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Questioning High Tuition

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There is much discussion these days about rising college tuition costs.  More and more, students need scholarships and loans in order to get a full college education.  Dollar Sign

However, there is rarely a question about why tuition is so high.  For example, this article discusses the difficulty of getting student loans but does not question why tuition has raised 121% since 1980 while median household income has risen only 18%.  It also doesn't ask how many students who graduate with majors like multicultural studies get a job after they graduate, or whether coursework on topics like queer studies and spending on extracurricular diversity programs or race-based recruiting are a needed expense.  

Colleges need to have a serious discussion about cutting unnecessary expenses, cutting huge presidential salaries, and cutting back on exhorbitant sports coach salaries

Posted by Roger Custer at 01/11/2010 05:17:53 PM | 


Readers' Comments

Another huge factor is the ever-growing role of the federal government in higher education. If the government stopped subsidizing colleges, they would have to drop tuition prices. Whenever the government gets involved, prices go up, not down!
Posted by: Marisa at 1/11/2010 5:39 PM


Great post, Roger.

I think that the steady increase in availability of federal loan money for students has had a tremendous impact on the cost education. Total federal aid in 07-08 was 84 percent higher than in 97-98 (inflation adjusted)! Colleges can continue to charge more and more each year, as federal lending continues to increase. In turn, schools try to offer the best "resources" to their students at the cost of yet another year of steep increased costs.

Colleges really need to get their priorities straight and focus on offering the best education at the most efficient price. Sure, some colleges will (and should) focus on offering top facilities to students at the top market cost, but too many colleges are reaching for the top because of the availability of financing for students, leaving more and more students with a bigger and bigger education bill. And once again the federal government needs to get their lending under control (this time in education and not housing) or just get out of it all together.

Will a student loan bailout be next?
Posted by: Brendan at 1/12/2010 8:43 AM


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