random but serious question:

do you guys think there should be free higher education in the bay such as free tuition for college? (non private) why specifically? what are your ideas?

need some 'extra ideas for debate :]
must debate why edu should be free


-edo

 

I think it would be good, but it woud also pollute colleges by every person who's not interested in going to college while being pressured by their parents and have no intention of improving their school or your knowledge.

Oleg

 

It shouldn't be free.

Free stuff gets abused.

 

It has been shown that there is a social benefit/utility to increased education among a population. Free higher education would increase that social benefit.

 

not to mention that everyone should have the option to learn and better their education, in turn bettering themselves, not just people that can afford the $25K+ a year price tag for a college education.

There are plenty of "smart" people that dont have alot of money, that cant afford to go to college. People that get good SAT scores should be allowed to go to college even if they cant afford it. Why should those people be excluded from a higher education, because they cant afford it? The SATs will still filter out the "riff-raff" crowd that would just take advantage of a free college education and have no intention of finishing it.

-Ted

 

well, whether you can afford college, or are academically qualified to get into a certain college are two different things. i think its very important to make that distinction.

i think higher education thats free with the current criteria for acceptance would be a good thing. that way you still have the caliber of students certain colleges want/strive for. while the hierarchy for education still exists.

 

I agree with everything being said, especially the laters who said there should be pre-requisites for it. But at what price would you be willing to pay for everyone to have free higher education? Taxes would have to increase on certain things.

I for one wouldn't mind paying taxes for free higher education, even if it wasn't me benifitting *i'm already out of school*. I feel the need for higher education for society as a whole is worth the extra in taxes, or reallocation of existing taxes to it.

--reid

 

Tuition at many public colleges is incredibly cheap. Community college are $26/unit and Cal State schools are ~$900 a quarter.

Not trying to be an ***, but I don't understund how anyone cannot afford it given that there are also so many assistance programs and grants available.

 

therein lies the problem: funding. not everyone would agree to have a certain amount of all taxes be allocated to education. its obvious that the educated population would support this, since we've gone to school and see the benefits of higher education. but there are many who do very well without ever going to school, who see no point to this. you'd be surprised to find out how many people didnt go to college, which is why a lot of people would not want to pay taxes for something they either: have not experienced, does not matter in their minds, could care less about. im not saying that not attending college means you dont care about education. im just speaking in simple terms of "out of sight out of mind". its just one reason why higher education funding via tax dollars wouldnt fly with people.

 

Thats not totally correct.....CSU colleges are more than $900 a quarter (depending on the school ofcourse), IIRC from my college days, they charged by how many units you are taking (ex. $150 a unit or so) therefore, 150 p/unit x 9 units = 1350 x 3 (semesters) = $4050/yr or about $16,200 for a 4 year degree (that is IF you actually get it in 4 years.)

BUT, even at $900 a quarter, you'd get 900 x 4 = $3600/yr x 4yrs = $14,400 for a four year degree.... (again that depends on if you actually get your deg. in 4 years.) alot of people that are academically qualified to attend college, still cant afford ~$15k for college, when they can barely afford to put food on their tables as it is.

besides, I think this discussion is meant to be aimed at Universities....not community colleges.


2¢

-Ted

 

Umm, it DOES currently fly with people. You dont' think your tax dollars significantly support the current UC system?

 

Ditto that! I could not afford to go to a Stanford or Berkely, but legal residents all have access to student loans... I used them.

If someone is motivated to go to school, they will figure out a way to do it. Even if school was free, people would still not go.

I think our 2 biggest problems in CA are illegals in our schools, plus the dropoff in male applicants... more women now go to school than men.... thank you woman's liberation!!!! Your men now get to stay home, change the diapers, and wash the dishes! Oh that's right... forget all that so our kids can come home to an empty house.

We should just shut down all our schools and work as slaves for the chinese already... they already practically own us =) ahahhahaha we are so screwed!

 

i am fully aware of the current tax allocations to the UC system, since i went to a UC. state funding is part of the reason why the UC's are accepting more in-state students than out of state, but thats a different topic. i was just talking about free education with every school, everywhere. that would take a much bigger step with allowing the state/federal government to tax people even more for just that reason. even though we subsidize the UC's (which is a freakin GREAT idea for such good schools), it still isnt free, and alot of money is already in the UC's. this much bigger step i dont think would fly with people, since it would require a lot more taxes.

 

damn, another good reason to go back to school. more chicks

 

I wonder what that number actually is... I would think that the number of programs available such as the cal and bell grant would take care of a large number of these "smart" but "poor" people. If not, I don't think free education for all is the answer... but additional grants for those that really need it.