College Tuition Cost

[gmh1013]

Is it me or has the cost....even in state cost got out of control? My wife's daughter just finished at ASU and I noticed the cost was 658 dollars for 3 hours ....after I got up off the floor I told her when I went it was like 21-24 dollars for three hours ....and I thought that was high.....my brother said it was like 4-5 for 3 hours when he started in 1970. Is todays classes worth 100 times more than 40 years ago?....I really don't think so.
I just looked up Texas A&M for undergrad biz school and its a steal at 529.65 for three hours. If I was 18 I would become an A.C. repair guy before I would rack up that kind of debt and start my own business. I also think since everybody has some degree compared to 25-30 years ago is dragging down the benefits of having one to start with....and the salaries with it.

[wantonebad]

I think you are shooting fish in a barrel, there is no justification for the current cost of higher education. On the other hand, there is no price that can be put on teaching young people how to use their brain and how to learn, and that's exactly what good schools do.

[gmh1013]

Originally Posted by wantonebad

I think you are shooting fish in a barrel, there is no justification for the current cost of higher education. On the other hand, there is no price that can be put on teaching young people how to use their brain and how to learn, and that's exactly what good schools do.

The world needs ditch diggers too....Judge Smails

[wantonebad]

Originally Posted by gmh1013

The world needs ditch diggers too....Judge Smails

You have me on that one!! Simply one of the greatest lines ever from one of the funniest movies ever!! Caddy Shack and Animal House have to be the most quotable movies on the planet!!

[GoodThings]

Originally Posted by wantonebad

I think you are shooting fish in a barrel, there is no justification for the current cost of higher education. On the other hand, there is no price that can be put on teaching young people how to use their brain and how to learn, and that's exactly what good schools do.

I would love to know what value has been added to justify the price increase. I feel sorry for kids who will have more debt from a four year degree than a doctor had thirty years ago.

[AzPaul]

My niece has just picked a school. In state tuition (Arizona) runs close to $10,000 a year while the few out of state schools she was considering ranged all the way up to $30,000 a year.

'Big Education' is very bit the rip-off 'Big Oil' or 'Big Pharm' have ever been.

[520Matt]

Originally Posted by AzPaul

My niece has just picked a school. In state tuition (Arizona) runs close to $10,000 a year while the few out of state schools she was considering ranged all the way up to $30,000 a year.

'Big Education' is very bit the rip-off 'Big Oil' or 'Big Pharm' have ever been.

UA is closer to $18k (tuition only) per year in state, I know firsthand

[seand442]

Originally Posted by 520Matt

UA is closer to $18k (tuition only) per year in state, I know firsthand

Damn. $18K would have paid for my BS and a good chunk of a Masters degree. I cry when I think what it will cost when my kids are ready in 11 years.

[520Matt]

Originally Posted by AzPaul

My niece has just picked a school. In state tuition (Arizona) runs close to $10,000 a year while the few out of state schools she was considering ranged all the way up to $30,000 a year.

'Big Education' is very bit the rip-off 'Big Oil' or 'Big Pharm' have ever been.

LMFAO. Just noticed your post was from 3 years ago

[gmh1013]

Since Im retired I hear it from my brother who has undergrad degree in Math and Is a Petroleum Eng is how dumb some these kids coming out of school with engineering degrees are.
The well he just got off of he was telling me some 27 year old end could not figure out how much drilling mud volume was needed given the well bore and depth plus surface casing....without a calculator. He said he could figure it out faster using a slide rule vs him pecking it out ....and got still got it wrong. His view is some kids are damn smart and some he wonders how the hell they passed any pre eng classes. He said you know how I am maybe my "sunny" disposition made him nervous....but I had to go behind him and recheck his calc....I cant get my ass run off the rig because BP should check who they hire more carefully.

[Fleetlord]

Originally Posted by gmh1013

Since Im retired I hear it from my brother who has undergrad degree in Math and Is a Petroleum Eng is how dumb some these kids coming out of school with engineering degrees are.
The well he just got off of he was telling me some 27 year old end could not figure out how much drilling mud volume was needed given the well bore and depth plus surface casing....without a calculator. He said he could figure it out faster using a slide rule vs him pecking it out ....and got still got it wrong. His view is some kids are damn smart and some he wonders how the hell they passed any pre eng classes. He said you know how I am maybe my "sunny" disposition made him nervous....but I had to go behind him and recheck his calc....I cant get my ass run off the rig because BP should check who they hire more carefully.

This is a very true and important post.

The vast majority of engineers graduating today are "paycheck" engineers...

In that, they are students who are good enough in Math to pass the coursework, they realize that engineering is a higher paying career field so the pursue it...even though they couldn't care less about it.

In other words, old school engineers CARED about the work and knew how to figure stuff out without calcs or computers because they had the passion to learn the details and figure things out....these kids graduating today? Not so much. It's just a job that pays more now.....and they got it because they were lucky enough to have a math aptitude......just the way it is.

[breitlings]

Originally Posted by Fleetlord

This is a very true and important post.

The vast majority of engineers graduating today are "paycheck" engineers...

In that, they are students who are good enough in Math to pass the coursework, they realize that engineering is a higher paying career field so the pursue it...even though they couldn't care less about it.

In other words, old school engineers CARED about the work and knew how to figure stuff out without calcs or computers because they had the passion to learn the details and figure things out....these kids graduating today? Not so much. It's just a job that pays more now.....and they got it because they were lucky enough to have a math aptitude......just the way it is.

Computers are about to start designing almost everything. Starting with simple things and expanding to infrastructure etc.

One example: The wind turbine of today will be replace by something that is more efficient and cheaper once computers start designing them.

[psv]

This is what happens when you turn education into a profit-maximing buisness.

[gmh1013]

Originally Posted by psv

This is what happens when you turn education into a profit-maximing buisness.

Its turned into a money making racket....with emphasis on sports vs quality education.

[69mach351]

People really need to evaluate the degree and the institution before they spend the money to earn a degree. There are a lot of degrees that will never be worth it when you take into account the cost of schooling, not working full time during that time, etc.

When I entered college in 2002, I paid around $100/credit hour. When I got out in '06 it was $150. Grad school at a smaller, but still public institution was $335/hr and that was very cheap for a decent degree.

[Wesley Crusher]

Originally Posted by 69mach351

People really need to evaluate the degree and the institution before they spend the money to earn a degree. There are a lot of degrees that will never be worth it when you take into account the cost of schooling, not working full time during that time, etc.

I certainly hope my degree in underwater basket weaving pays off because I am 150k in student loan debt.

[dysondiver]

Originally Posted by Wesley Crusher

I certainly hope my degree in underwater basket weaving pays off because I am 150k in student loan debt.

speaking as a quiche eating ,shandy drinking, futon wetting, ethnic yogurt weaver ,,, i think you will be grand ,,,

[salty_snack]

$3k to $6k for 12 - 18 credit hours seems to be the norm for many state schools. Seems like a good deal to me if you are going to a decent school, working hard, and learning applicable skills that will ultimately make you a productive member of the workforce.

Sure, you can find dumb a**es graduating from most universities but that won't be solved until we start failing students for sub-standard performance.

[wctm68]

I started saving b/f my 2 girls were born. I currently have 300K saved in 529 plans @ Vanguard and still don't think I have enough...

[crew]

Originally Posted by wctm68

I started saving b/f my 2 girls were born. I currently have 300K saved in 529 plans @ Vanguard and still don't think I have enough...

You likely have more than enough for most schools.

[Dr.Brian]

Originally Posted by crew

You likely have more than enough for most schools.

You'd think, but tuition, expenses, room and board at a private school can easily exceed $50k/yr. And for many, a graduate degree of some kind is the new end point.
Fat, drunk and stupid is no way to go through life.

[dysondiver]

omg ,,, the uk education system still isnt anywhere near that bad.

[Lion]

When I went back to school in the mid 1970's at a State College here in Illinois(S.I.U.)I was paying $295.00USD for Tuition and Fees per Semester. I majored in Plant and Soil Science and worked my butt off. S.I.U.-Carbondale, was considered a "Party School" but the reality was you could party and flunk out of any College if you worked hard at it.....

Turns out after meeting graduates at a Seminar from well known expensive College Programs in Horticulture(Cornell, Rutgers, Ohio State to name a few)my education was far superior to what they studied and learned.....also I too am amazed that younger people today need a calculator to do simple Math. And in Chicago with their Public Schools there are many young adults who graduate and move on and they can't even read a TV Guide!!!

It's a shame really.....

[Dr.Brian]

There are two primary problems which lead to the large tuition increases over the last 30 years.
1. States fund their state universities less and less each year. UVA used to get 30% funding from the state, now it is about 5%. They pressure UVA to remain an elite public school and cut support annually. That difference has to come from somewhere, and costs are not going down on anything.
2. It is easy to get loans that are essentially non dischargeable for education expenses, from the government and the private sector. If it was hard to get the loans, the schools would not be able to charge what they do, they'd have no students.

These new deals with being able to discharge your debt after 10 or 20 years will become a problem down the line as more and more debt is forgiven. That money is coming from somewhere as well.

I plan to tell my kids that they can go to The University of Pennsylvania, where I get a very generous faculty tuition benefit, or a public university in the state on my dime (and a less generous but still good Penn faculty benefit) That's it. Exceptions would be considered for Harvard or Stanford or another specialty school (Julliard, etc.) for obvious reasons.
I'm torn with the public vs private debate as I went to a top 20 private school at great expense to my parents, though only about 1/2 of what it would be today 20 years later, and I feel that it was a good environment and I was challenged with strong competition, however my wife went to a highly regarded public university and has also done very well. Both of us have doctoral level graduate degrees, so that muddies the water a bit as well.

[psv]

The other problem with "elite" public schools like UVA is that they are now so in-demand from overseas students willing to pay full tuition that fewer and fewer seats are alotted to VA residents.

[68camaro]

Originally Posted by psv

The other problem with "elite" public schools like UVA is that they are now so in-demand from overseas students willing to pay full tuition that fewer and fewer seats are alotted to VA residents.

Its not only out-of-country its out of state as well. With state funding cut UVA increases out of state students who pay full boat. But cost at VA Tech is crazy as well.

[toph]

Everyone is now allowed to get into university and they are ripped off. The majority come out with a sub standard degree, big debt and few prospects. Ain't that the life.

[gmh1013]

Originally Posted by toph

Everyone is now allowed to get into university and they are ripped off. The majority come out with a sub standard degree, big debt and few prospects. Ain't that the life.

Could not have said it better myself

[Lion]

The quality of the Higher Education you receive regardless of the school attended still comes down to what effort is the student willing to give and do to obtain the goal...which in this case is Graduation with a Degree. What priority does a person assign to learning, excelling and obtaining the "Tools" needed to succeed and move on in their life.....

[crew]

Originally Posted by Lion

The quality of the Higher Education you receive regardless of the school attended still comes down to what effort is the student willing to give and do to obtain the goal...which in this case is Graduation with a Degree. What priority does a person assign to learning, excelling and obtaining the "Tools" needed to succeed and move on in their life.....

Well said Leo.