Why College Tuition Rises Even In A Recession

New York Times:

If you have paid a college tuition bill recently, perhaps the sticker shock has abated and your children have been good enough to friend you on Facebook so you can see what they are doing on your dime.

Read the whole story: New York Times

Comments

[liberal user]

06:04 PM on 09/08/2009

Obama isn't doing enough with regards to executive pay and bank & wallstreet regulation

good articles: http://www.iamned.com ...

[Brute]

09:23 AM on 09/07/2009

College has become the equivalent of the 13th grade.

Barry will announce that he will cap Professor's/Dean's pay and freeze tuition rates.....government takeover of the University system.

[climatebabes]

04:09 AM on 09/07/2009

It makes no sense at all to pay so much unless you accept that banks have driven up prices so they can profit from the expected income of the students. How much do their actual activities cost?

[thegardener]

09:37 PM on 09/06/2009

Here's the brutal truth - most BA degrees are not worth $50k per year for a grand total of $200k or more.
Most students don't even think about what the cost is and how much they will owe. They want to go to their "dream" school and sign any paper put in front of them to do it. Nor do they think about if their career choice will afford them the opportunity to repay what they borrow. "I want to do social work"- avg salary right out of college (if you can find a job that doesn't require a Masters) about $20k - $30k. How can you pay back $20k in loans let alone $200k?
Students can no longer afford to go to college to "find themselves".
Less than 42% of college students even graduate with a degree. (council for aid to education)
of those that do graduate less than 37% graduate in 4 years. (another full year of expense). (gradwatch)
You think student loans are difficult to pay off after you graduate? Try paying them off when you didn't even get the degree.

[drymartini1]

01:09 PM on 09/07/2009

going to college to "find themselves" is the biggest sham these students are playing with their future.

You dont go to college to "find yourself". You go there to do exactly what you need to do (get a degree) and get the hell out and try to find a job. so better pick a field of study that has a good enough chance of landing you a good job.

Social work is not a discipline. You dont need to do a BA to do social work :). just go out and help people. Leave the degrees for other career choices. :)

[BabblingBrooks]

12:55 PM on 09/06/2009

Whenever anythiing goes up in price, you can suspect GOVERNMENT has a hand in it! In this case, it is because there are more and more tuition subsidies. Same reason health care costs go up. People think someone else is paying!

[CarbonCreditSeller]

10:28 AM on 09/06/2009

Tuition keeps rising because there are too many fat-cat tenured professors who have minimal work loads, or work loads they push off on underpaid TA's.

[desertman]

12:54 AM on 09/07/2009

It keeps rising because apparently there is a ready source of cash.

[loki]

07:48 AM on 09/06/2009

I have a dumb question. If , as this article says. inflation is at 4.3% for the year and that is why schools raise fees, why does social security say these no inflation and not give the tiny increases to the people who depend on it every year? Why is there inflation for schools, but not for the gov when it comes to ssi ?

[desertman]

12:56 AM on 09/07/2009

We are presently in a deflation. There is no inflation at this time.

[loki]

07:44 AM on 09/06/2009

Oh, and with so many out of work and going back to school, schools are over selling courses and people are sitting on the floor and sometimes cant even get into the class. And the parking lots are full so the schools are handing out tickets by the handfuls daily. money money money..

[loki]

07:42 AM on 09/06/2009

Knowing people in university right now I hear one of the big scams on campus is that the schools will change the curriculum for degrees every year now. by change I mean drop a past course from the requirement and add a new one , or just adding more courses required for the degree. I know 2 who are in nursing programs who have had their graduations extended by over a year with this scam and others in different programs being hit by this as well. It really just sucks. Then because of the extra courses it effects their loans and grants because now they are over the required credit hours to graduate and it raises flags with FAFSA. Oh yeah, universities and colleges have lots of tricks up their sleeves. and all make more and more money.

[sandiegoconservative]

12:15 AM on 09/08/2009

Where are they going to college? Once you declare a major, your curriculum is based on that year's course outline. That's the way it was when my parents went to school, when I did, my sister, my better half, brother, friends, etc. You cannot simply change curriculum once someone declares. I would be interested to know what university this is happening at.

The nursing program at Baylor does not do what you state, nor does the program at UCSD.

[Philosopher-king]

12:47 AM on 09/06/2009

This country is crying for a revolution! Students need to protest, they are too fat and happy!

[jalowe1957]

07:47 PM on 09/05/2009

If college tuition keeps going up year after year, it's in no small part due to faculty and administrators who are so calcified in their views and practices that they keep messing up year-in and year-out.

And in no small part due to tenure, these screw-ups keep repeating the same mishaps all over again. There is no accountability whatsoever.

Perhaps some fresh air and transparency will finally bring some accountability for a change.

[evil goat]

09:31 PM on 09/05/2009

I don't know if you've been near a university in the past decade, but an abundance of tenure is the last thing responsible for tuition increases.

Tenure positions are becoming fewer and fewer. In fact it's a rarity for a phd to even find a position that offers the potential of tenure years down the road. The number of classes being taught by adjuncts has been rapidly increasing in every sector of higher education.

[comicpro]

07:32 PM on 09/05/2009

Return on investment is an important aspect that most families don't think about when they are trying to appease that child who is going to college. kids are under pressure from society,friends and parents to go to "that school" that will propel their future earnings potential. But what about the cost associated with just an undergrad degree? $50K a year for 4 years to get a degree that may get you a job starting at $40K a year. Today the graduates are in competetion with qualified people with ADVANCED DEGREES who are willing to work for less just to keep food on the table. Now the student has a MORTGAGE SIZED PAYMENT to repay their loans back and society expects them to be able to live and prosper with that holding over their head. That is the reason Community Colleges are booming and adding 4 year programs. They can offer better pricing and parents are being realistic with their children and expectations. College tuition is a joke and most universities know people are willing to mortgage their future with hopeful outcomes.

[blacktino]

05:46 PM on 09/05/2009

College degree's are a freckin joke for many graduates. There are a countless number of people with advance degree's who are stuck in a non-exempt paying positions.

[Ozarks]

01:00 PM on 09/05/2009

Without all the student loan scams, tuition would fall.

[themainpoint]

12:08 PM on 09/05/2009

The college degree bubble is the next one to burst as corporations and their investors & execs hoard all the profits the workers make possible.

And how will students pay off loans in a country where the axpayers are forced to take on the debt of irresponsible corporations by bailing out their executives and investors?

How will students pay off school loans when huge corporate box stores and other chains can snuff out their attempts to start a small business and compete?

How will they pay these loans in a country where they are charged over twice the going rate for health care in advanced countries due to unearned giveaways to the American medical industry?

How will students make their degrees pay off in a country that is losing jobs, yet still importing technology & other workers from abroad who can work for less money?

What's a college degree worth when corporations and investors take it all & prevent small business competition?

The few are devouring the American middle class & small businesses and making everyone pay for their risks. We need to restore balance before we become one of those countries where a few take all & leave workers destitute.

Strong unions are one way to ensure workers are given a fair share of the profits they make possible---But only if unions truly represent the interests of the workers & do not fall prey to the same groups that have undermined the government's ability to represent the best interests