Obama's plans for College Tuition

[Professor_Adam]

I don't advocate free tuition. But I think it's important to give people incentives to chase after their own American dream. That's why I think military service is so great. It's tough to beat the GI BILL and tuition assistance. Obama's plan also includes community service. We're also talking about a tax credit here. It's not cash up front. There are stipulations as well. It's not a handout per se.

That said I completely agree that it's not really fair that Harvard has this gigantic endowment and yet still raises tuition. I've never understood this practice. Remember though the money does belong to the institution and much of it came from alums and former alums, so how can the government really dictate what they do with it? The people who gave the money should have put more stipulations on its use. Like perhaps to offset tuition increases -- but obviously that's not really what happens.

Tenured professors. This is another thorny issue. I don't see this one going away, at least not until they all die.

Textbooks. The sale of textbooks is clearly capitalism at its best (or worst.) They are charging a price that is in line with the demand that exists. The books are also extremely expensive to manufacture. Even the ebooks are very expensive -- if for no other reason than publishers' fear of cannibalizing their hardcover textbook sales.

So many issues here and so little time.