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I think there’s a point where we have to ask ourselves if the systems we as a society designed in the name of efficiency are truly worth it. Do we essentially w

I think there’s a point where we have to ask ourselves if the systems we as a society designed in the name of efficiency are truly worth it. Do we essentially want to condemn a group of people (people for whom college will be financially untenable) to be a perpetual underclass? To have virtually no chance of improving their standard of living, perhaps for generations? Going to college is one of the largest drivers of social mobility after all. I think this argument can be potentially very paternalistic: you can’t afford to move out of your parent’s house, you can’t afford to have a child, you can’t afford to have any control over your existence. Calling it ‘lousy’ and ‘crummy’ trivialize it in my view. I think better adjectives are ‘existentially depressing’ and horrifying.’ Are we as humans so empatheticly deficient that we cannot say “I don’t really want to give up this money which will be spent on another person’s well being, but I’m not going to fight it”? I pay a lot of money in taxes that I’d prefer to spend on rent or food or healthcare or my family but ultimately I’m satisfied that at least some of it will go to making someone whose life is not very good just a bit better.

freeopinion 8y ago
I'll give you 'depressing'. But I reject the notion that college is financially untenable. It is depressingly expensive. It takes a lot of hard work if you aren't independently wealthy. But it is achievable. University of New Mexico costs ~$7400/year in tuition, $22000/year with room/board/books. A high school student working 10 hours/week at $8/hour can earn $2400 in one school year and another $4800 in a summer. Working for two years in high school, plus one summer, then working through their freshman year, they can earn $21600 before they start their sophomore year. If they step it up and work 20 hours/week as a college freshman, they can add another $2400. After taxes, they will come up only slightly short of the mark. That's depressing. But if they write a brief summary of what they did to earn money, how much they need, and how short they are, they will know that they only need $1000 loan or scholarship. There are very few bosses that won't recognize that effort and spring for a $1000 scholarship. Or maybe a parent can help with $500. Or maybe the college will help. Or maybe they can work one more part-time job one summer. The jobs might be menial. You might scrub toilets or bag groceries or scrape old paint off pipes or write html. It's depressing. It's a lot of work. It's doable.

freeopinion 8y ago

I'll give you 'depressing'. But I reject the notion that college is financially untenable. It is depressingly expensive. It takes a lot of hard work if you aren't independently wealthy. But it is achievable. University of New Mexico costs ~$7400/year in tuition, $22000/year with room/board/books. A high school student working 10 hours/week at $8/hour can earn $2400 in one school year and another $4800 in a summer. Working for two years in high school, plus one summer, then working through their freshman year, they can earn $21600 before they start their sophomore year. If they step it up and work 20 hours/week as a college freshman, they can add another $2400. After taxes, they will come up only slightly short of the mark. That's depressing. But if they write a brief summary of what they did to earn money, how much they need, and how short they are, they will know that they only need $1000 loan or scholarship. There are very few bosses that won't recognize that effort and spring for a $1000 scholarship. Or maybe a parent can help with $500. Or maybe the college will help. Or maybe they can work one more part-time job one summer. The jobs might be menial. You might scrub toilets or bag groceries or scrape old paint off pipes or write html. It's depressing. It's a lot of work. It's doable.