So I just registered for my thesis "class," which in reality is just a way for George Mason University to extract money from me for the privilege of talking to the three professors on my committee. No hard feelings, though -- their time is valuable. Now I can finish the Open Source Shakespeare project and get my M.A.
It's taken me almost five years to finish since I was admitted to the Professional Writing and Editing program (you there! stop laughing!). When I took my first class in 1998, before I was admitted, the total cost was about $540. That includes the various fees for things everyone uses (the library) and fees for things I will never, ever use (the pool, the student union, the gyms, the movie theater, etc.)
Today, taking my three-credit "class" will cost me $772. That's an increase of 43%, or more than 6% a year during a time when inflation was less than 2%. It's becoming increasingly clear that education has become yet another excuse for the government to extract money from productive people and give it to a class of people (educators) whom it favors.
Am I missing part of your reasoning somewhere? What does your class at GMU have to do with the government subsidizing educators? Is GMU a state school that you are in some sense obliged to attend?
Incidentally, Eric, I don't know how an ardent Catholic such as yourself is able to stand studying at a school with "Mason" in its name.
Nah - private colleges have gone up, too. What it's about is the venality of schools. If we can get it, why not?
Private tuitions have gone up less ONLY because the public institutions are playing catch up -- through the 90s they were much more stable.
I'm not "obliged" to attend the school, but I can't possibly afford a local private university like Georgetown or American, where the price is roughly three times higher.
I wrote a clarifying postscript just for you, Richard.
Given the choice between Georgetown and George Mason, I'd choose Mason every day of the week. At least it dosen't claim to be a Catholic university.
BAM!
Today, taking my three-credit "class" will cost me $772
And you're complaining? That's just a hair above in-state Virginia community college tuition!
Well, yeah. When I started my undergrad career at The University of Arizona (tm) a semester's tuition was $265. 20 years later it was $1250 or so.
Regarding my earlier post, I meant to say that what Eric is paying is just a hair above out-of-state Virginia community college tuition, not in-state, which is about $200 or so for a 3 credit class.
That said, my point remains and I think it is ironic that Eric Johnson, of all people, is complaining because Uncle Sam isn't paying enough of his college tuition.
You're misinterpreting me, Coward. I am not complaining the the government isn't paying enough of my tuition: I'm complaining that higher education is subsididized by the state and federal governments, thus encouraging schools to raise their rates higher and higher. The same thing is happening in real estate and health care, which is why costs are out of control in those areas, too.
Eric, now why do you think your tuition would be lower if it weren't subsidized by the Commonwealth?
It's not clear, Paul, that Eric's tuition is in fact subsidized.
Rather, if I understand him aright, he argues that government spending on education puts more dollars into the market which compete with his in the race to buy services. The result is that colleges have more power to raise prices.
Customers without a subsidy from the government, the college, or an employer have to bear the full burden.
RC, that was a neat summary of my point. If everyone had to pay cash every semester, universities would have a hard time raising their prices. But since the Feds subsidize student loans and provide no-obligation grants to many students. As you point out, many employers pay for some or all of the tuition, which is a further incentive to raise rates. The biggest scam is in computer education, where you can pay up to $8,000 for a week of training -- but businesses almost always foot the bill, so the students don't complain.
As P.J. O'Rourke said about Hillarycare back in 1993, "If you think health care is expensive now, wait until the government gives it to you for free." Same deal with education.