Why College Tuitions Never Seem to Experience a Recession.
College tuitions are rising at a rate of 4.3%, according to a 9/5/09 article in the NY Times. It's the lowest rate of increase in 37 years. Isn't that remarkable? We just come through a recession, but college tuitions still rise. In fact, the cost of attending college has increased since 1972 by far more than the rate of inflation. Why?
The article provides some reasons, including the need for sabbaticals to recharge professors batteries and the increased costs for security on campuses. But in the end, I think the reasons don't really add up. The costs of attending the average college (never mind the top private colleges) have simply gone up too much for too long to make any kind of sense. It's simply hard to understand.
Maybe we can get some insight into the problem from this quote by a college president: “What parents should be looking for is the opportunity for their children to have their lives transformed by what happens inside the classroom and out of it.”
I read this a few times. I don't really understand what it means. Do you? It kind of sounds like when some people urge their kids to "make a difference." What exactly does that mean?
For example, shouldn't it matter how you're going to "make a difference"? After all, plenty of people made a difference in the world that I could frankly do without. Stalin, Hitler and Mao spring to mind at the moment. Do I want my kids to make the kind of difference they did?
Getting back to the college president's comment that “What parents should be looking for is the opportunity for their children to have their lives transformed by what happens inside the classroom and out of it,” I thought about kids I know who've left college transformed. Some were transformed for the better, some not so good. If you know any college graduates, I'm sure you know what I mean.
I guess what I'm looking for from a college president, or anyone else in a position to explain it, is what I as a student or I as a parent paying for a student's education get for my money.
For a number of years, the idea was that you got some sort of advantage in the marketplace. I suppose that was true in a very limited number of cases. For a while, some graduates of Ivy League schools and their equivalent were being hired at high salaries right out of school. But even if that was the case at one time, I think those days are over.
And you can make the argument that you need a college degree to get a "decent" job these days. While there's some truth to this, you still have to wonder whether you really need to spend a fortune for that degree. Is it necessary to spend upwards of $60,000, $100,000 or more to get a decent job?
After all, there's also the argument that certain trades these days will give you a better living than some jobs that require a college education. Anyone hired a plumber lately? A good plumber, carpenter, or electrician (among other trades) can make a pretty good living these days.
When you think about it, shouldn't colleges be lowering tuition now? They certainly shouldn't be increasing them, right? Of course, if enough students and parents keep ponying up the money, they'll just keep raising tuition. It's really as simple as that if you think about it.
It reminds me of people who bellyache about how much some professional athletes make - then go out and spend some ridiculous amount on tickets to a ballgame. Until people stop spending money on high-priced tickets, the price will stay high.
And until people stop spending fortunes on college tuition, the tuition will continue to rise. There are a lot of ways to deal with the high cost of college. If you have kids getting close to college age, you should make it your business to find our all you can about how to get the best value for your money.
The article provides some reasons, including the need for sabbaticals to recharge professors batteries and the increased costs for security on campuses. But in the end, I think the reasons don't really add up. The costs of attending the average college (never mind the top private colleges) have simply gone up too much for too long to make any kind of sense. It's simply hard to understand.
Maybe we can get some insight into the problem from this quote by a college president: “What parents should be looking for is the opportunity for their children to have their lives transformed by what happens inside the classroom and out of it.”
I read this a few times. I don't really understand what it means. Do you? It kind of sounds like when some people urge their kids to "make a difference." What exactly does that mean?
For example, shouldn't it matter how you're going to "make a difference"? After all, plenty of people made a difference in the world that I could frankly do without. Stalin, Hitler and Mao spring to mind at the moment. Do I want my kids to make the kind of difference they did?
Getting back to the college president's comment that “What parents should be looking for is the opportunity for their children to have their lives transformed by what happens inside the classroom and out of it,” I thought about kids I know who've left college transformed. Some were transformed for the better, some not so good. If you know any college graduates, I'm sure you know what I mean.
I guess what I'm looking for from a college president, or anyone else in a position to explain it, is what I as a student or I as a parent paying for a student's education get for my money.
For a number of years, the idea was that you got some sort of advantage in the marketplace. I suppose that was true in a very limited number of cases. For a while, some graduates of Ivy League schools and their equivalent were being hired at high salaries right out of school. But even if that was the case at one time, I think those days are over.
And you can make the argument that you need a college degree to get a "decent" job these days. While there's some truth to this, you still have to wonder whether you really need to spend a fortune for that degree. Is it necessary to spend upwards of $60,000, $100,000 or more to get a decent job?
After all, there's also the argument that certain trades these days will give you a better living than some jobs that require a college education. Anyone hired a plumber lately? A good plumber, carpenter, or electrician (among other trades) can make a pretty good living these days.
When you think about it, shouldn't colleges be lowering tuition now? They certainly shouldn't be increasing them, right? Of course, if enough students and parents keep ponying up the money, they'll just keep raising tuition. It's really as simple as that if you think about it.
It reminds me of people who bellyache about how much some professional athletes make - then go out and spend some ridiculous amount on tickets to a ballgame. Until people stop spending money on high-priced tickets, the price will stay high.
And until people stop spending fortunes on college tuition, the tuition will continue to rise. There are a lot of ways to deal with the high cost of college. If you have kids getting close to college age, you should make it your business to find our all you can about how to get the best value for your money.
Comments