There is no reason why parents with money can cheat their way into the top schools while hard-working students who have EARNED their way into college can’t afford to actually go there.
On Monday Elizabeth Warren announced her latest (of many) specific, number-crunched, fully paid-for plan to implement universal, tuition-free college education at public colleges and universities for everyone, a system of merit-based grants and financial aid to help with tuition at private universities, and a program of debt forgiveness of student loans to eliminate the crushing burden we impose on the best and brightest just for trying to be the best that they can be — ON MERIT — what they earn, not based on how much money their parents can use to bribe their ways in.
When you look at the results of the education system in the US compared to those in other countries in technology where future leadership is important, it seems to make this “elitist” issue irrelevant. We find foreign students are doing in high school what American students do in college and our grad schools are filled with foreign, not American students. By monetizing higher education to the current extent we only hurt ourselves.
The cost of going to college has gone up and up and up ridiculously, while at the same time states and the federal government have slashed research grants and education funding to higher education. You cannot blame students for being in a time when minimum wage is worth half of what it was decades ago, loans are more expensive (having been handed off to for-profit banks), grant funds are tighter, and schools are more expensive.
It is NEVER a mistake to fund education – a large part of the economic boom of the 1950s and 1960s can be attributed to the increase of college-educated Americans thanks to things like the GI Bill and inexpensive sate schools.
And for the record, the Ivy League is “aid-blind” – if you get in, they will ensure you can go regardless of income, because they have the money and the will to do it. My alma mater, Harvard, for example notes that over over 50% of their students take financial aid, 100% can graduate debt free, and over 20% pay nothing. And you can estimate what your family would pay for yourself on the website on their Net Price Calculator:
What the ignorant parents who did this don’t realize, possibly because all they know now is privilege and greed, is that they have just destroyed the value of the education they were trying to buy their kids. It will no longer be, “Oh, I see you went to Prestige U; that’s quite a feather in your cap…” It’s now, "Oh really. You went to Prestige U, did you? Uh-huh….and how much was THAT, um, “entrance fee”?
In Denmark (to name just one), a student is paid a (very small) stipend to go to college (with requirements for progress toward a degree). They are paid somewhat more to study for a masters degree, and a (slightly) more than living wage to go for a doctorate (all with similar progress requirements).
Maybe you should send your daughter to the in state school down the road and not spend anywhere near as much money to get an equal education. Better yet, you can save more and have her go to the community college for the first two years and magically save even more.
There is little, if any, evidence out there that you make more money in your lifetime just because you went to the big name private school. So many people have gotten caught up in this lie it boggles the mind.
It’s akin to looking at the brand new Range Rover in the lane next to you and being in awe, but not actually realizing the vehicle does the same thing as yours, but costs a lot more, and the owner has a lot more debt because of it.
Think about it. When was the last time you asked your bank’s loan officer, your financial adviser, doctor, accountant, lawyer, or even your own boss where they went to college? It doesn’t freaking matter – other than that you get bragging rights to annoy everyone else when you mention you went to Stanford, Harvard, Emory, or NYU.
DD Wiz Premium Member about 5 years ago
There is no reason why parents with money can cheat their way into the top schools while hard-working students who have EARNED their way into college can’t afford to actually go there.
On Monday Elizabeth Warren announced her latest (of many) specific, number-crunched, fully paid-for plan to implement universal, tuition-free college education at public colleges and universities for everyone, a system of merit-based grants and financial aid to help with tuition at private universities, and a program of debt forgiveness of student loans to eliminate the crushing burden we impose on the best and brightest just for trying to be the best that they can be — ON MERIT — what they earn, not based on how much money their parents can use to bribe their ways in.
sandpiper about 5 years ago
Your friendly college loan advisors will be knocking soon.
superposition about 5 years ago
When you look at the results of the education system in the US compared to those in other countries in technology where future leadership is important, it seems to make this “elitist” issue irrelevant. We find foreign students are doing in high school what American students do in college and our grad schools are filled with foreign, not American students. By monetizing higher education to the current extent we only hurt ourselves.
https://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2017/10/11/foreign-students-and-graduate-stem-enrollment
https://blog.hackerrank.com/which-country-would-win-in-the-programming-olympics/
Zen-of-Zinfandel about 5 years ago
My niece is waiting patiently for Eliz Warren to erase her tuition debt.
Motivemagus about 5 years ago
The cost of going to college has gone up and up and up ridiculously, while at the same time states and the federal government have slashed research grants and education funding to higher education. You cannot blame students for being in a time when minimum wage is worth half of what it was decades ago, loans are more expensive (having been handed off to for-profit banks), grant funds are tighter, and schools are more expensive.
It is NEVER a mistake to fund education – a large part of the economic boom of the 1950s and 1960s can be attributed to the increase of college-educated Americans thanks to things like the GI Bill and inexpensive sate schools.
And for the record, the Ivy League is “aid-blind” – if you get in, they will ensure you can go regardless of income, because they have the money and the will to do it. My alma mater, Harvard, for example notes that over over 50% of their students take financial aid, 100% can graduate debt free, and over 20% pay nothing. And you can estimate what your family would pay for yourself on the website on their Net Price Calculator:
https://college.harvard.edu/financial-aid
dogday Premium Member about 5 years ago
What the ignorant parents who did this don’t realize, possibly because all they know now is privilege and greed, is that they have just destroyed the value of the education they were trying to buy their kids. It will no longer be, “Oh, I see you went to Prestige U; that’s quite a feather in your cap…” It’s now, "Oh really. You went to Prestige U, did you? Uh-huh….and how much was THAT, um, “entrance fee”?
Concretionist about 5 years ago
In Denmark (to name just one), a student is paid a (very small) stipend to go to college (with requirements for progress toward a degree). They are paid somewhat more to study for a masters degree, and a (slightly) more than living wage to go for a doctorate (all with similar progress requirements).
Are you feeling third-world yet?
"It's the End of the World!!!" Premium Member about 5 years ago
Maybe you should send your daughter to the in state school down the road and not spend anywhere near as much money to get an equal education. Better yet, you can save more and have her go to the community college for the first two years and magically save even more.
There is little, if any, evidence out there that you make more money in your lifetime just because you went to the big name private school. So many people have gotten caught up in this lie it boggles the mind.
It’s akin to looking at the brand new Range Rover in the lane next to you and being in awe, but not actually realizing the vehicle does the same thing as yours, but costs a lot more, and the owner has a lot more debt because of it.
Think about it. When was the last time you asked your bank’s loan officer, your financial adviser, doctor, accountant, lawyer, or even your own boss where they went to college? It doesn’t freaking matter – other than that you get bragging rights to annoy everyone else when you mention you went to Stanford, Harvard, Emory, or NYU.