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Maybe if state governments funded public universities and colleges at the same levels that they funded them in the 1960s and 1970s, then tuition wouldn't be so high, and there would be less need for student loans. When I attended a SUNY school in the late 1960s-1970s, the really low tuition only went to fund dormitories. The state provided 100% funding for its state colleges and universities. Since the CUNY system didn't have dorms, they had no tuition. Most other state universities/colleges had tuition that were pittances because they, too, got almost all their funding from tax dollars.
Wow! I had no idea that SUNY was once free! Sure wasn't in the 90's. And now the fees are more than tuition on many campuses since the state sets tuition and they can't change it. There's fees for EVERYTHING! Some campuses even charge you for printing on campus!
Your comment made me think of something. I think that there should be a 'locked in rate' for tuition. For example, if I attend a college and that year it's 12k for that entire year, that is what I should pay until I complete my degree.
There are a handful of schools that lock your tuition in for 4 years as long as you maintain you gpa and don't get kicked. None of them are cheap schools. Not sure that there are any cheap schools any since even state schools now cost you around $10K per year without living on campus.
Sure. And guess what? From that point forward, nobody will loan them any money because they know they'll just skip out on it. Everyone here thinks they're so clever and they can figure out clever ways to get things for free. You'll soon find out that the real world is more than capable of figuring out ways to deal with freeloaders.
Who said anyone was asking for anything to be free?
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Originally Posted by LordSquidworth
College would cost a lot less if the debt was guaranteed and not able to be discharged in bankruptcy.
Student loans have NOT been dischargeable in bankruptcy for decades. Even in death most of them are still required to be paid.
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Originally Posted by kmb501
Another thing that really kind of upsets me is that colleges often spend their funds on things that are not related to education; new buildings, new recreational facilities, updated housing, new coaches, etc. Tour the average college campus, and chances are you will find most of the things you would expect to find in an upscale resort: swimming pools, tanning beds, saunas, gyms, fine dining, luxury housing, etc., all under the guise of the "college experience," while the high schools and junior colleges in the area are prepared to offer young people essential job skills training, trade school opportunities, and apprenticeships; I'm actually a bit jealous of my students.
Most colleges do not have fine dining, luxury housing, tanning beds, or saunas at least not around here. Maybe in Beverly Hills. New buildings are needed. Buildings don't last forever. And as student populations increase they need a place to have their classes.
Many schools that have swimming pools have them for phys ed classes which are a requirement, a degree program, and/or a sports program. They're not there to look pretty. Same for gyms.
Housing doesn't last forever either. I know dorms built in the 60's at a few colleges were condemned because they don't even come close to code today. One had sealed windows and the fire marshall almost had a nervous breakdown over that. that dorm was closed. The college had to build new to replace it.
Many of the things you list ARE directly related to college education especially if you live on campus. Colleges are also competing against each other to have the most intelligent and promising students they can find. So what if there's a Coca~Cola machine on every floor of the dorm. The college does not pay for that anyway.
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Originally Posted by mkpunk
Did you not notice the eye-roll inferring I was sarcastic?
Great idea!!! Insure that only the wealthy and the very bright can go to college and give all that extra money to corporations to off-shore more jobs or build more Walmarts, Bass Pros, and Burger Kings ... and then complain about welfare and people not willing to work for minimum wage at all those great new jobs.
//sarcasm off
You took the words right out of my mouth. Exactly what the US needs to dumb down further and be far less competitive globally. It reminds me of that ancient theory of "keeping them barefoot and pregnant."
Most colleges do not have fine dining, luxury housing, tanning beds, or saunas at least not around here. Maybe in Beverly Hills. New buildings are needed. Buildings don't last forever. And as student populations increase they need a place to have their classes.
Many schools that have swimming pools have them for phys ed classes which are a requirement, a degree program, and/or a sports program. They're not there to look pretty. Same for gyms.
Housing doesn't last forever either. I know dorms built in the 60's at a few colleges were condemned because they don't even come close to code today. One had sealed windows and the fire marshall almost had a nervous breakdown over that. that dorm was closed. The college had to build new to replace it.
Many of the things you list ARE directly related to college education especially if you live on campus. Colleges are also competing against each other to have the most intelligent and promising students they can find. So what if there's a Coca~Cola machine on every floor of the dorm. The college does not pay for that anyway.
Well, maybe it's just something they're doing with the colleges down here, but I feel like it does have something to do with the spike in tuition. We have several new buildings, restaurants, recreation centers, etc., on campus, while people talk about cutting the budget and doing away with certain classes and academic programs. When I started at this college a few years ago as an undergrad, we had almost none of that, and tuition was much lower. Now, you can go for a swim, order a pan-fried salmon, get a tan, and attend a football game all without leaving campus. Hey, it would be comfortable if it weren't shared with so many students, but unfortunately, living on campus with roommates now is about the price of living in a small off-campus apartment without roommates. Throw in the mandatory meal plans, and you are looking at spending a lot of money. I'm happy I live off campus now and am away from the drama and unnecessary spending, but that doesn't mean I still don't pay high tuition so that others can reap the benefits.
You took the words right out of my mouth. Exactly what the US needs to dumb down further and be far less competitive globally. It reminds me of that ancient theory of "keeping them barefoot and pregnant."
It's fascinating how 100% of liberals think that when people can't afford something the prices remain high. That's probably why, if you look at any government-institution, that's how it acts. If you have mass-transit in your city, you will routinely see that they say "due to declining ridership, we need to raise prices." That's what happens when liberals run things, so you sort of can't blame them for responding the way they do, because that's how they think you run a business.
I think "the government" (which is US, by the way. . . ) needs to get the hell out of a lot of things. Let the markets determine where money should go. What they need to do is start taxing consumption higher (sales taxes, etc.) and stop taxing income from savings. With more money in individuals' pockets (i.e. working students, parents of students, etc.) THEY can decide where the money should go.
STOP TAXING SAVINGS and START TAXING CONSUMPTION.
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And as student populations increase they need a place to have their classes. 
Hey, it would be comfortable if it weren't shared with so many students, but unfortunately, living on campus with roommates now is about the price of living in a small off-campus apartment without roommates. Throw in the mandatory meal plans, and you are looking at spending a lot of money. I'm happy I live off campus now and am away from the drama and unnecessary spending, but that doesn't mean I still don't pay high tuition so that others can reap the benefits.
