Nice Read on Public Colleges

phobicsquirrel

http://www.philly.com/philly/education/223335361.html?google_editors_picks=true

To sum it up, public schools are giving less of their tuition assistance to lower income students and increasing the amount given to wealthier applicants. I don't really think this is much of an issue, I mean I wasn't able to go the colleges I wanted because I wasn't poor? But if I was poor I could have, so to me that was unfair. Even though I got accepted my parents didn't have the money.

Personally I think higher education should be free but that's just me.

beatnic

Life fair? It isn't and never will be.
College free? Serious? And professors and janitors and librarians, and coaches should work for free?

Perhaps Tech Services should be free.

phobicsquirrel

Jefferson was very proud of his free college. Education is the anchor to a great society, to deny that is damning itself.

raisindot

From an affordability and financial aid point, the entire high education system, both public and private, and completely and irrevocably broken. Only the wealthy can go anywhere they want, and everyone else has to settle for whatever small pittance of financial aid will be offered. Public colleges shouldn't necessarily be cost-fee, but there should be more federal and state programs (besides the military) that waive or pay most tuition costs for students who agree to, say, spend the first two years after college working at living wage salaries as teachers or healthcare or social worker aides or other public services role in low income and rural areas of need.

webmost

More programs. Yes, that's what we need. More and more programs.

beatnic

I don't think college should be free or easy. It should be a challenge to get in, and to finish.

phobicsquirrel

beatnic:

I don't think college should be free or easy. It should be a challenge to get in, and to finish.

never said college should be easy to get into. though sure even now some are. not all colleges should be free, I mean it's like anything if you have the money then you get to go to Harvard or Yale. But for community colleges or even some state colleges there should be programs that allow people to go to school free. Oregon is starting something like that soon which I think is a great idea if it is ran properly. Obama talked about it for a while though it never got any where. Public service for higher is is IMO a good start.

beatnic

phobicsquirrel:

beatnic:

I don't think college should be free or easy. It should be a challenge to get in, and to finish.

never said college should be easy to get into. though sure even now some are. not all colleges should be free, I mean it's like anything if you have the money then you get to go to Harvard or Yale. But for community colleges or even some state colleges there should be programs that allow people to go to school free. Oregon is starting something like that soon which I think is a great idea if it is ran properly. Obama talked about it for a while though it never got any where. Public service for higher is is IMO a good start.

Ever heard of Academic Scholarships? Given to those with exceptional grades, social status not considered. They are still out there. There are government grants. Pell grants. As to the woman in the article, she is qualified to attend a college. She was awarded the maximum Pell grant, federal funds intended for needy students. She also qualified for the maximum state grant for needy Pennsylvania students. There is FAFSA, and a myriad of of the grants for the poor. She is only $4,000/year short. $76/week. Hell, I mopped floors in the fricking cafeteria for a semester.

As to Harvard and Yale, if you can actually get into them, you end up paying less than a public school. The Endowments at these institutions pay for everything. You get in, you get a scholarship. And the acceptance list reads like a Who's Who list. Its' who you know (well-positioned liberal folks hopefully). LOL