Do you think all of the complaints kids have today about college expense are legitimate or just whiners? (minimum wage, how much)

[Gerobime227]

Yeah, I get that college is more expensive today, and granted I went back before this in the mid 2000s, but when I was in college I worked 2 jobs and even did odd jobs to get by. Now all you hear is complaining about how much it is. Sure it's more today, but for those that complain about how expensive college is today, have legitimate grievances or do you think it's just more from lazy/entitled people that complain?

[RamenAddict]

I think students have legitimate grievances. It varies widely by state, however. I am from Florida where college is very accessible through the Bright Futures scholarships and low tuition.

I now live in Illinois and tuition+fees in state is about $15-20K without including stuff like books, transportation, etc. Even working part-time, it is not going to be reasonable for a person to be able to work through school and pay that off on the typical jobs you get as a college student paying $15-20 an hour.

[markg91359]

Originally Posted by Gerobime227

Yeah, I get that college is more expensive today, and granted I went back before this in the mid 2000s, but when I was in college I worked 2 jobs and even did odd jobs to get by. Now all you hear is complaining about how much it is. Sure it's more today, but for those that complain about how expensive college is today, have legitimate grievances or do you think it's just more from lazy/entitled people that complain?

Let me give you an example.

In 1977, when I entered the U of U my tuition was approximately $270 a semester. When my son attended the University of Utah tuition was about $4,000.00 a semester. What really got my attention was that in just one year a tuition increase of $400 per semester was approved. In other words, the increase was more than my entire tuition was!

In 1977, I was a struggling student earning just above minimum wage at a job that paid $3 per hour. Minimum wage today is $7.25. Now, virtually all employees earn more than that, but starting wages of $9 or $10 an hour are not uncommon.

Housing costs here are exorbitant. I was able to rent a place with some other students and each of us paid just $100 a month. Today, a two bedroom apartment would easily cost $1400 a month. Most students must live at home out of necessity.

College is much more expensive today than it was when I grew up even when you take inflation into account. The cost of college is a legitimate grievance that young people have.

[Hemlock140]

My wife and I, my daughter and son have all graduated without student loan debt, and all of us did it by working part or full time while going to school, forgoing the "social aspects" of college that so many consider important. I also did graduate school without student loans. We all turned out well with good jobs and benefits, bought homes, and spouses. Though I was able to rent an apartment for $150/month in the 1970s, making $3/hour, my millennial son got his degree in 2020 after buying his first house. It can be done, but is very difficult if expecting to go to an ivy league school, not work, and live on campus.

[Labonte18]

Originally Posted by Gerobime227

Yeah, I get that college is more expensive today, and granted I went back before this in the mid 2000s, but when I was in college I worked 2 jobs and even did odd jobs to get by. Now all you hear is complaining about how much it is. Sure it's more today, but for those that complain about how expensive college is today, have legitimate grievances or do you think it's just more from lazy/entitled people that complain?

It's very difficult. My nephew will be moving in with me come June or so to attend college.



He's coming here because one of the few colleges that offers the program he wants is here. He's getting a degree in Gunsmithing.


Now.. I looked at that and did some digging. Because to me.. That's too specialized. Like getting a degree in Ancient Roman Bathhouses.. Will that be a useful field of study?

after looking into it, the college here that offers the course, Piedmont Tech, has 3 tracks in the Gunsmithing program.


1) Minor in Machine Tooling


2) Minor in Welding


3) Minor in Business Management


Either of the first two.. Look, he learns those, he's going to be able to find a good job, regardless of what happens with the gunsmithing part. Even the last track is solid, but for him.. That wouldn't be something he'd want to do.. He might need those courses because his vision is that he'll own his own business as a Gunsmith.. BUT.. He can graduate through one of the training tracks and then go back to pick up the business courses if he wants.

But, even community college is about $2500 a semester. That's still, at least, affordable. That can be done. But.. Somewhere like Clemson? I washed out of Clemson after 1 semester due to the cost.. And that was in the mid 90's. I wound up putting myself through Greenville Technical College and getting an Associates Degree, which has served me quite well. BTW.. That $2500/yr is up from about $1500 when I went to school. Pops making a s-ton of money by being a government employee disqualified me from many financial aid options, nevermind that he didn't contribute.

One of the advantages to living in SC.. We have an excellent network of Technical Colleges in this state. The public schools leave something to be desired, but the colleges are really pretty good, and due to that foundation, we get a fair amount of industry locating here, such as Boeing, BMW, Lockheed, GE and others.. And, of course those all bring satellite industries with them. There's a large number of BMW suppliers who have located here to supply that plant.

I will also say that the struggle of getting myself through school. And, whoever wants to look down their nose at an Associates Degree, more power to you.. I think it made me appreciate things more. And, the struggle certainly made me MUCH more aware of controlling my finances. Most people would put me one level PAST cheapskate.

[SunGrins]

"...but for those that complain about how expensive college is today, have legitimate grievances or do you think it's just more from lazy/entitled people that complain?"

Yes and no. The cost of a college education is ridiculous and there is no excuse for how high it has become. Just visit a college campus and see what constitutes a student dorm and the accoutrements of dorm life. It is better than the students have at home in most cases. Gone are the days of plain concrete block rooms with a common bathroom and shower and a cafeteria somewhere on the ground floor. When I was at college, we had a TV room and an elevator as perks. There are legions of college professors who do not carry their weight as far as classroom teaching.

That being said, much of it is a problem of expectations and perhaps poor advice from people who should know better. Nobody needs to spend a fortune on a four-year degree (five years for some). It is nice to go to a top ten university for your bachelor's degree, but it is better to have a BA/BS and not have the burden of massive debt. The smartest plan is to attend a good community college, make good grades and avoid the party folks, pick the right classes and instructors, and then transfer to a decent four-year university. We have the flagship state university in our town and a community college. The enrollment is higher for the community college. That should be the first option offered by guidance counselors for serious high school graduates wanting a good education.

Grad school is another story, and it seems that more and more jobs are looking for master's degrees. I don't know why that is the case. You cannot be a full Librarian at your local branch library without a masters. If you can get into a graduate program, the cost is high unless you get a ticket or a fellowship or some kind of helpful financial aid. I have a young friend who foolishly pursued a PhD and ran up a huge bill but does not work in that field now and probably will never work in that field.

A relative was accepted into an elite graduate program that accepted only seven students a year. By the end of the first year, all but one professor had resigned or stopped teaching classes. The remaining professor was the department head (department of one) and was planning on teaching the same class over and over with no plan to get other professors for that year. My relative considered it "bait and switch" and bailed out and went elsewhere but many of the students sat it out to get a piece of paper from a high rated program at huge cost but nothing else to show for it.

I got my graduate degree at night. It took a while, but it was pay as you go.

[ukiyo-e]

Originally Posted by Gerobime227

Yeah, I get that college is more expensive today, and granted I went back before this in the mid 2000s, but when I was in college I worked 2 jobs and even did odd jobs to get by. Now all you hear is complaining about how much it is. Sure it's more today, but for those that complain about how expensive college is today, have legitimate grievances or do you think it's just more from lazy/entitled people that complain?

I graduated in 1975 and my tuition was so low (state university) I could pay for both semesters with a summer job paying near minimum wage. I lived at home since the school was only 20 minutes away; I wouldn't have been able to pay to live on campus. But the tuition, no problem.

Three months full-time summer work at minimum wage today pays just under $3500 ($7.25 x 40 hours x 12 weeks). The state university I attended now costs $18K a semester for in-state students. You do the math.

[Ceece]

When I graduated from high school in the 70's it wasn't expected we'd all go to college and I'd say most didn't, at least not right away. Of those who did many started at a community college or simply went to the local state university and lived at home. State schools in CA were cheap back then. I only remember a handful in my graduating class going away to college and they still stayed in state, and probably had scholarships to offset the costs. They were the serious students who has specific types of jobs in mind for themselves.

It's different now, from pushing everyone to go to college whether they should or not, to everyone wanting "the college experience" by going away and not even having much of a plan for their post college life or their major. It's a right of passage these days and the demand, unfortunately, has made the supply very costly. And colleges aren't just places for learning now...they are expected to be SO MUCH MORE and the prices reflect that.

[luv4horses]

I left home after high school with no savings or family support and worked to put myself through college. Earned 3 degrees largely due to research grants. Couldn’t afford the dorms so shared houses with other students. STEM degrees.

Almost no state colleges offered frou-frou degrees. By that I mean degrees with no clear need or broad value to humanity. This was before the pseudo dictum of “just do what you love”. Our paths were set by do what society needs plus do what you are better at than most people plus keep an eye on whether there will be jobs for that.

Community colleges for the first two years was another cost saving option kids used.

For those whose parents helped pay, planned parenthood had a role in that kids born 4 yrs apart were easier to fund.

[victimofGM]

Be interesting to see if there’s a correlation between tuition increase and faculty (dean, president, professors) wages and increased government student loan programs? Also wonder about all these additional courses some universities require.