Hmmmm... the article starts out fairly well, even correctly relaying that student loans are a part of the reason why tuition has skyrocketed. Then, however, it blindsides you with this: What the... Where did this suggestion come from? It certainly can not be derived on anything that was mentioned before it, nor is there any explanation about it in the next few sentences before the end of the article. Given that, it still seems to be the only sentence in the entire article that offers a substantial assertion of any kind, and it isn't even the same assertion that is made in the title of the very same article. If this were graded like a persuasive essay, it would clearly be an F. Listen, I will grant that I am entirely ignorant about how to rectify the situation with tuition rates and that I am neutral on the idea that the government should do this or that, but this article is entirely useless. Even if the author somehow stumbled upon the most efficient, moral and socially acceptable solution to the problem (I will leave that to our "insider" users to debate about), he either has nil ability to articulate his reasoning, or, he simply picked the right solution out of a hat by fortuity.
How about instead of regulating it, they just get rid of federal financial aid that drives the price up? Before I get jumped and set on fire, let me qualify this with that there should be ways to subsidize those who need it for higher education. The only thing I have seen from my perspective in academia that federal aid does is drive the cost up - if the gov. will reimburse $250/credit hour, the school will charge $250 credit hour. There are all kinds of ways that the federal gov. can influence the price of education without directly subsidizing it or directly regulating it. How about the gov. pay 100% for education in those fields that are in demand and needed to keep the U.S. competitive? How about free college for those willing to serve as teachers in inner cities, nurses in public health districts, math/science/engineering, etc.? I do not think that the federal gov. should provide educational assistance and benefits to those studying things that do not have significant career prospects or societal impacts. Fine arts degrees are cool and have cultural significance, but they are not a demand field and do not provide much in the way of career opportunities.
No fire here, I think you're exactly right. Perhaps, but it should do none of these things. Part of the problem is that people think of the federal government as the first resort for everything. If individuals can handle something, they should. If not, they should turn to their communities. If that's not enough, consider the state level. Only when all of those are insufficient should federal action be considered. And there is nothing in education from preschool to doctoral study that need get to this level. I believe there are already "loan forgiveness" programs for inner city school teachers, rural primary care physicians, and a few other high demand professions.
Well, here is a simple solution from basic economics (which I have just learned- yay!!!)- REDUCE DEMAND. It will force prices down. How to do that? Well, that is a debate in itself. Truckie hit upon one possible solution. My pet solution is for high school guidance counselors to stop telling so many people that they need college degrees. It will reduce individual debt, increase stability in loan repayment, lessen the amount of money that the government throws into higher education, fix the self-fulfilling prophesy that I have complained about on occasion, and of course REDUCE DEMAND. People who need career training can do so elsewhere, and people who want to be educated need not to so in an expensive college. Many people still would prefer to or need to for various reasons, but that is a good thing since it shows that people believe that they have options and aren't forced down a single destinationless path. Unfortunately, as sensible as that sounds to me, it has never been met with by agreement by anyone I have suggested it to. Oh, well.
Exactly, college is not for everyone and a degree is not for everyone. There are many "trade jobs" that pay well and are better suited for people. My sister has a contracting company and I worked for her on occasion when I was between jobs. I loved it. I had really considered becoming an electrician and at times wish I did.
But everyone is a winner and can be anything they want to be if they just try hard enough and go to college :wiggle:.
REDUCE DEMAND - I think we agree! Ages ago while conducting high-school field trips at a manufacturing facility, my employer and the local university representative actually requested I stop suggesting public technical and community colleges as alternative to 4-year degrees! Local employers hired many bachelors level biology and zoology graduates as science technicians, and the local university could claim successful placement of graduates. Of course, completion of a 2-year college program was sufficient for the technician’s job.
Which guidance counselor wants to advocate that controversial position first? Anyone? Anyone? Not that I disagree, because I think you're right. But at least in my area, that guidance counselor would be in the unemployment line faster than you can say "horrified parents".
This is fantastic. I think that one of the great evils of the world is to tell kids that they can do anything that they want to do. In this generation you wind up with a million kids who want to create video games but they are failing in school, know nothing about programming and have not even bothered to figure out how they might go about learning those skills. They'll be lucky to wind up raking leaves for a landscaper yet people are still telling them that they can do anything that they want. Thet message should be closer to this: Figure out what you can do as well or better than anyone else. It's nice if you like it. Then push in that direction. If you're not sure, then you need to explore. I work in a large corporate environment and people are hired into every level every day. The company has education programs/certifications that demonstrate skill and ambition. I have seen people move up from Admin Asst. to Project Coord. to Team Leader just by being industrious.
Agreed 100%. Even as parents its difficult not to tell your kids pie in the sky dreamy type stuff. That is why anytime someone asks for advice on parenting books I tell them to read this: Nutureshock, New Thinking About Children It would be refreshing to hear a guidance counselor tell some kids that they should go into a trade or some other route that might actually lead to success for the kid. The problem is, is that most parents are delusional when it comes to their children.
