Free College

Free College

I have friends all over the political spectrum including Anarchists, Liberals, Progressives, Conservatives, Populists…I think you get the idea. I usually pick my friends because they are good, decent people, and totally fun to hang out with. That doesn’t mean they aren’t misguided when it comes to what they believe our government should, and should not, do.

In recent conversations with Progressive friends, they share a common belief that education beyond high school should either be completely free, or done at a greatly reduced price through government subsidies. I’ve traditionally disagreed with this premise, because I usually hear it from people I feel suffer from the “entitlement” syndrome.

They hide that sense of entitlement pretty well though, and speak with honest conviction born of what they see as the moral high ground, trumpeting their number one catchphrase, “Free education for everyone can only better us as a nation.” But, they’ve never given me any specifics on how it makes us a better nation. I believe that education does not make people or a nation “better”, whatever that means. I do believe what a person does with that education is important.

All that aside, I am nothing if not open minded, meaning I am capable of thinking through my personal prejudices and using reasoning to see the other side of an argument in an attempt to find validity in it.

History

During the colonial era literacy was necessary to promote religious orthodoxy. In the revolutionary era leaders were concerned with building an educated citizenry, though their vision was limited to White male property-holders. In the early industrial era the expansion of public education was a response to the transformation of society from rural and agricultural to industrial and urban. In this era and in the age of mass European immigration from 1880 to 1924 education was also about the assimilation and Americanization of new groups.

In each of these periods education was also about mechanisms for social control in a society undergoing cultural and demographic change. In the 1950s expanded educational funding and opportunity was part of the Cold War. Today educational “reform” is a major part of both the debate over how the United States should respond to globalization, computerization, and de-industrialization and also again over what to do about a new wave of both documented and undocumented immigrants.

It was less than 100 years ago (1918) when all 50 states finally required compulsory education for all, but it was only through grade six (elementary school), and 34 states required education only up to age 14. As recently as 1940, only 50% of young adults age 18-22 had a high school diploma.

What I’ve realized through reasoning and research is that our public education system is never an independent force in American society or a principle agent for social change. It is, however, an ever evolving entity, changing when needed to reflect the basic debates taking place in the broader society.

I’m fond of saying, “Change is inevitable. Growth is optional.” I now find myself open to the idea of changes to our education system beyond the 12^th grade. I am willing to compromise in making our education system better, but not without guidelines and limitations at first. I also see the need for serious help for our children in making wise choices when it comes to their education beyond high school.

Numbers

The average annual rate of inflation since 1975 is 3.78%. So when, I reference inflation in the following paragraphs, it’s limited to the 3.78% per year between 1975-2016. Additionally, the cost of education in the following paragraphs does not include the added costs of housing, meals, books, and miscellaneous expenses.

The average cost of a 4-year public college education in 1975 was about $7,200, or about $1,800 a year. Using inflation as a guide, the cost of a 4-year public college education today should be around $33,300, or $8,325 per year. The cost today for in-state students at the University of Texas (Austin) and Texas A&M (College Station) are $39,300 and $37,700 respectively. Both are higher than the rate of inflation, but not wildly so, costing only about $1,500 a year more than the rate of inflation.

Public universities across the country have varying levels of costs so using Texas schools tends to skew the numbers. The cost today for an in-state student, 4-year degree at the University of Michigan (Ann Arbor) and the University of Virginia (Charlottesville) are $55,600 and $57,900 respectively, both near double the rate of inflation.

Out-of-state students at public universities pay 3-5 times as much as in-state students, so this is where rational, reasonable, intelligent thought is needed when parents and their high school children start making decisions about what’s next.

Private education costs have also outpaced the rate of inflation. You could even say they’ve lapped inflation two or three times. Exclusive private school tuitions on average were $20,000 for a 4-year degree in 1975. Today that amount won’t even cover one YEAR of tuition at the least expensive private schools in the country.

The biggest question for these universities is “Why?”

Other Problems

High school students do not have effective career counseling available to them. High school counselors are overwhelmed with work that prevents many of them from learning and knowing all they need to keep students and parents well informed about education options after high school.

High school counselors are college graduates, all with advanced college degrees, but this does not make them experts on college. A counselor’s knowledge about college admission strategies, standardized testing and scholarships is somewhat limited. Ironically, during this period of skyrocketing college costs, financial aid is often the subject that high school counselors know the least about.

Before counselors can begin working in a public high school, they must earn a master’s degree in counseling. Graduate school programs, however, rarely offer even one class in college planning. Consequently, the majority of counselors arrive at high schools not knowing about critical college issues even though for many families a bachelor’s degree represents the second biggest expense they will ever face. The topic of college admissions are simply not on the radar of graduate schools, which are more focused on mental health issues.

While this lack of training is common knowledge in the higher education world, I believe parents would be shocked to learn that most high school counselors are not college authorities. Parents typically believe that high school counselors could answer all their questions if they could only get some precious face time with them.

High school students also suffer due to a lack of training in real world skills. Ninety percent of high school seniors do not know how to properly keep or balance a checkbook. Our new system of education would require all seniors to take a mandatory class that teaches these skills, including how to develop and use a household budget, what to do when involved in an automobile accident, how to act when pulled over by law enforcement, and how to register and vote to name just a very few.

Where Does That Leave Us

As I said earlier, I’m willing to compromise with Progressives on their ideas of education beyond high school, but I have several rules to employ before I sign off on this. Of course, students who do not want and/or need to participate in this program, are always free to choose any school and degree they desire.

First – All current, traditional federal student aid stops under this program because it's no longer necessary. Individual states are free to do as they choose, but may work under this new federal program, contributing all their current state aid to the federal program education pool.

Second – Students in this program are eligible to receive any and all private aid available in the form of scholarships, grants, etc, but are not allowed to borrow any money to use for education.

Third – Government contribution to your education is based on a risk matrix similar to those used in business and industry. A simplistic example of this is how auto insurance companies base premiums on the risk of having to pay out a claim. The higher the odds it is believed you will complete your degree and find employment, the lower the cost of your education, which in many cases could be $0.

Fourth – A student’s high school academic performance, coupled with extra-curricular activities, community involvement and application essay determines how much they receive from the government towards your education. Our country wants and needs educated, motivated, determined individuals to move us forward, and we’re willing to invest in our young people.

Fifth – You must study at a public college or university, or an approved trade school.

Sixth – The school you wish to attend must be located either within your state, or within a state that offers in state tuition rates to students from your high school.

Seventh – You may choose your degree from a list of degrees built by a committee comprised of members from the Departments of Education, Labor, and Commerce. This list will be updated as often as deemed necessary by the committee, but not less than annually.

Eight – You have 54 months to complete your Bachelor’s degree. Teachers requiring additional time for classroom observation and student teaching have 66 months. Trade school time guidelines are based on the course of study chosen. Applications for extensions due to extenuating circumstances are accepted on a case by case basis.

Ninth – Careers traditionally requiring advanced degrees for entry level positions are included. There are time limits on completion of the graduate programs as well, and available funding is lower than that at the undergraduate level.

Tenth – If you want a career in ‘A’ but no openings exist, you may enter the most closely related degree program that has immediate opportunities. If an opening in ‘A’ occurs before the start of your third year, you may change programs and have an additional year (66 months) to complete your degree.

Summary

Like all hot topics, the truth always lies in the middle. It’s time to stop looking at education as a commodity to be bought and sold, but it’s also time to stop telling our children that everyone needs a four year college degree to be successful and enjoy their life. Lastly, it’s time to stop believing that you should be able to study what you want in an effort to be what you want while asking someone else to pay the bills for it. If you want our nation to be "better" seek out degrees and career paths in demand.

“You dropped a hundred and fifty grand on a f---ing education you coulda got for a dollar fifty in late charges at the public library.” – Will Hunting

Truer words were never spoken.

Free Speech and the Micro-Aggression Problem

Something on American college campuses today that very few are paying attention to is the issue of free speech. We now have this theory of “micro-aggressions”, which is simply an attempt to silence people. When I ask someone who is of Asian descent, “Where are you from?” what I mean is, “Where did you grow up?” or, “Where did you go to high school?” It’s an attempt to form a personal connection with that person, to see what we might have in common. It’s not a question related to their ethnicity.

College campuses used to be places where all sorts of ideas, both good and bad, took root. Content was the most important thing and students learned how to filter thought the WAY something was said to hear WHAT was said. Not so much anymore.

The only way for a person to convince others of an idea is through reason, and if the audience is more concerned with how something is said rather than what is said we might as well close up shop. When we don’t have free speech, when we can’t communicate, when we can’t defend ourselves with reason, all we’re left with is anger, guns, and stockpiles of ammunition.

Free speech is being attacked everywhere. Radical Muslims are attacking it with guns, and university professors are attacking it with this theory of micro-aggressions. What’s next from the professors, nano-aggressions? Where every single spoken syllable is an attack on women and minorities by straight white males? Yeah, there’s also that. No one cares about micro-aggressions when they’re said TO straight white males. They only care about them when said BY straight white males.

Why are they using the term aggression? It’s an attempt to obliterate the difference between physical action and speech, so that when you insult or offend someone, it’s as if you physically slapped them across the face. Ultimately it’s how they will destroy the first amendment because they will claim insulting someone is not speech; it’s action. The idea of free speech was purposefully and specifically designed to protect speech we don’t agree with.

In the minds of the purveyors of micro-aggression theory it comes down to a sensitivity issue, to the right of a person to not be offended. But, here’s the deal; the right to not be offended isn’t an actual right. Besides, there no universal set of things that offend people. What’s offensive to me may not be offensive to you. I’m half Jewish, and if I had a nickel for every time I heard someone say “the price was too high, so I Jew’d the guy down,” I’d be retired in Bora Bora by now. The real world is tough people; wear a cup.

I have a few questions for these students who believe in the micro-aggression theory and need safe spaces;

• Aren’t you embarrassed to be so conformist as to adopt the latest trendy idea your professors are telling you to adopt?
• Doesn’t it bother you how everyone is congratulating themselves over how moral they are because they’ve adopted this latest fashion?
• Don’t you want to be an independent person and think for yourself so you can value free speech?
• How can you live with yourself being just a follower?

We should never knuckle under to the real, hateful, physical aggression against this perceived problem of micro-aggressions. Their power rests in their belief that they hold the moral high ground and that when confronted, people will back down and knuckle under. There is no way for them to defend their position if someone stands up and says, “I don’t accept the idea of micro-aggressions. It is collectivist crap. People have no right to not be offended.”

Freedom of speech is the cornerstone of our defense against dictatorship and the ability to use our minds in the service of our own lives. Anyone who would dare to suggest that you don’t have the right to insult someone deserves to be rebuked in the strongest possible terms.