Jeff Stahler for April 25, 2014

First World Problem.

excellent visual metaphor. Insensitive to Sherpa. Makes them a cartoonish

The average college graduate pays about $5800 more a year in federal taxes than the average high school graduate. Over 30 years, that totals about $172,000. If that’s divided by the 4 years it takes to get a college education, the government would break even if it paid every student $42,000 a year to attend school.This doesn’t even consider that with the degree, the person is less likely to ever need unemployment or welfare, that more students would complete high school if they could see a clear way to a really good job, and that they would be enriching the Social Security and Medicare funds. They would also be paying a larger amount in all other types of taxes.The best investment we could make to keep America strong is to not just forgive all student loans but to make all higher education, as long as the student is making decent grades, totally free, and increase the number of schools and teachers to make room for all who can profit from the education.We don’t, even at this time of high unemployment, have so much a lack of jobs as we have a lack of people who have the skills to perform the jobs that are available- in other words, a lack of education.

Actually, it is more efficient than what we do, regardless of who pays for it.Doing the community-college-then-state-school approach does reduce debt — but it may make you less employable. I assure you, employers look at your credentials, whether they should or not.And as for your statement “No difference in education quality between Harvard or Yale and UMass and UConn.” – what does that even mean? Are you saying going to a community college then a state school is equivalent to Harvard? If so, I have news for you! And actually, if you can qualify (only one of seven applicants gets in), the Ivies, Harvard chief among them, is completely aid-blind. You only pay what you can afford, and if parents make under a certain amount, you pay NOTHING — not room, not board, not tuition. Their objective is to enable 0% debt for all their students. A nice policy, but only the Harvards of the world can pay for it. (I could not have gotten my Harvard degree without their policies – my time there would have cost $40,000 had I paid it all, and in fact it cost $8000 with loans and whatnot.)https://college.harvard.edu/financial-aid

Plan ahead, give it all away before you die; die broke. Talk with a good CPA, tax attorney.

The real growth in that mountain began with “Reagan revolution” in California, and the anti-tax movement. I did the J.C. then state university thing years ago, and yes, it was a loot cheaper then. That isn’t true today, as my son’s costs at a J.C. in Calif. are many times my university costs back then, even adjusting for inflation. The Reagan legacy, like the Bush, is poorer schools, poorer graduates, and a decline in U. S. education.

The very best thing that happened after I achieved my B.S.?…paying off my student loan!!! ;)

Yes, but in this case it is an investment! Taxes pay for students who then can get a better payd job and then pay more taxes than they would have done otherwise. And hopefully have a richer life in other ways than money as well.

And I enjoyd becoming an engineer for free. Just have to finance yourself during the time. Which you can do with good student loans here in Sweden.