I remember my friend's dad busting his ass to support his family. They owned a modest home, and their kids were allowed one glass of milk each day--the dad was never home because if he wasn't working his regular job, he was chopping wood or working some other odd job for extra money. My other friend's mom was a single mother who worked at a daycare and raised calves in her spare time--my friend babysat as much as possible to pay for her own glasses, all of her clothes, and any other expenses she had. These people have a good work ethic and provide for their families without requiring government assistance, but what happens to them when somebody has a major illness, is injured in an automobile accident, etc. And I seriously doubt they are sitting on a nestegg for retirement.
I've totally gone off on a tangent, and while I think it is fabulous to make college more affordable for people, I don't think it should be necessary for people to have one and have a decent life.

[Rapunzel]

Our economy is currently set up so that it is very difficult to save money.

That's what they did in the "old" days to pay for educating children and grandchildren (and for retirement - although "back then" children took care of their parents when they got too old to work).

I don't know that this is a problem with universities as much as it is a problem with our citizenry being shackled by high taxes (governed by funding socialist programs), double taxation and excessive laws. Let people have access to a larger amount of their own money (ie lower taxes) and allow them to determine how they will save/invest for their own retirements - in other words, have people be more accountable to themselves financially - and then let them choose if they will spend a greater amount on higher education for their children and grandchildren or if they will use those funds in other ways.

That's the Libertarian in me talking.

Jennifer

[DCJenn]

Well, it doesn't help when the president of the college is being driven around in chauffered vehicles and spending hundreds of thousands of dollars of university money on things like his daughter's graduation party...

http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/ ... _n15794090

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/ content/article/2005/10/10/AR2005101000808.html

Enjoy that! The Post then did a comparison of what most of the university presidents get in DC- most: got the fancy house on campus, a car and driver, a chef, etc.

Even assuming that a vast amount of what a university president does is try to get people to donate...take the freaking Metro once in a while....

Jenn