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Ask HN: What do you think of my idea for a new type of college?
I have an idea for a new type of college or university. If it is successful it could have a meaningful impact on world poverty.
In developing countries there are many smart, hardworking students who finish high school but who do not have the family income to pay for a good university education. Government and private foundations offer a few scholarships and loans but demand greatly outstrips supply.
I want to establish a non-profit college to provide an opportunity for young adults from a poor country like India or Cambodia to receive a university education and immigrate to a rich country like Australia or Germany. What would make this college different from others is a focus on reciprocity and growing the size of the college: Students who graduate will have an obligation to give a significant percentage of their salary back to the college with the aim that the college can grow at a rate of 10% per year. For example, if there are 100 students enrolled in a given year then there will be 200 students enrolled 7 years later, and 400 students enrolled after another 7 years, etc.
To achieve such growth it may be necessary to ask students to pay 20% of their salary to the college for 15 years after graduation. That is lot of money, and you may think there is no way someone will voluntarily give up such a large chunk of their income. But there are many psychological factors that the college can employ to encourage the student to financially support the college after graduation. Here are a few:
1. Reciprocity - If someone gives you something, it is natural to feel grateful and to want to return the favour. The college gives students a large benefit - a path out of poverty - so the student will naturally want to give something back the college.
2. Commitment and consistency - Before enrolment, the college will ask the student to make a public commitment to pay 20% of his/her ... (continued below)
- MarkMc 9y ago...salary back to the college after graduation. The college website will have a page about the student, including a handwritten commitment and short video of the student explaining why he/she is grateful to college and supports its mission. After graduation the student will feel the need to live up to this public commitment. 3. Liking and wanting to be liked - Each graduate will be asked to act as a mentor to two freshman students. This will take the form of a two-hour Skype call each week to help with coursework, answer questions and offer encouragement. This develops a personal bond between the graduate and the freshman students. If the graduate stops financially supporting the college then the two students he/she has been mentoring may not be able to continue at the college. 4. Expectations of friends and family - Imagine that a graduate's mother has a friend whose daughter is 12 years old. If the graduate continues to pay money to the college then the girl will have an increased chance of being admitted to the college when she reaches 18 years of age. If the graduate stops supporting the college then the girl will lose that advantage: the graduate's mother and her friend will be disappointed. 5. Social proof - If a graduate's former classmates all pay 20% of their salary to the college, the graduate will see this as natural and follow their example. The graduate will also not want to be seen by former classmates as 'leting the team down'. 6. Liking and wanting to be liked - A small percentage of the money paid by the graduate to the college will go to the pension fund of the graduate's former teachers. The graduate will like and want to be liked by the teachers - this will act as incentive to continue financially supporting the college. 7. Labelling and identity - From time to time the college will send little gifts like pens, sweaters, t-shirts, calendars, phone covers, etc. to the graduate. Using and wearing these items will strengthen the graduate's pride and support for the college. On their own, each of these psychological factors may not be enough to overcome the student’s self-interest. But together, I think they will provide a powerful incentive for the student to financially support the college for the full 15 years after graduation. What are your thoughts on this idea? Will it work?
- carlmungz 9y agolaboratoria.la is doing one of the things you've mentioned. Their students give back a certain percentage of their salary for 3 years after graduating. There's also start-up based in Nigeria or South Africa, I think, which gives students the finance (like how students loan work in the UK or USA, for example) they need for them to attend top Western universities.
- DarkKomunalec 9y agoA few tweaks: "That is lot of money, and you may think there is no way someone will voluntarily give up such a large chunk of their income." Why voluntarily? Why not put it in a contract, as a condition of admission? If the expected increase in income is greater than the 20% they'd have to pay, it's still a good deal. Especially if the 20% is charged only on the income above some minimum, i.e, pay nothing or very little of they don't make much. "adults from a poor country like India or Cambodia to receive a university education and immigrate to a rich country like Australia or Germany" Why not establish the university directly in the poor countries? The cost of living is lower, so the 20% paid from graduates would go much further, and the countries get to avoid brain-drain.
- MarkMc 9y agoGood points! Regarding 'voluntary': At some point there should be a written commitment from the student, but I'm undecided about whether it will be a formal, legal document signed before admission. The more external pressure I apply, the less the student will accept inner responsibility for the commitment. If you put a gun to someone's head and say, 'sign here' that person will not feel genuine commitment. I'm also on the fence about whether the college should be located in a poor country. Yes, the cost of living is lower but it may be harder for the student to immigrate to a rich country after graduation. Immigration is key - without it the college is unlikely to grow at 10% per year.