NY Times: Colleges Know How Much You're willing to pay. Here's How.

[The Sultan]

That Marquette's tuition and R&B costs are more than twice the inflation rate is a dumb talking point? Your right it is a dumb talking point; it is a sad talking point.

No, your dumb comment was about Fentanyl.

And yes, higher education is more expensive than it was back in your day. Care to guess some of the reasons why?

[muwarrior69]

No it doesn't. Or it shouldn't, if you have a brain.

So, what is it? If you have a brain are we better or worse off, or if we don't have a brain are we better or worse off?

[Uncle Rico]

So, what is it? If you have a brain are we better or worse off, or if we don't have a brain are we better or worse off?

We'd be better if boomers hadn't ruined the country with their selfishness

[muwarrior69]

No, your dumb comment was about Fentanyl.

And yes, higher education is more expensive than it was back in your day. Care to guess some of the reasons why?

What was dumb about the Fentanyl comment?

One of the primary drivers of tuition cost was the government taking over the student loan programs. The students were on the hook for repayment, and they could not even declare bankruptcy. The Universities with no skin in the game were getting their money so there was no reason not to increase tuition costs. I am sure there are other reasons but for me that is the big one. Finally, the Ivies are doing the right thing and using their endowments to fund most of their student's tuition costs. Hopefully more Universities will follow suit.

[muwarrior69]

We'd be better if boomers hadn't ruined the country with their selfishness

I take it you are not a boomer.

[Uncle Rico]

I take it you are not a boomer.

Correct.  I don't get my talking points from Fox News or the NY Post

[ATL MU Warrior]

So, what is it? If you have a brain are we better or worse off, or if we don't have a brain are we better or worse off?

Yes

[forgetful]

My working-class parents could afford Marquette paying full sticker price when I attended. Not today. I would have gone to Rutgers only two miles from home otherwise which was 20 percent less not counting R&B. A lot more of us were getting accepted than rejected from places we could afford without grants and partial scholarships which is better than getting accepted to a school you can't afford offering degrees that have lost their value in the marketplace.

When you attended, the average discount rate would have been tiny.

Now the average discount rate is 52% (56% for 1st year students).

If you adjust tuition for the discount rate it is not exceeding inflation. And for the last several years, tuition increases have been far below inflation despite larger and larger tuition discounts.

[forgetful]

What was dumb about the Fentanyl comment?

One of the primary drivers of tuition cost was the government taking over the student loan programs. The students were on the hook for repayment, and they could not even declare bankruptcy. The Universities with no skin in the game were getting their money so there was no reason not to increase tuition costs. I am sure there are other reasons but for me that is the big one.

Your analysis is incorrect and inaccurate.

[The Sultan]

What was dumb about the Fentanyl comment?

Comparing the Vietnam War to a drug crisis is dumb.

[The Sultan]

When you attended, the average discount rate would have been tiny.

Now the average discount rate is 52% (56% for 1st year students).

If you adjust tuition for the discount rate it is not exceeding inflation. And for the last several years, tuition increases have been far below inflation despite larger and larger tuition discounts.

Yes.

Not to mention that Marquette has always been the higher price option compared to two and four year public universities. There is a reason that people pay for it however.

[mu_hilltopper]

Princeton provides free education - including tuition and room/board - for students from families with annual incomes of $100K or less.

They have joined numerous Ivy League and other top universities in this practice, with some (including Harvard) offering free tuition to those from families earning $200K or less.

Comment:  Having also just gone thru this college process with my son .. there's a huge caveat to the "making under $100/200k = free tuition" pledge.

Every one of them include commentary that the household can have "typical assets" in order to qualify.   If you've been saving for your kids college education since they were born:  You don't have typical assets, so fork it over.

[mu_hilltopper]

The NYT article is archived here:  https://archive.is/ccndu

[Billy Hoyle]

What was dumb about the Fentanyl comment?

One of the primary drivers of tuition cost was the government taking over the student loan programs. The students were on the hook for repayment, and they could not even declare bankruptcy. The Universities with no skin in the game were getting their money so there was no reason not to increase tuition costs. I am sure there are other reasons but for me that is the big one. Finally, the Ivies are doing the right thing and using their endowments to fund most of their student's tuition costs. Hopefully more Universities will follow suit.

Nothing to do with the explosion if administrators? At Michigan State where my nephew is there are 4 administrators to every student, 11 profs per every student.

[tower912]

Check your math.  MSU has an enrollment of 52 thousand.  By your math, there are 200k administrators and 570k instructors.

[muwarrior69]

[/quote]

When you attended, the average discount rate would have been tiny.

Now the average discount rate is 52% (56% for 1st year students).

If you adjust tuition for the discount rate it is not exceeding inflation. And for the last several years, tuition increases have been far below inflation despite larger and larger tuition discounts.

So why doesn't Marquette say tuition is really 22k and not 50k if first year students are getting a 56% percent discount. Adding R&B you are still looking at 40k unless that is discounted as well. You also state that 56% is an average which mean some students are paying more while others are paying less. Do all the parents know the 56% discount is the average or is that kept confidential per applicant.

[muwarrior69]

Yes.

Not to mention that Marquette has always been the higher price option compared to two and four year public universities. There is a reason that people pay for it however.

Care to elaborate what the reason would be?

[muwarrior69]

Comparing the Vietnam War to a drug crisis is dumb.

How so, people were/are dying and I think that was '82s point.

[forgetful]

So why doesn't Marquette say tuition is really 22k and not 50k if first year students are getting a 56% percent discount. Adding R&B you are still looking at 40k unless that is discounted as well. You also state that 56% is an average which mean some students are paying more while others are paying less. Do all the parents know the 56% discount is the average or is that kept confidential per applicant.

The average nationwide discount is easy to find publicly. Average cost of attendance is pretty easy to find for every school.

And the reason why they don't advertise the discounted rate vs. book rate, is because some people will gladly pay full freight if it gets them into the school they want to go to. Those paying full tuition, allow universities to discount more for others who cannot afford college.

That is why enrollment decisions is such a huge game. They need to balance all types of applicants during admission and let a few "legacy-type" admits in that don't have the grades, because their families will pay full tuition and board.

[muwarrior69]

Correct.  I don't get my talking points from Fox News or the NY Post

You're missing out on journalism at its finest.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

Nothing to do with the explosion if administrators? At Michigan State where my nephew is there are 4 administrators to every student, 11 profs per every student.

You can't actually believe that a Research 1 university has more employees than students.

[MU82]

Comment:  Having also just gone thru this college process with my son .. there's a huge caveat to the "making under $100/200k = free tuition" pledge.

Every one of them include commentary that the household can have "typical assets" in order to qualify.   If you've been saving for your kids college education since they were born:  You don't have typical assets, so fork it over.

Thanks for adding that perspective.

How so, people were/are dying and I think that was '82s point.

My point was it's dopey to romanticize a long-ago era that was far from great.

[TSmith34, Inc.]

Comment:  Having also just gone thru this college process with my son .. there's a huge caveat to the "making under $100/200k = free tuition" pledge.

Every one of them include commentary that the household can have "typical assets" in order to qualify.   If you've been saving for your kids college education since they were born:  You don't have typical assets, so fork it over.

Yes, this felt like a kick in the scrotum. While I fully understand not everyone can even afford to save for college, it definitely felt like a punishment for having planned ahead and done the right thing.

[TSmith34, Inc.]

Now young Americans are dying from Fentanyl, not good times.

Not anymore! 258 million lives saved in the U.S. since January!

[The Sultan]

Care to elaborate what the reason would be?

*Smaller class sizes almost always taught by professors
*Likely more personalized attention from advisors, academic support, etc.
*Religious-based mission of the school.

And here's the thing, if people don't want to pay that price, they don't have to! There are other alternatives available. But if the value of of a community college education, with a transfer to a public to round it out were the same, then the cost would be the same.

But Marquette is doing fine right now. People are willing to pay more to attend the school.