Hmm Interesting found this article about Excelsior College

[dcan]

Why not make the tuition mandated at each institution to cut down on costs? Like how it is for the military. If the federal government won't pay more than $250.00 per course on most classes why not do the same for financial aid? That would cause schools to re-organize and provide more affordable tuition. Think about it the for-profit schools thrive on milking students financial aid. Schools like U of P and Capella etc will either get in line or close up shop.

I believe I read Adam Smith caution against exactly this principle: create a subsidy and entire sectors of the economy will pop up for the sole purpose of chasing the subsidy. Schools are chasing the federal aid. The student is the hurdle to overcome to get to the fed dollar, so they find ways to game the system. The name of the game becomes to put butts in seats to get the fed dollar, rather than providing quality education.

Where is the incentive to provide a quality, affordable education when the customer is the fed, not the student?

[sanantone]

Bzzt, wrong. Alabama has the longest in the WORLD.



The way it is set up, you need a statewide amendment to raise a salary in a minor town, or to build a school on the other side of the state. Our constitution REQUIRES you to bend a knee to Goat Hill (the legislature) and beg for favors to do ANYTHING in the state.

I stand corrected. Texas has one of the longest in the country with over 400 amendments.

The way you explained Alabama's government makes it sound like it's more restrictive on the people and local governments than the state government.

[ryoder]

Dcan that's right and its called rent chasing. It is in contrast to profit chasing which maximizes value and creates economic surpluses. Rent chasing is happening with ethanol, solar energy, electric cars, and many other government subsidized programs. Cash for clunkers was another example.of wealth transfer and wealth destruction since the feds gave taxpayer money to people if they destroyed true cars and bought a new one. It temporarily raised the price of new and used cars also.

[LaterBloomer]

That Dillon Rule has a lot to answer for. The state capitals' get to tell the local jurisdictions what they can and can't do. The irony is that it is followed most closely by conservative states. State governments "protecting" citizens from their own locally elected government.

[dcan]

The way you explained Alabama's government makes it sound like it's more restrictive on the people and local governments than the state government.

Yes, that's exactly right. It's frustrating as a citizen to vote on a long list of amendments that have nothing to do with you, and know you are dictating the fate of a few people far away from you without being able to find out if the proposed measure is actually good or bad for the people in question.

And the larger philosophical question: Why is it any of my damn business?

Dcan that's right and its called rent chasing.

That's the word I was looking for. Couldn't remember it. Thanks.

That Dillon Rule has a lot to answer for. The state capitals' get to tell the local jurisdictions what they can and can't do. The irony is that it is followed most closely by conservative states. State governments "protecting" citizens from their own locally elected government.

Fascinating: Dillon's Rule

And apparently 100% legally correct in the legal framework under which we live.

In Alabama the Republicans run the legislature now for the first time in about 150 years. They have lots of plans to clean up the rampant corruption. Nearly every week more comes out about how much corruption there was.

Give them ten years and they'll look the same way... :mad:

[skybirds]

Wish the Regents College still existed simple
BA. I want to learn. I've given up on getting
a degree. I have several post secondary
Diplomas I paid my dues.

[CMOS]

@ryoder and CMOS- that sounds nice but what about the kids who have parents that are struggling as middle class and cannot afford to pay for them out of pocket or the family who has a husband or wife that want to return to school to finish but cannot due their income. I mean come on. Yes it would be nice if all of us had 100k plus jobs to be able to pay our tuition all the time and the employers paid tuition but that is not the case. Honestly how would you be able to get the job without the education that was financed either by you or your parents??

Standardization would be a solution not complete removal of the system. Our society and nation is built on improving thyself. If you take away the FA it would take away the playing field with equality. You would have the poor always being poor because they cannot afford education and you would have the rich always being rich. Atleast with FA and other gov't programs it allows individuals to keep their head above water and have a fair chance at succeeding.

emichele The point is that the FA is raising the price and making it harder and hard to pay for an education. It's a catch 22 because you start off funding education for the poor but that makes it too expensive for the middle class. As a result you have to fund education for the middle class as well. As time goes on you have to fund education for a larger and larger percentage of the population and increase taxes higher and higher to pay for it.
Yes it will hurt for a while if FA is ended but I suspect that more schools like the big 3 would pop up to meet the demand for an affordable education and in the not too long run we would all be better off.

[Mian]

The problem with financial aid is not that it exists at all, but that there is very little control on how the money is spent. Not only are schools, bookstores and textbook manufacturers allowed to grossly overcharge for their products, but I know of people who have used financial aid money to buy all sorts of things that have nothing to do with education.

[dcan]

emichele The point is that the FA is raising the price and making it harder and hard to pay for an education. It's a catch 22 because you start off funding education for the poor but that makes it too expensive for the middle class. As a result you have to fund education for the middle class as well. As time goes on you have to fund education for a larger and larger percentage of the population and increase taxes higher and higher to pay for it.
Yes it will hurt for a while if FA is ended but I suspect that more schools like the big 3 would pop up to meet the demand for an affordable education and in the not too long run we would all be better off.

:iagree: ...just wait until my degrees are finished first!! :roflol:

It's the same with K-12. We pay more and more and more, and get less and less and less, and get told that if we say "Where did all of that money go?" then we just hate children... banghead

[Chebasaz]

If this forum had a "Like" button it would have been mashed to death by the end of this thread.