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What are the True Costs of New York's 'Free' College Education?
PJ Media ^ | 04/17/2017 | Rick Moran

Posted on 04/17/2017 9:58:33 AM PDT by SeekAndFind

New York liberals recently celebrated the realization of a long-held dream: giving a free college education to anyone who wants it.

Well, not quite "free" as in nobody has to pay for it. It is one of the primary conceits of the liberal welfare state that they can refer to a taxpayer-funded benefit as "free." Hence, we have "free" public housing, "free" food via the SNAP program, and "free" medical care for those on Medicaid.

Ah, would that it were so.

We all know that there is no such thing as "free" when it comes to government benefits. The money to pay for the goodies does not grow on a tree or even a bush. It comes out of the pockets of ordinary Americans.

So let's refuse to play along with this fiction and look at the real costs of government-funded college tuition.

Daily Signal:

Providing students four years of tuition-free college does not mean that professors have generously decided to forgo their salaries and academic buildings now come rent-free. In fact, it does not even mean that universities have a plan to cut administrative bloat to focus more of their efforts on academics.

Indeed, offering free college to students means that someone else is now paying for it: New York taxpayers, many of whom do not hold bachelor’s degrees themselves and will likely earn less in the future than their college-going counterparts for whom they are now footing the bill.

Recent history has shown that removing any financial responsibility from the student to pay for their degree does more harm than good. Economists have found that virtually unrestricted access to federal student aid encourages colleges and universities to raise their tuition prices.

When universities are not directly accountable for their prices to consumers, tuition can gradually increase without jeopardizing the loss of significant numbers of students. However, American taxpayers feel this tuition increase quite a bit when students default on their loans.

The proposed budget plan for New York couples the state taxpayer-funded grants with federal Pell Grants, which has been shown to increase tuition as much as 40 cents on the dollar.

Creating a state grant for higher education, coupled with federal grants, will likely lead to further increases in the cost of higher education. The program is slated to be phased in over three years and is expected to cost taxpayers $163 million in the first year.

What about the effect on private colleges? There is little doubt that many private schools will see a falloff in enrollment. This will be true even though the plan includes an increase in funding for them as well. There is just no competing with schools that offer tuition paid for by the government.


Ultimately, costs for the program are likely to spiral out of control:

Overall, New York’s tuition-free plan puts taxpayers on the hook for college costs that will only go up. Setting this plan in motion with nothing in place to put downward pressure on costs is fiscally irresponsible.

The taxpayer-funded tuition program advances the myth -- encouraged by the higher education establishment -- that only attendance and graduation from a four-year college will lead to success in life. It may have been true at one time -- about 40 years ago. But today, with a highly specialized job market demanding highly specialized knowledge and education, it's a frivolous expense for many.

Yes, but what about the college "experience"? The opportunity for a young adult to get away from home, be exposed to different ideas and different people, and explore what interests them intellectually used to be of enormous value to the maturation process. But since today's colleges almost without exception infantilize students to the point that they are helpless children to be protected and shielded from new ideas and different perspectives, most 18-year-old kids could do without that "experience."

But it's "free," right?


TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events; US: New York
KEYWORDS: college; newyork; tuition
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1 posted on 04/17/2017 9:58:33 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
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To: SeekAndFind

Given the following:

Tax payers are the losers.
College Admin are the winners.
Teacher unions are winners.
Students won’t learn any marketable skills.
Student lose via fraud.

That’s a lot of multi-variable math!


2 posted on 04/17/2017 10:04:32 AM PDT by G Larry (There is no great virtue in bargaining with the Devil)
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To: SeekAndFind

One cost of “free” school is that a bunch of kids who have no idea what they want to do with their lives, or who don’t want to get jobs when they graduate from high school, will automatically go to college to party and ultimately flunk out. There is zero risk to them in looking at college as a 4 year vacation. At least when parents pay, they put pressure on the kids to figure out a major and stay in line.


3 posted on 04/17/2017 10:07:20 AM PDT by Opinionated Blowhard ("When the people find they can vote themselves money, that will herald the end of the republic.")
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To: G Larry

For somebody to get something for nothing, then somebody else, somewhere, has to be getting very little or nothing for a great deal of actual cash.

Kind of an involuntary lottery, with the rules hidden in some arcane book of obscure regulations, and the participants never advised of the ratios of the payout to the amount expended.

Ponzi wold be so proud.


4 posted on 04/17/2017 10:08:19 AM PDT by alloysteel (Some 95% of the personal woe in this world is self-induced.)
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To: G Larry
Everybody loses. Think of all the students with borderline college potential and/or interest who will start "free" college. A lot of them would be more sensibly directed toward a trade or apprenticeship in manufacturing. Or to become assistants who can earn a living salary with a one or two year program, perhaps even manager training at a store or restaurant.

We all lose out if these people don't get trained for those fields. And they lose out if they start four-year college, but don't finish.....they'll have to pay it back.

5 posted on 04/17/2017 10:10:54 AM PDT by grania (only a pawn in their game)
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To: grania

Wonder how companies will look at applicants who graduate from these “free” colleges?


6 posted on 04/17/2017 10:11:55 AM PDT by dfwgator
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To: SeekAndFind

JOB RESUME

Joe Shmow

EDUCATION

Free education from big New York liberals.
Did not work much cuz the educashun was free.

EXPERIENCE

None cuz nobody will hire me.


7 posted on 04/17/2017 10:12:24 AM PDT by TheNext (Individual Mandate NO V.S. Individual Health Savings account HSA - YES)
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To: SeekAndFind

Gee, I wonder what will happen to tuition rates and faculty salaries with the taxpayer on the hook. /s

Stupid New Yorkers. They should be required to live in that state until they die. They should live under the horrible policies they vote for and the tax bill. Instead, they usually flee to other, lower tax states and ruin those.


8 posted on 04/17/2017 10:16:14 AM PDT by No Socialist
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To: SeekAndFind
Ultimately, costs for the program are likely to spiral out of control:

Ya think?

9 posted on 04/17/2017 10:17:14 AM PDT by 1Old Pro
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To: SeekAndFind

So instead of paying for their own tuition for 4 years (or loans for 10) they will pay for others’ tuition for the rest of their lives as NY residents. Perfect!


10 posted on 04/17/2017 10:18:28 AM PDT by EDINVA
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To: SeekAndFind

When I went to college in the 80’s, it was to earn a degree to get a better paying job in a specific field.

It wasn’t about the “experience”.

Send them backpacking in the Middle East if they want an experience.


11 posted on 04/17/2017 10:19:17 AM PDT by No Socialist
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To: SeekAndFind

There will be a 4 Year “stay in NY after graduation” requirement as well. Next step will be a wall to keep people IN.

Also, like everything in America now, “free” tuition will be means-tested. It will NOT be free if you make above $125K per year.

As mentioned, it will kill private colleges in NY.

Finally, with increased state control and funding, progressives will have just another strong lever of political control, censure and social-engineering. The leftist swamp of academia will become that much more concentrated.


12 posted on 04/17/2017 10:19:39 AM PDT by PGR88
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To: SeekAndFind

Young men and women now stay on their parents insurance until age 26. Young people don’t have to work anymore. They’re paid to stay in college. They’re 27-28 and don’t have any work experience. No people in world history has produced such a useless generation.

Most aren’t shouldn’t be wasting 4 years in college. They didn’t achieve enough success in high school. In fact, no more than 20-25% should be supported by taxpayer funds — grants, loans, etc. I have no problems supporting those that want to go to trade schools that can provide people with real opportunities.


13 posted on 04/17/2017 10:22:37 AM PDT by boycott
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To: boycott
They’re 27-28 and don’t have any work experience

Many become nannies for their siblings who are also living at home divorced with kids.

14 posted on 04/17/2017 10:25:00 AM PDT by 1Old Pro
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To: Opinionated Blowhard

and ultimately flunk out”

Colleges have been making it easier and easier to get degrees so as to keep the money flowing. Not a whole lot of flunking out will be going on. Just accelerated dumbing down.


15 posted on 04/17/2017 10:28:49 AM PDT by all the best
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To: SeekAndFind

Few seem to understand the concept of economic “friction”: _something_ has to limit demand to match supply, as a natural objective fact of economics. Either inventory simply runs out, square footage available reduces to unusable, whatever ... no supply is infinite. There is only so many seats available in so many classrooms, and so many competent professors available to teach there; that leads to consequences where the “free money” will result in a combination of unintended consequences.


16 posted on 04/17/2017 10:29:10 AM PDT by ctdonath2 (It's not "white privilege", it's "Puritan work ethic". Behavior begets consequences.)
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To: SeekAndFind; ExTexasRedhead

Looks like Commie Cuomo and our Jerry The Fairy Brown are trying to see which one of them are able to bankrupt their respective states first. Personally, I hope it’s a tie, with both CA and NY going under at the same time.


17 posted on 04/17/2017 10:36:58 AM PDT by vette6387
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To: SeekAndFind

No such thing as free education. But if they are going to go down the path, I am of the opinion that the state could offer an Associates of General Studies that would be based on 20 tests.

The state department of education could offer free videos of state employees recording their lessons. Individuals would then register for the first test for free. Upon passing all 20 tests, the student would be accredited with an AS is GS.

I am of the opinion that the 20 tests / 60 credits should break down to 3 credits each for:

Business Math
Algebra I
Applied algebra

English composition
American Literature
Classical Literature

US Government
American History - The Revolution to WW1
American History - WW1 to present
World History

Chemistry
Physics
Anatomy
First Aid (EMT 1)

Personal Finance
Personal Fitness
Introduction to Computers
Business Applications (Word processor, spreadsheet, email)
Library science and research
Speed Reading or Typing

If the student fails to pass the test the first time, the second attempt would be for a cost. Credits and degree would be transferable with the state college system.

Individuals who fail their first attempt at the test could take again but would need to take a re-test fee. I believe that the fee would be on par with tuition. These fees would go back into the system to fund the video recording of the professors.

+++
Note, the intent is only to test / prep a student for later college work if they wish to pursue a higher degree.


18 posted on 04/17/2017 10:38:32 AM PDT by taxcontrol
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To: SeekAndFind; ExTexasRedhead

“Creating a state grant for higher education, coupled with federal grants, will likely lead to further increases in the cost of higher education. The program is slated to be phased in over three years and is expected to cost taxpayers $163 million in the first year.”

Trump should move to cut off federal grants. All this grant money does is give the institutions the ability to raise tuition and professors salarles at the same time. Grants are the principal way colleges and universities are able to raise their tuition.


19 posted on 04/17/2017 10:39:49 AM PDT by vette6387
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To: G Larry

New York already gets federal money to run the schools. The difference between money they receive and the cost of the new program is the difference they need to come up with. Tuition itself is cheap. It’s everything else the explodes the cost of tuition. They still have to buy lodge, food, books and fees. Loans will still be huge. I think it’s only the first two years anyway.


20 posted on 04/17/2017 10:41:18 AM PDT by napscoordinator (Trump/Hunter, jr for President/Vice President 2016)
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