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AIR DATE: January 25, 2012
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The cost of a four year college education is increasing almost annually. Last year the Board of Regents raised tuition for Nevada students by eight percent. In the last twenty-five years the cost of college has gone up more than 400%. Is this constant rise in cost forcing more people out of the dream of a higher education? And where is all that money going?
GUESTS
Richard Vedder, Prof of Econ, Ohio University; and Dir, Center for College Affordability and Productivity
Aimee Riley, Chair, Nevada Student Alliance
Ariana Mahban, senior, UNLV
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" Average tuition has more than tripled since 1980, and federal aid has failed to keep up.
" Two out of three students graduate with student loan debt, at an average of almost $25,000.
" African American students are more likely to take out student loans, and to graduate with higher debt levels.
" The student loan default rate rose 31 percent over just 2 years.
" For the first time, the amount of total student loan debt in the U.S. is greater than the total amount of credit card debt.
This link
Jennifer –
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Overall, inflation has increased 300% since 1980. Maybe college tuition has increased more than 300%, but more than anything else that's an indication of how cheap (affordable) it was in the 1960s. For one thing, more people used to go to junior college. Now more students are finding that's part of the path to an affordable education. Get a job AND go to school at the same time and quit partying so much.
listener –
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1) Nevada has the highest unemployment rate in the nation, 2) Many students ARE working and attending classes at the same time (and are often underemployed and highly stressed), 3) Many jobs have been outsourced to other countries to the point where almost nothing is made in the U.S.A. any more - pressure our reps to pass legislation to tax American corporations heavily that take jobs elsewhere (get money out of corrupting influence on politics via special interest lobbyists and campaign contributions).
Jennifer –
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Thanks, Jim. I'm glad to see that we're on the same page.
Ben –
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I feel like the show's guests misunderstood my point. I was condemning--not praising--the private colleges/universities for generating huge profits by taking goverment funding & student loans, and providing an AWFUL education. That's why I'm for stronger accreditation standards. And I don't want to use it to cripple UNLV. I want there to be real, headline-generating consequences for the crippling higher education budget cuts made by our legislatures. A loss of credentials--even partially--will bring this issue to the immediate attention of a woefully uninformed and apathetic Nevada populace.
Ben –
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Ben, My comments were directed to Richard Vedder, Prof of Econ, Ohio University; and Dir, Center for College Affordability and Productivity. He praised the "efficiency" of for-profit schools, which is laughable considering that for-profit Kaplan U recently paid out a quarter billion to execs courtesy of students and taxpayers. This link
Additionally, 40% of student loan defaults result from students who received their higher education at a for-profit institution. It's interesting to see how much money these for-profit schools spend on lobbyists to pass legislation toward privatizing education.
Jennifer –
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"For-profit colleges continue their effort to avoid accountability for high-cost, low-quality programs, programs paid for by U.S. taxpayers and struggling students. They have spent big money on lobbying, public relations, and campaign contributions - and have engaged in some highly questionable tactics."
This link
Jennifer –
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