"What's College Good For?"

[IDoPhysicsPhD]

Originally Posted by tnff

I'm sorry. But you are spot on with the FAFSA. What looks great on paper doesn't match reality. A few years ago while filling it out for my oldest, I saw somewhere that the formula is so outdated it essentially considers anyone with a combined income about around $50,000 to be upper class and able to afford most, if not all, full price. Perhaps in 1970. Afraid I don't have a source to verify; it's been a couple of years.

With a family of four, making $50,000 and having no savings, the student would go to college for free or near free.

[Umbria]

Originally Posted by tnff

Here's the thing many people aren't aware of until they do the college paperwork. The whole college financial system is based on the parents ability to pay, not whether they actually contribute a dime or not. So a kid with parents who can afford college but refuse to pay is totally screwed because that kid will be charged what the formula says they can afford. In fact, it's worse than that. Two families, same income, age, family size, etc. One scrimps, does without, saves for college and retirement. The other buys the big fancy house, new cars, big vacations. The system will expect the family that saved to pay more than the family that didn't.


.

This was my case. My mother could have afforded it but that would mean she couldn't go shopping everyday. She managed without college and so could I - so off I went to prove I could do it and I did. That meant working as a telephone operator almost full time and a full college schedule.

[jbgusa]

Originally Posted by Umbria

This was my case. My mother could have afforded it but that would mean she couldn't go shopping everyday. She managed without college and so could I - so off I went to prove I could do it and I did. That meant working as a telephone operator almost full time and a full college schedule.

Off topic but I wonder how many of those there are now?

[Kevroqs]

Originally Posted by BusinessManIT

This information, while true, is irrelevant. Because many employers demand that their job candidates have that Bachelor's degree, even when the degree has no serious bearing on being able to do the job. So if you want to have a shot at getting a white-collar job and moving up, a college degree is a necessity. It doesn't matter what you learn or how you spend your time in college, employers demand that degree.

Yet employers also want some experience and won't hire a grad who never worked a day in their life.

[Grlzrl]

Originally Posted by twinkletwinkle22

Colleges are not to blame for high schools failing to teach graduates how to read at a "proficient" level.
Not knowing the basics of civics, history and science also are grade and high school system failures.
A certain political party has been systematically defunding public education for years and siphoning off tax money earmarked for schools into private school vouchers, thus impoverishing the public school system.

I say get rid of 30% of the public school administrators and pay more to top teachers with that saved money.
Children of all economic levels deserve decent educations.
I also believe state colleges and community colleges should be free to attend.

Another certain political party thinks that the solution is to shovel more and more $$$ to teacher's unions. CPS calling for defunding of police to agree to go back to school. Why? It's just a way to pass their radical agenda. Charter schools actually perform well and give low income kids a shot. Makes you wonder why that certain political party wants to shut them down. Actually it doesn't. More money for the teachers' and failing schools if they are shut down.