5 institutions paying fine plus how much college costs in every state

Discussion in 'General Distance Learning Discussions' started by AsianStew, Jan 25, 2024.

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  1. AsianStew

    AsianStew Moderator Staff Member

    AsianStew, Jan 25, 2024
    #1
    MaceWindu likes this.
  2. MaceWindu

    MaceWindu Active Member

    That’s wrong on many levels. Greed?
     
    MaceWindu, Jan 25, 2024
    #2
  3. SteveFoerster

    SteveFoerster Resident Gadfly Staff Member

    Well, whose and to what end? It's not like Mr. Columbia and Mrs. Brown get to keep the money.
     
    SteveFoerster, Jan 25, 2024
    #3
  4. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    That they could get away with it, I guess.
     
    Johann, Jan 25, 2024
    #4
  5. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    Right, it's not like that. But it helps. Here's what the article said: The schools formed a
    ""price-fixing cartel that is designed to reduce or eliminate financial aid as a locus of competition,"

    I think it's: "We all agree - we pay this much and no more, so no student can expect a higher financial aid package from any other of "our" schools." I think that looks like how a price-fixing cartel would operate.
    Artificially levels the playing field. Benefits the whole group by eliminating financial aid "shopping."
     
    Johann, Jan 25, 2024
    #5
    SteveFoerster likes this.
  6. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    I think maybe the University officials got the idea from Gas Station chains. I've been (reliably - I think) told the stations all get a call in the morning to let them know what price to charge that day. I even know people who took those calls. :) That was years ago. They probably do it via Internet now.
     
    Johann, Jan 25, 2024
    #6
  7. SteveFoerster

    SteveFoerster Resident Gadfly Staff Member

    I know within a particular chain that stations will be told what to charge, but that's not the same thing, especially when prices vary so widely even within a particular neighborhood. (At least in the US, maybe things are different Up North?)
     
    SteveFoerster, Jan 25, 2024
    #7
  8. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    I understand, Steve. But here - the chain gets a call, presumably from their head office and sets the price. Miraculously, it's the exact same price as the other chains. :) There are a couple of "independents" that don't seem to march to the "cartel" drummer. But most do.

    I think they do it to avoid price wars. Sort of the same thing as the schools were doing, in this thread.
     
    Johann, Jan 25, 2024
    #8
  9. SteveFoerster

    SteveFoerster Resident Gadfly Staff Member

    That's wild! Our prices can vary up to sixty cents per gallon... which is... um...

    [Google happens]

    $0.21 Canadian cents per litre. And those stations might be five minutes apart.

    For example, here are the current prices in my ZIP code.
     
    SteveFoerster, Jan 25, 2024
    #9
    Tireman 44444 likes this.
  10. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    Hmmm - 3 were $2.99. Another 3 were close - in the $2.90s. Only one outlier - $3.29.
    I dunno, Steve. Color me suspish....
     
    Johann, Jan 25, 2024
    #10
  11. SteveFoerster

    SteveFoerster Resident Gadfly Staff Member

    Then several outliers on the cheaper side as well. I'm actually surprised that it varies as much as it does, assuming that they all pay a comparable wholesale price.

    Anyway, the one place I've lived where the gas price really was fixed was Dominica, where it's fixed by government, so predictably consumers alternate between overpaying and having shortages, depending on what world prices are doing. At one point they even had the gas stations just shut down altogether because they were being forced to lose money on every sale. The funny thing is that the country had supposedly entered into an agreement with the Maduro regime called "PetroCaribe", but prices there were still higher than in the US (or Canada!) so I'm not sure what good it was supposed to do.
     
    SteveFoerster, Jan 25, 2024
    #11
  12. Johann

    Johann Well-Known Member

    As I write this Steve, a few more prices have been posted to your zip code sheet -- a couple in the 2.80s. There are now 12 prices listed. High is still 3.29 Low is one station at 2.87. 5 prices are 2.99, 3 others in the 2.90s. 2 in the 2.80s and one $3.29

    I think J.R. Ewing is still alive -- and Ewing Oil is behind this gas thing. :) Let's see if the rumour flies...:)
    I never liked J.R. - but that girlfriend of his - Mandy Winger (Deborah Shelton) -- Oh my... :)
     
    Johann, Jan 25, 2024
    #12

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