There's more bad news for middle and working class students. The cost of a college education is still rising in this country. Even worse, it's rising much faster than the rate of inflation.
According to College Board's survey of college costs, the cost in a public college rose 6.6% this year -- $381 over last year's cost. A year in a public college now costs about $6,185 ($13,589 for those who live on campus). The price of a private college rose 6.3% to about $23,712 ($32,307 for those who live on campus).
Over the last five years, college prices have risen 31% MORE THAN THE INFLATION RATE in this country. That's more than any five year period in the last 30 years. It's also risen much faster than the modest rises in student grants (such as the Pell Grant).
Much of this has happened since the Republicans took over the leadership of our state and country. Here in Texas, they have deregulated costs at public colleges, triggering huge jumps in college costs which seem to have no end.
It's a bit mystifying why they have done this. Republicans love to talk about government being "cost-effective". The truth is that one of the most cost-effective things a government can do is finance a college education.
The difference between what a college graduate will pay in taxes over his lifetime compared to a high school graduate, will far surpass the cost of financing a college education. It is one of the few government expenditures that results in a positive financial return.
But there's a big difference in what Republicans preach and what they practice. While they preach cost-effectiveness, they're really only interested in helping their rich buddies and corporate interests. Then they wonder why we're starting to fall behind other countries in education.
One of the best things this country could do for its future is offer a free public college education to any student who wants it.
And of course with tuition deregulation, the Texas Lege has gone in its usual direction--backwards. When I graduated in 2001 from UT (to let somebody else hold the title of world's oldest undergraduate), my bill for a semester of full time tuition and fees and the like came to about $1500. It's over $3000 now, with no end in sight. Certainly not with Rick Perry's contributors/regents/fatcats continuing to set the rates.
ReplyDeleteI may be optimistic to the point of idiocy, but I think we may have a chance to take back the House in '08 and maybe undo some this damage. Not the Senate, not yet anyway, but I think the House is doable.
I hope you're right.
ReplyDelete