Steep enrollment declines at PA State colleges

[Lyons212]

Another approach suggested was to have colleges co-sign the student loans. They would have a vested interest in the cost and effectiveness of their product.

I would not have a problem with that. The real problem is that college was a bubble that is now slowly starting to deflate. Demographics of fewer kids and more knowledgeable customers realizing college is always necessary or economically worth it ensures that the amount of dollars going to the academia is going to shrink.

Easy students caused the bubble to inflate.

 

[Judge Smails]

It was only in the last decade or so I had an epiphany about how healthcare is a for profit business in America. Yes - business; not service.

Funny that “death panels” was a scare tactic against govt run healthcare. Like it doesn’t exist now.

 

[anon_xdc8rmuek44eq]

Funny that “death panels” was a scare tactic against govt run healthcare. Like it doesn’t exist now.

We are fortunate enough to have pretty good insurance. A couple weeks ago, wife wasn't feeling well and it was too late to go to our PCP. She goes to an Urgent Care and tests positive for Influenza A. She suggests I get tested as well since we have little children; I go to the CVS Minute Clinic - get the same test (I test negative but am prescribed Tamiflu just in case). My bill was $25.00. Hers was $250.00.

 

[gslachta]

Funny that “death panels” was a scare tactic against govt run healthcare. Like it doesn’t exist now.

Actually death panels refers to a separate piece of legislation passed just before the Affordable Care Act and refers to rationing based on cost of service, medication cost (generally chemo) and the age of patient and co-morbidities before care could be rendered. It was real but since I retired not sure how it was implemented as recommendation or directive to hospitals as to what they would be reimbursed.

 

[jbenedict]

I’m not calling you. I don’t need you and your insane price for work that an average person can do.

many people do

 

[gslachta]

It was only in the last decade or so I had an epiphany about how healthcare is a for profit business in America. Yes - business; not service.

Boy are you late to the game, always been a business. Need lease/own office, billing personnel, nursing personnel, transcriptionists, office manager, schedulers, supplies (medical& office),equipment, accountant. Geez, glad I’m retired.

 

[Big 0]

Boy are you late to the game, always been a business. Need lease/own office, billing personnel, nursing personnel, transcriptionists, office manager, schedulers, supplies (medical& office),equipment, accountant. Geez, glad I’m retired.

You forgot the insurance pre-authorization personnel and compliance personnel/officers.

 

[anon_xdc8rmuek44eq]

Boy are you late to the game, always been a business. Need lease/own office, billing personnel, nursing personnel, transcriptionists, office manager, schedulers, supplies (medical& office),equipment, accountant. Geez, glad I’m retired.

Need all that for the military too.

 

[junior1]

that’s the way it should be. Need-based aid. It’s there in the name. It’s the social structure we are a part of. It’s the same social structure that allowed me to have upward mobility — no sense in complaining now that I have to pay for it.

Why is need based the right way. Can’t you make the case that students who are the best performers should have the best opportunity for financial aid? It’s kind of like the father asked warren....so the kid who works hard, gets good grades and high test scores gets screwed because his\her parents have more assets that another kids parents, Or, the worker who asks his boss for a pay raise because he spends more than he makes.
In the after college world, it’s normally the high performer who makes the most money, not the person with the greatest need

 

[PS4814]

Why is need based the right way. Can’t you make the case that students who are the best performers should have the best opportunity for financial aid? It’s kind of like the father asked warren....so the kid who works hard, gets good grades and high test scores gets screwed because his\her parents have more assets that another kids parents, Or, the worker who asks his boss for a pay raise because he spends more than he makes.
In the after college world, it’s normally the high performer who makes the most money, not the person with the greatest need

From my experience cronyism and nepotism are the best predictors of who makes the most money, and most Americans believe these days that “hard work” isn’t enough to achieve the “American dream”. I’ve seen plenty of people promoted over those who are better workers, and given positions based on being friends with other managers.

Plus how would you determine “best performer”? The SAT’s have been shown to be biased based on racial and socioeconomic backgrounds. Can’t base it on high school grades either as every school uses a different scale.

 

[BringBackStoneys]

Why is need based the right way. Can’t you make the case that students who are the best performers should have the best opportunity for financial aid? It’s kind of like the father asked warren....so the kid who works hard, gets good grades and high test scores gets screwed because his\her parents have more assets that another kids parents, Or, the worker who asks his boss for a pay raise because he spends more than he makes.
In the after college world, it’s normally the high performer who makes the most money, not the person with the greatest need

This wins dumbest post of the day. So the kid with all of the advantages- parents who can afford private school, tutoring, affluent and networked peer group - should get preferred financial support? We haven’t done enough to ensure that the rich get richer and income inequality grows? We really are lost as a country if this is a prevailing view.

 

[Cosmos]

Good! It's been far too many years that the "college for all" mantra has been beaten into kids heads leading to a massive glut of over educated and under employed 20 somethings with crushing student loans. Maybe folks are finally realizing that with some specialized training after high school you can get a job earning a living wage.

Though this idea worries me - "At the very least, colleges may find themselves graded by metrics like graduation rates or student diversity to get more funding." That sounds like the kind of thinking that led to the massive failure that was "No Child Left Behind". I'm sorry but it would be incredibly difficult to get increased student diversity in some of the more rural state schools. And as far as graduation rates - that's just another reason for the colleges to support grade inflation and watering down the curriculum to push kids through.

I disagree. I had the privilege of starting at Slippery Rock. It's out in the sticks and yet had no trouble attracting diverse students. I suspect it was do to the BEOG (Basic Education Opportunity Grant).

 

[Cosmos]

The cost of PA state colleges are outrageous when compared to other states, especially in the South. Makes it very difficult to lift oneself out of poverty.

The story of the young man attending Lock Haven and commuting by bus from Williamsport to class really gets me. Years ago the young man would have no problem attending and even living on campus to focus on his academics. We do a very poor job in PA with providing access to affordable education for low income kids. Most rural counties don’t even have access to affordable community colleges.

I agree but even back in the day (late 70s) the cost of southern schools such as University of Texas and Arizona State was much lower than northern schools.

 

[4rosco]

I never understood taxing corporations. If you make Apple pay more taxes won't they just pass the tax on to the consumer via higher prices for their products? If you make WalMart pay a billion more in taxes won't they simply raise the price of groceries and meds and clothing, etc. to pay the higher taxes? Companies can't print money. It seems to me that taxing corporations is just a backhanded way of raising taxes on ordinary people.

I'm not trying to be argumentative. You seems to be passionate in your position that corporations should pay more taxes so you can probably explain to me how this won't simply be a tax passed on to consumers.

And when you gave them tax cuts how many lowered their prices ?

 

[anon_xdc8rmuek44eq]

This wins dumbest post of the day. So the kid with all of the advantages- parents who can afford private school, tutoring, affluent and networked peer group - should get preferred financial support? We haven’t done enough to ensure that the rich get richer and income inequality grows? We really are lost as a country if this is a prevailing view.

60% of.the wealth in this country is inherited. Born rich, get high paying jobs because of access and wealth, stay rich, rinse, repeat. It's not enough to be born rich - they work forever and do all they can to avoid taxes.

 

[dailybuck777]

Plus how would you determine “best performer”? The SAT’s have been shown to be biased based on racial and socioeconomic backgrounds. Can’t base it on high school grades either as every school uses a different scale.

Nothing that is the product of humans is perfect. Just because different groups perform worse than others doesn’t mean the test is substantially biased. Last year, through very hard work, my son raised his ACT test score from 26 (top 20% roughly) to 33 (top 2%). I paid $500 for tutoring -- only half of which was useful. I know a Chinese kid whose parents don’t have money who had a perfect score and who said the ACT was easy. The ACT is a reasonably fair way to judge academic achievement, particularly considering the large number of applicants from varied places and limited time that colleges have to consider each application.

 

[rigi11]

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Emory Healthcare = Emory University

They are all tied at the hip. The colleges and the profs only care about lining their pockets.

300K? Elizabeth Warren gets 400k to teach ONE class.