Quote:
Originally Posted by MKTwet
How about more Federal resources to run better state colleges instead of so many high cost for profit private colleges.
Private colleges are simply unaffordable and not cost effective for students. Students need to be educated that paying $70k a year towards a career that starts at $40k just isn't gonna cut it. Should go for a college that costs less than $20k/yr.
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There have never been federal resources to run state colleges, as education is largely a state issue. I think one difference is that you can have vast differences between states. Many states have fairly generous scholarship programs where you can get a part- to full scholarship if you are a good student. Others may have need-based tuition waivers, while finally the third group offers only limited aid.
It is not necessarily that much different in private universities. Many do not actually end up charging many students the full sticker price due to generous aid packages. For example, although Stanford has a tuition that is over $57K, when I last looked no tuition was due for anyone making less than around $25K and I think there is another set of students that are from families who make less than the median nationwide income that don’t have to pay tuition or room and board. Assuming you pick the right private school, they are often cheaper or comparable in price to a state school and are often more invested in making sure you end up completing your degree there.
Students who end up paying $70K a year either have parents who could afford it or are choosing schools that tend not to offer much aid at all. In the former case, it may be a situation where the parents save up enough money for state tuition and agree to pay for that, but the child decides on a private university that is twice the cost.
One category that seems quite expensive are private arts universities. That’s not the case for all arts schools, but it does seem to be one category where you can pick a school that is $50K+ and go into a career where you are not going to make very much at all. It can be difficult, because you may not live in a state that really has good options for your desired field of study. They are fairly expensive to run because you need to have equipment/practice space and also have display/performance spaces. Music majors will need to have soundproofed practice spaces, for example. I went to a public university that is known for having excellent arts programs, and students tended to come from all over the country to attend.