Imagine that you have a product whose price tag for decades rises faster than inflation. But people keep buying it because they're told that it will make them wealthier in the long run. Then suddenly they find it doesn't. Prices fall sharply, bankruptcies ensue, great institutions disappear.
Sound like the housing market? Yes, but it also sounds like what Glenn Reynolds, creator of instapundit.com, writing in The Examiner, has called "the higher education bubble."
Government-subsidized loans have injected money into higher education, as they did into housing, causing prices to balloon. But at some point people figure out they're not getting their money's worth, and the bubble bursts.
Some think this would be a good thing. My American Enterprise Institute colleague Charles Murray has called for the abolition of college for almost all students. Save it for genuine scholars, he says, and let others qualify for jobs by standardized national tests, as accountants already do.
"Is our students learning?" George W. Bush once asked, and the evidence for colleges points to no. The National Center for Education Statistics found that most college graduates are below proficiency in verbal and quantitative literacy. University of California scholars Philip Babcock and Mindy Marks report that students these days study an average of 14 hours a week, down from 24 hours in 1961.
The American Council of Alumni and Trustees concluded, after a survey of 714 colleges and universities, "by and large, higher education has abandoned a coherent content-rich general education curriculum."
They aren't taught the basics of literature, history or science. ACTA reports that most schools don't require a foreign language, hardly any require economics, American history and government "are badly neglected" and schools "have much to do" on math and science.
ACTA's whatwilltheylearn.com Web site provides the grisly details for each school, together with the amount of tuition. Students and parents can see if they will get their money's worth.
Read more at the Washington Examiner
DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
14 comments:
I for one, am so tired of the so called " Professional Students". Females for example will go to college and get the CNA's or GNA's KNOWING full well that they will never get hired because of a criminal background. This is done so they can go on welfare and not have to work because they are a student. After getting both the CNA and GNA, one girl said she was going back so she could get her CDL license. Thats were the money is she said. I asked her if she really thought she could do that as a job and she admitted the answer was no but she said going to school was easier than having to work because she at least got public assistance as long as she stayed in school.I personally know one girl who went to college for 6 years and finally got tired of the homework and works for minimum wage now.
10:21 You are wrong. The first thing that is done in any healthcare profession training is a criminal background check. Students are not admitted into programs who fail drug tests or background tests.
On the Eastern shore the medicle field is the smartest thing a young person can get into.
Universities have become another arm of the left wing establishment.As long as they go along with the socialist agenda they will be fully funded with no rules or over site of tax payer funds.
The American dream, what a crock. Remember the greatest generation were war heros when they were these KIDS ages. Got my college education and couldnt find myself with a blood hound. Higher education.
It's a horrible system. These single mothers w/ children are getting over like a "fat rat".
10:21am,
I totally agree. The system for these woman is a farce. They recieve these grants. Use the money to go to school. Get an education. Go to work in a field they did not study for. Get pregnant while working. Sit around on the job while others carry the weight, Then use the FMLA. Coming back to work to start this cycle all over again. Most of them are single mothers who continue to have many more children. None of the children have the same fathers. And, the fathers probable are products of the criminal system. All this money should be used for the childrens in school starting in the kindergarden through the 12th grade. Or on childrens with both parents.
To the commenters above, this article wasn't aimed at criticizing the "welfare fat cats" or whatever you all call them. Its referring to the other end of the spectrum. People like myself in their mid and upper 20's, overpaid for college because we're told our entire lives that its what we have to do and can't get a good job any other way, and now can't get a "real job" that pays a salary worth anything. I'm fortunate to have a good job but I could do what I do with only a GED actually. There are big companies out there whose CEOs and owners make hundreds of millions per year that start their entry level kids out of college at $26k per year, its sad.
Rob S
The whole nursing program process is bottle necked in Delaware because of these funded students on the list. Delaware allows high school graduates a 2 year degree fully funded automatically for those who meet the income criteria. The list is 1 1/2 years long....many drop off the list but in the mean time the passionate self suportive students have to wait to move up on the list. Half of the student start, only to drop out. Professors are not paid enough. They can make more money in the field so this limits truly qualified candidates in teaching, adding to the bottleneck problem.
10:21
My son was in the CDL program at worwic. He paid for it himself. While in the class he said several just goofed off and never even completed the class at all and many failed the class. The only ones that seem to finish and pass the class were the ones that PAID out of their own pockets for the class. I bet these colleges are making a killing. They take peoples money knowing they wont have to teach them at all.
My daughter just graduated summa cum laude and got a job right off the bat in her field of choice.... at TWELVE DOLLARS AN HOUR!
When you hear of money for education it's really money for liberal Universities to brainwash our children.
$12.00 dollars an hour ain't no money. Can't buy a home, a car or take care of a family of 4. I guess your daughter will live with you in your home with very little rent money. I was on my own at 18 w/a full scholarship at a university. I have a great career. Own my home. Pay my bills on time. Take care of my family. Pay taxes. And, vote. All before I turned 30 years old. I didn't use the government, I've earn every dime which of course most is paid in taxes through the likes of your daughter.
I wonder just how many people get a "full scholarship"? I'm glad your life is good. but you are the exception...sort of like Peyton Manning telling all the high school football players how good his life is and making fun of the ones who aren't 6'6" and can't throw a football 75 yds in the air. The "exception" is not allowed to brag and is not allowed to lecture....you've done both. Now go buy some stocks, or take a vacation in Tahiti....better yet, mentor a poor kid...oops, I'm sorry --- my bad. And before the retorts fly...I also make good money, own my home, own my car and have cosigned on several others, including a Benz and EARNED everything I have...no handouts, no "scholarships", nothing but work. I get to lecture...
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