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End US Taxpayer Support for the Higher Education Gravy Train
Hot Air ^ | April 19, 2025 | Josh Hammer

Posted on 04/20/2025 3:14:34 PM PDT by T Ruth

***

For decades, American institutions of higher education have benefited from extraordinary taxpayer largesse. Federal government grants and other forms of direct taxpayer subsidizations of universities are legion. The federal government itself also has a near-monopoly on the market for economically ruinous student loans -- the very loans that are themselves disproportionately responsible for abetting the modern four-year college's misbegotten status as a necessary rite of passage to achieve the American dream. Capital gains of major university endowments are also taxed at the miniscule rate of 1.4% -- a fraction of the taxation rate to which the endowments would be subject were they operating as any other type of business or investment fund.

This favorable governmental treatment of higher education is the backend "quo." But policymakers predicated that "quo," long ago, on the corresponding "quid": American universities, in educating young Americans and instilling in them a love of their families, congregations, nation and God Almighty, conduce to the common good and therefore deserve direct public support.

The basic problem with this argument, in the year 2025, is that -- quite simply -- it is indescribably and laughably out of touch with reality.

American higher education, viewed as a whole, no longer conduces to the common good. Indeed, it has not done so for a very long time now. William F. Buckley Jr., the founder of National Review, published "God and Man at Yale," a prominent cri de coeur against the liberal educational establishment, seven and a half decades ago. The rise of the Frankfurt School and rampant cultural Marxist indoctrination soon followed. The problem of institutions of higher education churning out not godly patriots, but decadent ingrates, has been with us for a very long time. ...

***

(Excerpt) Read more at hotair.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: harvard; princeton; yale

1 posted on 04/20/2025 3:14:34 PM PDT by T Ruth
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To: T Ruth

Agreed. Many have millions, hundred of millions, some, billions, in endowment funds they can tap, not to mention the annual tuitions they charge.


2 posted on 04/20/2025 3:19:58 PM PDT by Secret Agent Man (Gone Galt; not averse to Going Bronson.)
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To: Secret Agent Man

I doan’ believe it.


3 posted on 04/20/2025 3:29:06 PM PDT by DIRTYSECRET
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To: T Ruth

An author said in an interview that he wonders if we should still continue to call them “private universities” after every year millions of dollars go to each from taxpayers.

After the tax money is deposited they wrap their private status around themselves and say “let us exercise our freedom of speech and free inquiry into scholarly matters. We’re private.”

Hillsdale College is a genuine private one without federal tax dollars.


4 posted on 04/20/2025 3:35:48 PM PDT by frank ballenger (There's a battle outside and it's raging. It'll soon shake your windows and rattle your walls. )
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To: T Ruth

I earned my higher education by GI bill, and employer tuition assistance. I didn’t borrow.
I figure that education was worth about $20,000 per year
for every year after I earned a degree.
I have a BS Computer Science degree.
Not an easy one to get.
I’m also qualified for and made a good living as an
electronics engineer.
Forgive me If I don’t have much pity
for a Karen that spends $100,000 to get a BA degree
at a party school, in some sort of “studies” subject
and is now broke because
that Karen can’t make enough to live and pay it’s debts.


5 posted on 04/20/2025 3:45:18 PM PDT by rellic (No such thing as a moderate Moslem or Democrat )
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To: Secret Agent Man

The layers and layers of bureaucratic fat they have are offensive, they are Marxist propaganda machines, and they need so much bureaucracy in part to do the work around pretending their students are doing anything at a collegiate level.


6 posted on 04/20/2025 3:47:10 PM PDT by 9YearLurker
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To: 9YearLurker

All of this due to the income tax. The founding fathers were correct in forbidding a tax on income. It has only taken 100 years to destroy the dollar, create a secretive,unaccountable fourth branch of government and here we are with a congress that refuses to stop spending and balance the budget. We are so screwed..... God bless president Trump.


7 posted on 04/20/2025 3:53:27 PM PDT by Fungi
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To: Fungi

The real failure of the income tax is that
people that don’t pay income taxes vote.
Whereas everybody has to pay tariffs.
Y’all get it?


8 posted on 04/20/2025 4:00:01 PM PDT by rellic (No such thing as a moderate Moslem or Democrat )
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To: rellic

But Karen would be happy to tell you which pronouns you should use and why.


9 posted on 04/20/2025 4:09:21 PM PDT by ProtectOurFreedom (“Diversity is our Strength” just doesn’t carry the same message as “Death from Above”)
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To: Fungi

Spending beyond income has been the common downfall of countries from long before the US income tax.


10 posted on 04/20/2025 4:19:22 PM PDT by 9YearLurker
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To: T Ruth
These so-called institutions of higher learning,,,,,ooops, I mean higher indoctrination—are a total waste of time and money.

For the most part, they are nothing more than 4 (in some cases now 5 or 6) years of baby sitting by the schools and partying by the students. Except for the STEM majors, what a joke!

11 posted on 04/20/2025 4:20:25 PM PDT by volare737 (Diversity is something to be overcome, not celebrated.)
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To: rellic
Brilliant Point 👍👍
12 posted on 04/20/2025 4:32:13 PM PDT by Bobbyvotes (I am in mid-80's and I am not gonna change my opinions.)
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To: T Ruth

Absolutely agree. The demoncRAT union NEA owns the education system. All monies end up in their pockets. Need to stop this ASAP.


13 posted on 04/20/2025 7:03:19 PM PDT by gildafarrell (You may be disappointed if you fail, but you are doomed if you don't try.)
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To: rellic
Agreed.

I have always believed in consumption based taxes vs. the government mandated confiscation via the tax code.

14 posted on 04/21/2025 6:49:27 PM PDT by volare737 (Diversity is something to be overcome, not celebrated.)
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To: rellic
Agreed.

I have always believed in consumption based taxes vs. government mandated confiscation via the tax code.

15 posted on 04/21/2025 6:50:53 PM PDT by volare737 (Diversity is something to be overcome, not celebrated.)
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