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I think there are a few additional aspects to this than just a simple anti-university sentiment. This site is very US-centric, which adds a huge monetary compo

I think there are a few additional aspects to this than just a simple anti-university sentiment. This site is very US-centric, which adds a huge monetary component to this decision. That makes this an entirely different question compared to a country where higher education is free. I also think that software development is a field that is quite friendly and attractive to people switching from a different career or field. So you have the related, but still distinct discussion about whether you should have a CS degree specifically to work as a software developer.

rjsw 6y ago
The monetary component has become important in the UK as well. If I was 18 now I don't think I would go to university. I mentioned this to my father a few weeks ago and he supported this decision.
- dan-robertson 6y ago
  It’s weird in the UK. I think framing it as a £50k (ish) loan is bad but also the loan structure is bizarre. It’s basically a tax on being a graduate which for some reason is higher (over the 30 years you have it) for people who make a medium amount of money than for people who make a smaller or higher amount of money. Ultimately it doesn’t particularly punish people for getting a degree which isn’t worth much because if their degree isn’t worth much then they are less likely to have to pay much of the tax. And I think people are still statistically better off going even if you take the tax into account. I find it weird because I can’t work out what it is trying to punish. At least with income tax there are arguments that better paid people are able to contribute more and so they should. But with the student “loans” it seems like it’s trying to discourage people from getting a degree which confers them a moderate advantage in income. It doesn’t seem to discourage degrees that are in some sense not worth the government’s money. I guess one way to look at it is that they wanted something that looked like loans but wasn’t burdensome and also had an interest rate that wouldn’t go to 0 if the base interest rates were very low and that’s how we ended up with the system. It’s also means tested which seems fair but I think can be quite hard for the families on the various boundaries.

rjsw 6y ago

The monetary component has become important in the UK as well. If I was 18 now I don't think I would go to university. I mentioned this to my father a few weeks ago and he supported this decision.

dan-robertson 6y ago
It’s weird in the UK. I think framing it as a £50k (ish) loan is bad but also the loan structure is bizarre. It’s basically a tax on being a graduate which for some reason is higher (over the 30 years you have it) for people who make a medium amount of money than for people who make a smaller or higher amount of money. Ultimately it doesn’t particularly punish people for getting a degree which isn’t worth much because if their degree isn’t worth much then they are less likely to have to pay much of the tax. And I think people are still statistically better off going even if you take the tax into account. I find it weird because I can’t work out what it is trying to punish. At least with income tax there are arguments that better paid people are able to contribute more and so they should. But with the student “loans” it seems like it’s trying to discourage people from getting a degree which confers them a moderate advantage in income. It doesn’t seem to discourage degrees that are in some sense not worth the government’s money. I guess one way to look at it is that they wanted something that looked like loans but wasn’t burdensome and also had an interest rate that wouldn’t go to 0 if the base interest rates were very low and that’s how we ended up with the system. It’s also means tested which seems fair but I think can be quite hard for the families on the various boundaries.