Most People Think Most People Can't Afford College

Pew finds that "Fully 75 percent of the public says most people cannot afford to pay for a college education. Just 22 percent of Americans say that college costs in general are such that most people are able to afford to pay for a college education."

For once, most people are probably right.

Comments

[Joe M]

It's almost as if all the attempts to make college more affordable have had the reverse effect. Weird.

[James J.B.]

As someone that has a boatload of law school debt - a couple of points

1. It is not dischargable (other debt is...for now)
2. You can't refi it once it is consolidated (other debt you can)
3. Despite all of the claimed efforts to make college more affordable - the result has been for costs to skyrocket.

But then I regard my debt as the way anyone should - it is the bank's risk - if i die too soon, I am set up so that they lose not me - Go ahead scold away - I did it like any business would.

[Jersey Patriot]

4. It is compounded daily, like a payday loan.

[The Gobbler]

"It is not dischargable"

A couple of weeks ago I heard Suze Orman say that she and others were working to change this.

[James J.B.]

Good. Debt is debt. There should be no special classes of debt. If you allow "irresponsible" credit card debt then why not also "irresponsible" student debt"

[Lost_In_Translation]

Dude,

No bank would lend out the kind of money you just spent on college if it was dischargable. Cheer all you want, but future students will find the pool pretty damn dry if the government makes student loans a dischargable debt.

I'm fine with this, but people should understand the consequences.

[Me No Understand]

State subsidize cost of inelastic supply but price still rise?

Me no understand supply and demand.

[creech]

Probably most would answer "yes" if the question was "Can parents afford to send their kids to a local community or state college, where he or she also works a part time job, or
would you say they can't afford it and you'd be happy to pay the kid's tuition."

[Anonymous Coward]

You mean parents can't afford a 4-5 vacation in another state costing $5,000-10,000 annually?

The American Dream is OVER!!!

[strapmonkey]

What state are you living in? I'd send my daughter to school there if all it cost was 5K to 10K per year.

In-state tuition is a hell of a lot more than that here.......

Not that I have $5,000. Or that I'd send my daughter to your state.

And I have a doctorate. For all the worth that entails.

[R C Dean]

Exactly. I think most people read the question as "most people can afford an Ivy League college."

[Dan]

Well when you give government backed loans to go to college, why should be surprised when there are so many dollars chasing educations that the price goes up?

At the local college they have flat screens everywhere, in the halls, in the dorms, etc. Many new fancy buildings.

Shouldn't you be in college to learn? Not watching the TV? Am I wrong?

I am only 28 and I sound like a cranky old man.

[Dan]

I supposed you could also be in college to drink and screw, but you don't need a damn flat screen or fancy pants building to do that either...

[Young Man]

Dude, you haven't lived until you've gotten drunk in a fancy pants building and screwed on a flat screen TV!

[Abraham "Grandpa" Simpson]

The force is strong in this one.

[NoVAHockey]

"I am only 28 and I sound like a cranky old man."

It happens to the best of us.

[Young Man]

At 28, you are old.

[Dan]

Then my crankiness is completely warranted and justified. I shall continue to be cranky!

[In Time of War]

Shake your cane at kids and tell them to stay off your lawn!

[Pro Libertate]

I have a son about to enroll in community college in Florida. Nearly $100/hour. That's insane.

[Almanian]

My kids went to a private college in MI. Paid for it theyself, just like I did.

I told them to keep their grades up in HS and get scholarships...cause I wasn't going broke or changing my lifestyle to put them through school.

It's almost as if they learned to appreciate it more since they had to earn it themselves. Crazy, I know!

[GSYSDTL]

I want to see this Survey"

"Please rate your satisfaction with the (i) cost, (ii) choices and (iii) quality of these necessities: Food, clothing, furnishing/utensils, entertainment, education, housing, healthcare."

I predict the worst three are those areas suffering from massive Federal intrusion: education, housing, healthcare.

Most choices, least cost:

[Brandon]

Don't worry. Because of upcoming corn shortages caused by ethanol subsidies, the federal government will soon be taking more control of the food supply, and food will be rationed according to how much you've donated to whichever party is in power. All shortages will be blamed on market failure.

[Pablo]

I think I hear another bubble about to pop . . .

[Pro Libertate]

I agree completely. I'm actually not buying a pre-paid plan for my youngest daughter because of that.

[The Gobbler]

You mean this one:

Beijing's Financial Day of Reckoning Is Near

A large part of China's economic miracle was built on dodgy loans, the bill for which is now coming due.

http://online.wsj.com/article/.....TopOpinion

[The Gobbler]

And by "dodgy loans" do they mean US treasuries?

[Jim]

lol (I actually did; usually that "lol" is just a filthy lie)

[Sparky]

I'm taking classes at the local community college. What I love is how they tell you the courses only cost $20/credit then you see your bill for two 3 credit classes come to $650. They sure love to pile on those fees.

[GILMORE]

Making matters worse = the actual value of a bachelor's degree has probably dwindled to nil, other than as a rubber-stamp.

WSJ article on declining value of college =

http://online.wsj.com/article/.....59307.html

Another recent piece on the same (with charts!)

http://www.popecenter.org/comm.....ml?id=2517

[Lord Humungus]

My old (don't laugh but I have a minor in) Philosophy professor went to University of Michigan by washing dishes.

My parents paid for my college by paying for my tuition with a check.

I look at the prices now and can only shake my head.

[R C Dean]

Believe it or not, I got my undergrad degree on a full scholarship that was given to me in the belief that I would raise the intellectual tone of the school. I just had to pay for room, board, and books. And beer. And bail.

Law school? Everyone paid full boat.

[Pro Libertate]

I got a law review scholarship; otherwise, lots and lots of loans.

[Apologetic California]

I went to public university (California). Even you worked $10/hr fulltime while in school, you'd never make more than the total cost of education. Your grades are probably shot to hell and forced to drop out if you attempt to do so.

[Syndrome]

Everyone can be super! And when everyone's super, no one will be.

[cynical]

But if everyone is super, everyone will have superpowers, which is objectively good (well, presumably). Worrying about being better than other people is just anti-egalitarianism for anti-egalitariasm's sake, and can be just as negative-sum as egalitarianism.

That is, just like egalitarians can make everyone equal by dragging down those who are better off, anti-egalitarians can make themselves better off just by making things worse for other people or holding back their attempts to make things better for themselves, without the anti-egalitarian actually bettering himself in any way.

As opposed to a degree, which can only be provided to everyone by dumbing down the requirements.

[Newbie]

I can still feel good about myself even if I don't go to college, right?

[strapmonkey]

Newbie, at this point, you go ahead and feel SUPERIOR about yourself if you didn't pay out the ass on the (mistaken) assumptions that a college degree (or two) would somehow help you earn a living for yourself and your family, allow you to offer more to your community and the world at large, as well as elevate your social status above your poor working class roots.

For the privileges above, I owe $200K, and climbing, on an education that the federal government just rendered null and void with a bullshit felony conviction. Thank God they were federally secured loans.

And for anyone who whines "Those are my tax dollars", fuck you. Couldn't care at all. Got a problem with that? PM me and we'll arrange a face to face. I could stand to let off a little steam. And no, I didn't just come on to you.

[Inigo Carmine]

"College worth it" is a pretty broad questions. Is it worth it to entirely debt-finance an 8-year romp at an out-of-state ivy-league school and end up with a 2.0 GPA with a bachelor's in sociology and pass up every job that doesn't pay you +$60K/yr starting? probably not. At least not in the financial sense.

Is it worth it to work, save up a lot of money and graduate from a school with minimal debt and an engineering or medical degree? This one's still probably well worth it.

[Lost_In_Translation]

Getting my engineering degree and paying off my student loans within 3 years of graduating. Yeah, it was worth it.

Had I gone for an Arts degree and emerged with no marketable skills, the story may have been different.

[Jingles]

By being a good little shit in high school so I'd get good scholarships and living at home (three miles from campus), I'm going to a US News top 100 private liberal arts school for about $5k/year. Not bad, if I may say so myself.

[Spartacus]

Alternative title: "percentage of people who think college is affordable largely unchanged since 1991."