Mueller report is out....kind of

Would it be more relevant to ask why the cost of college education is increasing at a rate far in excess of inflation?

 

My word, how did we ever have those professions before the government got involved?

 

You know the reason(s). One reason, the inability to find or maintain suitable employment to pay the loan. Another, simply borrowed too much to begin with. Maybe the Dep't of Ed doesn't manage the loan program well, I just don't know that, but i do know the student loan debt is up around $1.5 trillion, maybe a bit higher.

 

You mean before 1958? For one thing, less people went to college, and probably many who did had parents who could afford it. Certainly many vets attended under the GI Bill.

 

and as the population grew, so did the need for more college educated individuals.

 

there will be plenty. Do you know the drop out rate for Engineers in the first year (change major or drop out) when I went it was 50%. Military officers were covered in an earlier post. There would be a lack of pawn shop/tattoo owners with a PHD in Literature though (true story and she hung the diploma in the tattoo parlor). Simply amazing we were able to get to the moon before all the free college....

 

The reason is the entire "American Dream" is built on a house of cards called fiat currency, that grows ever higher and higher until its inevitable collapse.

See: Weimer Republic

 

I'm not sure there is a direct correlation. I've seen a trend for higher education requirements applied to jobs for which experience would be a far better indicator of success.

 

Ah, that's a very good question, very relevant. As the need for college graduates rose, colleges and universities expanded, both academically and the physical plant/buildings and such. The academic bureaucracy grew (probably top heavy like other bureaucracies). It all adds up at the end of the day and tuition rose accordingly. I'm guessing, but it could be that tuition rose in synch with the increase in students attending thanks to student loans. Easy money, and the academic bureaucrats grabbed at the brass ring. Except for Harvard...it doesn't need to pander, it has a $37 billion endowment. We should all apply there, me especially as a poor sharecropper's son.

 

And I agree with you. I certainly could never figure that one out, but as you know, you didn't even get in the door if you didn't have that degree, experience be damned.

The Cold War probably had a huge impact on this need for college educated individuals, and prior to that, the expanded U.S. economy and corporate global reach after WWII was a driving force in
the growth of higher education; the liaison (interconnection) between the U.S. gov't, industry, and academia grew in leaps during and after WWII, but moreso during the Cold War. One fueled the other.

 

(D) Schatz: Mr. Barr, your term, "Spying on the campaign" is unnecessarily inflamitory.

 

Interesting. I remember when I started working on my degree. We had new student orientation and the speaker asked us to look at the person to the left and right of where we were sitting. Then he said they probably will not get their degree. Only 1/3 made it through....early 80's.

 

Ah, I thought when you referred to "working together to solve", you meant taxpayer money...

my bad, I`m sore from gov penetration...

 

I have argued with HR about developing work equivalencies, but they show little interest. IMHO, checking the degree box is simply easier for them when they screen applicants and more than a couple of them got their positions by having the checked box.

 

Hey, I'm just the messenger. It's against the law to kill the messenger.

 

and I believe that. It's a convenient screening tool, and it also allows the company to hire on timid 'college nerds' who won't cause a shitstorm about work issues like some old deckhand.

 

Tell that to Vince Foster...

 

How? He's dead bro.

 

So permit me to sum it up about this college loan/education dealio: it's not working well, is it? Too much debt, in fact, staggering debt- about $ 1.5 trillion plus some change- and college grads who either can't get jobs or don't want the conventional job scene.
Still the system requires a certain number of learned people. Any ideas about rehab for this situation?

 

I didn't do it. Not enough offered.