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Why is Higher Education not paid for by the Federal government? In Europe there is no tuition to go to college. Why here in America do young students have to drown in debt just to get a degree?
In the US, those who would typically receive free education in Europe, also receive free education here. The only difference is where the money is coming from. The US has incredibly successful research universities that have enormous endowments that fund those who are worthy. The European governments pay for those who are worthy. The result is that the students get to go for free. So it's not as different as you think.
The reason why non-competitive students drown in debt in the US vs Europe is because the US makes college loans easy to attain while in Europe, non-competitive students don't go to college at all.
Why here in America do young students have to drown in debt just to get a degree?
This question is invalid. Only those who chose to drown in debt do so. Some people attend a JC then switch to a state school, earn a practical degree to draw a decent salary and pay off whatever smallish debt in a couple years. Others attend an expensive university, live on campus, have huge student loans, and major in some "useless" major and might ask why the government didn't pay for their college degree.
This question is invalid. Only those who chose to drown in debt do so. Some people attend a JC then switch to a state school, earn a practical degree to draw a decent salary and pay off whatever smallish debt in a couple years. Others attend an expensive university, live on campus, have huge student loans, and major in some "useless" major and might ask why the government didn't pay for their college degree.
Shades of gray in-between. You have chosen to point out the two extremes.
In the US, those who would typically receive free education in Europe, also receive free education here. The only difference is where the money is coming from. The US has incredibly successful research universities that have enormous endowments that fund those who are worthy. The European governments pay for those who are worthy. The result is that the students get to go for free. So it's not as different as you think.
The reason why non-competitive students drown in debt in the US vs Europe is because the US makes college loans easy to attain while in Europe, non-competitive students don't go to college at all.
Sounds good....
Not true though....
Fact is, the percentage of Europeans with college degrees is higher than the US....and last I checked the majority of US students weren't going to college for free or nearly so as they do in Europe.
A higher percentage of the population in Europe attends college than in the US, and ALL of those European students benefit from the ridiculously low cost of education compared to the US.
Now, the taxes that help cover that cost are equally obscene in the other direction but to state that cost of education in the US compared to European countries is somehow equivalent or that fewer students are attending college in Europe is flat out wrong.
In the US, those who would typically receive free education in Europe, also receive free education here. The only difference is where the money is coming from. The US has incredibly successful research universities that have enormous endowments that fund those who are worthy. The European governments pay for those who are worthy. The result is that the students get to go for free. So it's not as different as you think.
The reason why non-competitive students drown in debt in the US vs Europe is because the US makes college loans easy to attain while in Europe, non-competitive students don't go to college at all.
Do you think the percentage of people who have college degrees would be similar to Europe if only those who could get full funding attended college in the U.S.? The opportunities for full funding at the undergraduate level are so few in comparison to our population size that the share of those with degrees would probably be similar to what you would see in a developing country. We wouldn't even be able to sustain a knowledge-based, post-industrialized economy.
Fact is, the percentage of Europeans with college degrees is higher than the US....and last I checked the majority of US students weren't going to college for free or nearly so as they do in Europe.
A higher percentage of the population in Europe attends college than in the US, and ALL of those European students benefit from the ridiculously low cost of education compared to the US.
Now, the taxes that help cover that cost are equally obscene in the other direction but to state that cost of education in the US compared to European countries is somehow equivalent or that fewer students are attending college in Europe is flat out wrong.
I would love to know where your facts came from. I think assumptions are being made on how educated EU countries really are. Below is a April 2013 report from the EU regrading tertiary educational attainment in European countries. It's not as impressive as one might think.
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