Rising costs could push college out of reach

[bpr]

Re: Rising costs could push college out of reach

Most of the comments on this thread confirm the misnomer of the piece: Rising costs have pushed college out of reach.

At thirty-two, most of my peers still have college debt to pay off. Even those that were in the military, save one who went from reserves to contractor.

[VIT]

Re: Rising costs could push college out of reach

Very interesting... American way to push people in military service.

Everybody still can have "nominal" freedom but the real content is so much different. You are free to eat or not

[rachits]

Re: Rising costs could push college out of reach

College was the least pleasant experience of my life. Any day at work is a holiday compared to undergrad.

I am of the opinion that the reduced value of a general college degree in the job market is directly related to the fact that college is often thought of as one of the most enjoyable periods of a young man or woman's life. If college isn't tough, either you're a genius, or there won't be much demand for a person of your skills/motivation in the area of your studies. Elementary supply and demand -- if it's easy to train people to be like you, either because the subject matter isn't demanding, or because you didn't work very hard -- then your labor isn't going to be worth very much.

I don't post here much, but I had to reply to this. College was the most enjoyable time of the first 30 years of my life. I graduated with a "useful" degree (computer science) at a tough school. And I am no genius either, I actually lost money in the market in the past couple of months (even though like everyone with half a brain and their eyes actually open... I saw the whole house of cards falling :rolleyes.

I'm sure I'm not the only one. You missed out on a great experience. Or maybe your current job makes you extra-ordinarily happy. In which case lucky for you.

[BK]

Re: Rising costs could push college out of reach

Anyone hopefully that this crisis will force the restructuring of how a College educations is delivered and how it is priced?

My fear is that Universities are so intertwined with the Federal Government (anyone notice where the Head of the Federal Reserve came from and Obama's head Economic Advisor is from the U of Chicago) that any change will be delayed for as long as possible.

[sunskyfan]

Re: Rising costs could push college out of reach

Whatever happened to the idea that education was about creating a complete human being and not just an economic excercise? This is also an argument for service such as the military or the peace corps. We should be building more Universities and training more teachers just as we should be building more hospitals and training more doctors.

A good, broad, Liberal Arts education is key to understanding history and the world.

The decipline that comes from military service or perspective that come from something like the peace corps combined with a good Liberal arts education creates a formidibly compitent human being with historical and cultural perspective.


My folks came out of the Depression with no education. They put all four of their children through college with minimal debt at a major state university and have all done well. I am working my ass off to provide the same opertunity to my sons.

This is the American Dream that I remember. Not the McMansion in boredomville that it has become.

[grizam303]

Re: Rising costs could push college out of reach

Joining the military for education is like buying a Ford Pinto because it's red. Sure, it may incidentally be what you're looking for, but one wrong move and you're dead.

You should join the military if you want to kill people or help others kill people in the name of the United States. Everything else is secondary.

I am a veteran. Recruiting under the guise of education is deception.

[Jim Nickerson]

Re: Rising costs could push college out of reach

Joining the military for education is like buying a Ford Pinto because it's red. Sure, it may incidentally be what you're looking for, but one wrong move and you're dead.

You should join the military if you want to kill people or help others kill people in the name of the United States. Everything else is secondary.

I am a veteran. Recruiting under the guise of education is deception.

I think it depends upon how much one values education and whether or not there are other methods of financing besides that offered through whatever GI bill may exists.

I was just a dentist in Viet Nam and had five acquaintances die over there, one of whom was another dentist in my company. Over a longer period of time I have had four acquaintances die from motorcyle accidents, a small plane crash (two) and car accidents (three).

If I recall, and I may not (one of you data junkies can correct me), each year of the Viet Nam war, the deaths in CONUS from autoaccidents and murder exceeded the total number of deaths of the entire Viet Nam war. If there is any hyperbole in that statement, I believe it to be small.

One can die in an instant many ways, most or all of which, do not involve risks that might be chosen in order to get an education. There are many jobs in the military where the risk of being killed by enemy action is probably less than the risk of driving to DFW airport from where I live (26 miles on the interstates).

It was my impression that a lot of people who became Marine officers (three of whom I knew that got killed) did so because that is what they wanted to do. Enlisted men, when there is no draft, entering services where combat is an option I will bet do so because that is what they want to do.

If old men had to fight wars, there would be no wars I don't think. No doubt in my mind youngsters do not have much sense of mortality, until they see it happen to buddies.

The military is not all bad, until and if there exists a time that none exists.

[jtabeb]

Re: Rising costs could push college out of reach

I am a veteran. Recruiting under the guise of education is deception.

marketing = deception?

I teach my son that everyday when ever he sees and ad on TV.

[BobH]

Re: Rising costs could push college out of reach

Why would anyone pay $60k per year for a PT degree?

Shorting some of these private education institutions that are publicly traded seems like a very good trade over the next few years!

[plinko]

Re: Rising costs could push college out of reach

It's going to be interesting to watch the events unfold. I'm a younger ituliper (mid-twenties), and I've noticed a large number of friends applying for graduate school/business school this year.

Some seem to be doing it as they are losing their jobs, others to get into better career positions or change their career altogether. I didn't feel nearly as motivated to apply like everyone else, partly due to laziness, partly because I didn't feel like standing in a crowded surge of grad school applicants.

One interesting thing to see will be the replacement of professors in universities everywhere, as I recall many professors at my school were already well into retirement age, with some professors retiring early, some announcing retirement and then coming back a semester later. This worries me personally as if I finally decide to go to back to school, my professors might be too new to teach the right way.

I believe many friends are applying to school as it's a so-called "safe-haven" from recessions - It's a great excuse to lower your standard of living in a socially acceptable manner. ;)

[sunskyfan]

Re: Rising costs could push college out of reach

I understand your point. My point was about training and poise. Brains, self decipline, confidence, and a well developed, historical, multicultural, sense of right or wrong makes up a complete person. That is what we should be calling "an education". I think a number of those qualities can be attained through the military. I think they can be attained else where as well.

[BobH]

Re: Rising costs could push college out of reach

Understand the mind set but don't think the logic holds this time around. This will be a depression not a mild recession. Thus credit will become very tight. Unemployment will rise very high and thus income levels will be reduced. Layer on the total 'debt factor' by the masses and I just don't see how the masses migrate back to school!

Thus, for the publicly traded companies that have their students pay lots more for an education doesn't seem like a growth opportunity. I'm talking about companies like - Apollo Group, Career Education or even DeVry. This group seems like a very viable short to me.

Thoughts?

[ASH]

Re: Rising costs could push college out of reach

I don't post here much, but I had to reply to this. College was the most enjoyable time of the first 30 years of my life. I graduated with a "useful" degree (computer science) at a tough school. And I am no genius either, I actually lost money in the market in the past couple of months (even though like everyone with half a brain and their eyes actually open... I saw the whole house of cards falling :rolleyes.

I'm sure I'm not the only one. You missed out on a great experience. Or maybe your current job makes you extra-ordinarily happy. In which case lucky for you.

Fair enough, rachits. I don't think college needs to be the worst experience of someone's life to provide a valuable education in something useful -- it just happened to be in my case. In this respect, I did miss out. There are many positive things about my current job, but I wouldn't say it makes me happy... just that it is way way more pleasant than college.

If you graduated with a useful degree from a tough school, and it was the most enjoyable time of your first 30 years, then my hat is off to you, sir. I guess you occupy a middle ground between my level of talent and what you'd describe as "genius". Well done.

[jtabeb]

Re: Rising costs could push college out of reach

I understand your point. My point was about training and poise. Brains, self decipline, confidence, and a well developed, historical, multicultural, sense of right or wrong makes up a complete person. That is what we should be calling "an education". I think a number of those qualities can be attained through the military. I think they can be attained else where as well.

You can't beat the classical education that a service academy provides.

It's like going to Stanford for free and then getting guaranteed employment when you graduate AND medical AND tuition assistance (new GI bill) for your family AND after 10 years you'll be in the top 5-10% of wage earners AND you are vested and able to collect retirement on a defined benifit pension after 20 years of service AND you can get a cushy GS 11-13 job after you retire so that when you retire from civil service you get ANOTHER defined benifit pension.

It pays to serve the "MAN", that's for sure. That's what you get for willingly giving up control of your life.

Phenominal Cosmic Power, itty-bitty living space.

[Jay]

Re: Rising costs could push college out of reach

I have well over 100k in debt from medical school. It is fixed at less than 3% but is still quite an obligation. I consider myself lucky though as I know classmates who have twice the debt I do and and have family practice and/or general surgery jobs that make the debt burden very difficult.