Why Is College Education So Expensive

Higher education in the United States has become BIG business over the last few decades. It seems as if most universities across the country act more like faceless corporations these days, all vying for hefty profits and bragging rights more than anything else. Is it any wonder then that many of the protesters down on Wall Street are up in arms about the rising cost of tuition? Really, why is college education so expensive?

And given the disastrous situation grade-schooler’s are put in, what with all the constant state-wide testing, we’re systematically creating an entire generation of stressed-out little kids who are led to believe that their future rests on getting into a great university one day. It’s an absurd situation . . . kindergartner’s are tested now before going into the first grade! What’s happening here? I’ll tell you what’s happening: American society is grooming the next batch of poor kids who are going to get stuck paying for the growing cost of universities decades down the line. But what are they going to be paying for?

States Are Going Broke: Private universities stay afloat thanks to fat endowments, around-the-clock fundraising and tons of private contributions. State schools (which educate almost 80% of all college students) however rely mostly on their states to help make ends meet, but with their budgets shrinking with each passing year, students get saddled with handling the offset costs.

It’s All About The Line-Up: It’s become a global economy, so if a university wants to get their hands on the best scientists, the best engineers, etc., they’re literally competing with other universities and employers from around the globe to nab the hottest talent. Why are the NY Yankees the most successful major league baseball team in history? They’re the richest. It’s the same with universities. That’s why all the best teachers end-up at Harvard, Yale, Columbia, Princeton, Stanford, Berkeley . . .  and who pays for all this talent? You and I.

Fancy Schools = Big Bucks: Walk through any of the wealthier university’s athletic departments and you’ll see what money can buy. State-of-the-art everything: pools, gyms, stadiums, the whole gamut. Plus all those luxurious dorm rooms, media facilities, lecture halls, eating amenities, etc. They all want to draw in customers and what better way to do it than with lots of eye-popping candy that shines and sparkles.

Now this is in NO WAY an exhaustive list of why college price tags are steadily rocketing into the stratosphere. I haven’t even mentioned the mounting cost of health insurance and student counseling services which are both expanding. Nor have I even touched upon the projected costs that our children will have to look forward to. How do we possibly cope with all this? I did a 2-year stint at a junior college before transferring over to UCLA tens years ago. That helped . . . some. What else? Keep protesting? Pray for a miracle? Answer: D. All of the above.