The College Tuition Thread

[Coito ergo sum]

"The average student in Florida, what they actually pay out of pocket at our major universities" for tuition is as much or less than what they spend on cellphones.
Will Weatherford on Thursday, March 28th, 2013 in a Board of Governors meeting

Very true.
http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/s ... es/2113751

So the average financial gift amount per full-time, in-state undergraduate student for the school year is $4,646. The average amount of what a student actually paid out-of-pocket for tuition and fees is about $400.

The out-of-pocket expense varies widely by family income. Students whose families earn below $60,000 — and compose about 44 percent of the university system — don't pay out-of-pocket for tuition on average because they receive more gift aid based on need.

Uhhh... there is plenty of assistance available.

So, what? Fuck you.

So, go to a different school.

[pErvinalia]

Are you saying they are paid out of private gift/charity? If so, that's still a silly system, as there is no certainty.

[Coito ergo sum]

Are you saying they are paid out of private gift/charity? If so, that's still a silly system, as there is no certainty.

There are government grants for most of it. Read the article I linked to.

However, there is no certainty in any system, and how can one argue that an average out-of-pocket tuition of $403 is too high? How can one argue that kids of families making $60,000 a year or less pay out of pocket $0 for tuition is too high? Don't people making over $60,000 a year (well above the national average) have an obligation to pay some of their own tuition?

How much is paid in your neck of the woods, out of pocket on average?

[pErvinalia]

I'm not sure. It's gone up massively over the last decade or so.

But I'm a bit confused. Isn't the actual cost of the course (usually thousands of dollars per semester or year) the main concern? I wasn't aware that university was free over there. It used to be here, but now it's quite expensive, although the government gives students cheap loans with generous pay back conditions.

edit: ok, I see what's going on. The gift/charity is covering those thousands with only a bit left as out of pocket. Not sure how you can say that gift/charity is no uncertain. It's far more certain here in that you know precisely whether the gov will give you a loan or not and the exact terms of that loan (not having to repay until your salary is above the national median or thereabouts).

[Coito ergo sum]

I'm not sure. It's gone up massively over the last decade or so.

sounds very un-silly.

But I'm a bit confused. Isn't the actual cost of the course (usually thousands of dollars per semester or year) the main concern? I wasn't aware that university was free over there.

It isn't. As noted, in Florida the "average" tuition paid out of pocket is $403.

It used to be here, but now it's quite expensive, although the government gives students cheap loans with generous pay back conditions.

We have cheap loans with generous pay back conditions too.

edit: ok, I see what's going on. The gift/charity is covering those thousands with only a bit left as out of pocket. Not sure how you can say that gift/charity is no uncertain. It's far more certain here in that you know precisely whether the gov will give you a loan or not and the exact terms of that loan (not having to repay until your salary is above the national median or thereabouts).

Most of it is federal Pell grants. Not charity. Some is scholarships and grants, which are not "gifts/charity" per say, as there are application processes, etc.

I never said it wasn't uncertain. I said no system has certainty -- like yours, where the cost just keeps going up and up, so people can't be certain that what the expect to pay next year will be what they actually pay.

Who cares if you know for certain what the government will pay if you're likely going to pay more? Like I said - here, people making $60,000 and under pay $0 out of pocket for tuition. Shouldn't people making more than that pay their own way anyway? Or, are people making $60k now considered "poor?"

[Gawdzilla Sama]

I had >$99,000.00 in loans written off two years ago.

[Tero]

I'm sponsoring 2 kids' smart phones. I end up paying some 3000 a year for 4 phones. So 800 per kid per year.

The first year I put my son on Verizon alone. He paid the data plan that year. My daughter has less income. I now make them share data, 3 of us share data. My wife only texts and uses weather app, rarely the map app.

I don't know what we pay tuition as we pay dorms too. But 10-15x cell phone.

[Rum]

Here in the UK tuition fees are around £9K a year, mostly paid for by the decreasing numbers going since they were introduced, by a student loan which will hang around their necks for decades.

[MrJonno]

Slightly confused by what 'out of pocket expenses' mean as well. Is this the amount of money you will ever have to pay personally for university, which is the common meaning of the word. Taking out loans is certainly an out of pocket expense but I get the impression the article doesn't count this

[Animavore]

I'm not sure any student should have to be paying any loans. If anything companies in the sectors students will end up working should be subsidising the colleges and paying for students.

[klr]

3rd level education here in Ireland is (for the most part) heavily subsidised, to the extent that all primary undergraduate programs are supposed to be "free". Supposed to be. They're not. Even so, the system remains heavily subsidised. You certainly couldn't ask students to pay the full "economic" fee up front, and any long-term loan system would have to be very generous indeed.

[JimC]

Here in the UK tuition fees are around £9K a year, mostly paid for by the decreasing numbers going since they were introduced, by a student loan which will hang around their necks for decades.

Similar in Oz, they are low interest loans to cover University fees, but you don't have to start paying them back until you have a job with an income over a certain level.

In addition, there are student association fees of a few hundred dollars, which we paid for Nick in his first year (this year), and we bought him his textbooks...

He's still living at home (Uni is a 25 minute bus ride), so no rent or board to worry about, and he tutors schoolchildren in maths to get spending money. Seems to be working so far...

[pErvinalia]

I'm not sure. It's gone up massively over the last decade or so.

sounds very un-silly.

But I'm a bit confused. Isn't the actual cost of the course (usually thousands of dollars per semester or year) the main concern? I wasn't aware that university was free over there.

It isn't. As noted, in Florida the "average" tuition paid out of pocket is $403.

It used to be here, but now it's quite expensive, although the government gives students cheap loans with generous pay back conditions.

We have cheap loans with generous pay back conditions too.

edit: ok, I see what's going on. The gift/charity is covering those thousands with only a bit left as out of pocket. Not sure how you can say that gift/charity is no uncertain. It's far more certain here in that you know precisely whether the gov will give you a loan or not and the exact terms of that loan (not having to repay until your salary is above the national median or thereabouts).

Most of it is federal Pell grants. Not charity. Some is scholarships and grants, which are not "gifts/charity" per say, as there are application processes, etc.

I never said it wasn't uncertain. I said no system has certainty -- like yours, where the cost just keeps going up and up, so people can't be certain that what the expect to pay next year will be what they actually pay.

Who cares if you know for certain what the government will pay if you're likely going to pay more? Like I said - here, people making $60,000 and under pay $0 out of pocket for tuition. Shouldn't people making more than that pay their own way anyway? Or, are people making $60k now considered "poor?"

The government here pays (loans out) the whole fee, regardless of whether it goes up year to year. You are right that there is uncertainty in that you don't know how much you'll end up repaying after your degree is finished (although, for all I know there is some rule that prohibits it going up in the middle of a degree; my second degree the prices didn't vary over three years).

I think there are places in the world where tertiary education is still free. It was here in Australia up to about the late 80's I think. Either way, America is shit and we are awesome, and this is just something you are going to have to get used to.

[Azathoth]

Iceland is teh awesome. Tuition fees are around 200 quid a year here for everyone. They have their priorities straight. A well educated populace is beneficial for the country.

[pErvinalia]

SOCIALIZM!!1!