College Tuition Costs and Concerns Over Loans

Here in Texas, the rate of tuition increases for state colleges has been obscene for the last 10 years [“Bigger Tuition Bills and Student Loans Coming in 2011,” usnews.com]. It is high time that parents and students say “enough is enough.” When we stop selling ourselves to these colleges at whatever price they want, then watch the price drop. The more prevalent that student loans become, the more outrageous the cost. Let the loans dry up. Let true market forces rule, and this crime will right itself.

Comment by Chuck of TX

Even as an 18-year-old, I had the philosophy that I didn’t want to go to college and study some subject that I was half interested in, just for the sake of going to school. Instead, I waited so I could figure out what my passion was, in my case, human services, and then went to college. And I’m glad I did.

Comment by Mike Brown of ME

We need to raise the bar higher and set higher standards for those who are graduating from universities. We need to make sure that the education they get is actually applicable to the demands of today’s society. Some students are better off in community or technical/vocational colleges. We need to realize that some schools are becoming diploma mills, allowing unprepared students to enter the job market. Another thing is that the government needs to prioritize educating Americans. We need to put Americans in the front line and not illegal aliens.

Comment by Joe of CA

To the extent that some states have used stimulus bill money to moderate tuition increases last year and this year, it is likely that there will be double-digit tuition inflation in 2011-12 at public colleges and universities. Not only will the colleges have the usual increases in costs, but they’ll have to replace the stimulus bill funding. All of that will fall on tuition. To some extent, by kicking the can down the road, the stimulus bill exacerbated the usual feast/famine cycle of public college tuition inflation. California’s 32 percent increase in tuition may be an early warning of what we can expect to see in some states.

Mark Kantrowitz of PA

Make sure the “college” is actually accredited. Make sure the credits and/or the degree you receive is transferable and will be accepted at another institution. (It is up to the individual college if they want to accept credits or degrees from another institution, accredited or not.) I received an AA degree that is actually worthless. The “college” was accredited, but the state and local “colleges” did not and would not accept the degree nor the credits I had earned, as such I was not able to use the credits or my degree to go for another advanced degree. But I paid the tuition via a government student loan and I paid that loan back.

Comment by Max Bauer of CA

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