Darn Budget Cuts!

PennyLane, RN · Jul 20, 2003

essarge where do you go to school? I just got my letter from my school stating they're raising their tuition. We just elected a Republican governor, and he's making things very difficult for students!!!!

essarge · Jul 20, 2003

I attend school in Delaware but the tuition hikes in Maryland have been all over the news!! It's so unfair....seems like they could cut some of the upper level salaries so that tuition hikes would not happen! Here in Delaware, we have "Mother Ruth" to deal with though!!

marilynmom, LPN, NP · Jul 20, 2003

Originally posted by Mel D
We just elected a Republican governor, and he's making things very difficult for students!!!!

LOL and we just elected a Democrat governor here and now we all have these problems. I highly doubt it has anything to do with that though, they are *way* to many factors involved in it.

Marilyn

francine79 · Jul 20, 2003

the rise in tuition is a fact of life, just like the rise in the cost of living. My main concern is they keep raising it, but they don't raise the amount of money you can borrow. I think people wouldn't be so worried if the government would let you borrow more!

colleen10 · Jul 21, 2003

2Ner,

My CC tuition has been raised about one (1) or two (2) percent each year. It's currently around $76.00 a credit plus "fees".

The big problem I found in attending Penn State is that I took out about $17,000.00 in school loans to fund my B.S. Pennsylvania was ranked (last year) as the third highest tuition rate for state schools in the whole nation. Now, once you spend big bucks on an education in PA, and say you remain in PA because most people that go to state school here are from PA, you find that there are no jobs.

So, how are you supposed to pay back all that loan money when you can't even get a job at Pizza Hut?

My husband, who is also college educated, and I have seriously discussed what it will be like sending our children (once we start having them) to college. At this point it would be better if we move to another state with cheaper in-state tuition. Or, heck, by the time our kids are ready to go to college just about any other states "out of state" tuition will still be cheaper than PA. Or, we really don't think we'll advise our children to go to college unless they really really want to or want to follow a career where you absolutely need a college education. Why bother when you can make more money and not have to pay back huge loans when you can be a blue collar worker such as an electrician, plumber, etc. if you so desire.

I think in the past there was a stigma against people with blue collar jobs. That they were uneducated and didn't make much money. Now, I think with the rising cost of education more people realize that going to college doesn't make you better than anyone else and certainly doesn't mean you'll make a nice living.

2ner · Jul 21, 2003

Colleen, don't feel bad, it's happening to all of us. I messed up....I thought it was you that said that tuition was 12/hr in California. (I corrected my previous post....sorry :) )

They have had tuition hikes at my school every year. I remember when I first started college in Louisiana, I was paying roughly 300 dollars a semester at the cc for 18-21 hrs, now one class where I am now is right at that, including tuition and registration fees, even more than that if you figure in the cost of the book(s). It's disgusting! I am a firm believer that knowledge or education should be free. Government officials always FIND money for other things that aren't really of any consequence (ie retirement parties and stuff that doesn't actually have a positive impact on the community); they should FIND money for schools so we would have a better chance in the future of actually having PRODUCTIVE members of society. You can't really be productive if you don't have the knowledge. And you're right, I've never thought of it that way....We haven't seen a rise in the amount of money we're able to get through loans or grants.

Times have definitely changed....Cost of living just keeps going up while pay stays the same (or at least that's how it is where I am...) I worked for the state and while I was there we got a raise, but they hadn't seen an increase in pay for four years prior to that. They only get raises during election years.

It used to be, you couldn't find a job unless you had a hs diploma, then it went to a Bachelor's degree, now people with Masters degrees are coming out of school (having spent their precious time and ump-teen million dollars....maybe the last part is an exaggeration, but they've spent a lot of money on their education) and have to settle for 20 grand a year. That's an insult.

If we ever have kids though, I'm going to start saving ahead of time, to make sure IF they do want to go to college (and the choice will be theirs) that we have the money to help fund the endeavor.