College Tuition: A Political Football

[jwoodie]

I just read that public college tuition has gone up as much as 80% in the last four years, with some charging over $16,000 per year for in-state tuition and fees. Combined with freely available student loans, this is creating a new class of government dependents who will vote, for years to come, for any politician who dangles the carrot of debt relief in front of their noses.

What is equally disturbing is that there is almost never any inquiry into the operating costs of these colleges, specifically administrative and faculty salaries and benefits. These lavishly funded jobs should receive the same level of cost benefit analysis as other government expenditures, but for some reason are shielded from public scrutiny. I wonder why?

 

[waltky]

Granny says dey's short-changin' our soldiers...

Military tuition assistance restored, but timing is uncertain
Wednesday March 27, 2013 WASHINGTON — The military’s tuition assistance programs will resume soon, but no one knows when.

Last week, Congress rolled back plans to halt all new enrollments to the Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps tuition assistance programs, after veterans groups and military advocates protested the budget-saving moves. The measure, included in the new appropriations bill to fund government operations through October, was signed into law Tuesday by the president. But military officials said they still haven’t restarted the education benefit enrollments, because they are trying to decipher what the new budget bill requires and where additional cuts will come from. Pentagon spokesman George Little said that the department “will comply with the recently enacted legislation” but details on when the programs will resume have not been finalized.

Officials from the service branches met early Wednesday with Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel’s staff to discuss the benefit. The new budget bill does not erase almost $43 billion in sequestration defense spending cuts for this fiscal year, but does give Pentagon planners some more flexibility in implementing them. Representatives from the services said they hope to make final decisions on the education benefit in the next few days. “What we know definitively is that right now, it’s suspended,” said Air Force spokeswoman Maj. Cristin Marposon. “It’s being worked aggressively, and as soon as we have the way ahead, it will be announced.”

Army and Marine Corps officials said they hope to release new guidance on the programs soon. But, until then, all new enrollments are on hold. Roughly 300,000 servicemembers used the military tuition assistance programs last year. The programs have provided $250 per semester credit hour and up to $4,500 a year to servicemembers pursuing college degrees. Students already enrolled in classes should not see any disruption in their funding. Supporters of the tuition assistance programs complained the cuts could have sent some student servicemembers into deep debt to finish degree programs they thought would be covered.

Marine Sgt. John Diller, a combat instructor at the School of Infantry-West at Camp Pendleton, Calif., has been using tuition assistance to take two classes each semester, working toward an associate’s degree. He said he thought cutting the program was reasonable for the Marine Corps because of the ongoing budget pressures, but that he would have to stop taking classes. “I’m not going to put it on credit and I’m not going to take out a loan,” he said. Tuition assistance isn’t the only issue in flux following the new budget bill. Defense officials had planned on sending out furlough notices to defense civilian employees last week, but delayed decisions on that until next month because of the new budget bill.

Military tuition assistance restored, but timing is uncertain - News - Stripes

 

[depotoo]

I just read that public college tuition has gone up as much as 80% in the last four years, with some charging over $16,000 per year for in-state tuition and fees. Combined with freely available student loans, this is creating a new class of government dependents who will vote, for years to come, for any politician who dangles the carrot of debt relief in front of their noses.

What is equally disturbing is that there is almost never any inquiry into the operating costs of these colleges, specifically administrative and faculty salaries and benefits. These lavishly funded jobs should receive the same level of cost benefit analysis as other government expenditures, but for some reason are shielded from public scrutiny. I wonder why?

In the great state of Florida our governor had the balls to publish the salaries of the state University system. Let me tell you, it turned a few heads, and not just Rep heads. I loved it!

 

[KnobbyWalsh]

As a college grad, masters degree, and 30 more semester hours beyond that, I told my daughters to stay AWAY from college! Now, my youngest has to go to do what she wants (radiologist) so I get that and accept it because it's in the medical field where there's always jobs. Two of my others ARE going to post high school school, but NOT doing the traditional dorm room live on campus thing, wasting half a million dollars for a 4 year party. They're getting technical training mostly through tech colleges, and I'm behind that because THAT'S where today's jobs are.

Shit, I have a friend whose son just HAD to go to some music school to major in music. She's like, "What's he going to do with that?" Good question. Chances are a million to one he'd ever be a famous artist and will probably end up working in a music store for peanuts.

We really have to re-think this stuff today. It's not like back in the day where just having a college degree in something would be beneficial.