Thursday, February 19, 2009
A Sign of Things to Come
The University of the District of Columbia announced yesterday that it was essentially doubling its tuition. How, you ask, can a college make such an announcement in our great collective moment of crisis (horror, horror), when our economy is in the worst shape its been since the Great Depression, according to our Preacher-In-Chief? Just ask the UDC President, who, when asked about the impact of this decision, pointed to the wide availability of government aid available to students. Oh--and did you check the stimulus bill? Chock full o goodies for an American public who increasingly believes higher education is a human right.
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7 comments:
Was there ever any doubt? Even UDC's Econ 101 students understood this cause and effect better than those who put the money in the bill.
Doubling to about $7500 per year -- yes, about what I paid out of state tuition at UVA 25 years ago. UDC is falling apart -- literally. UDC has no endowment (big surprise). My own councilwoman Mary Cheh said at community meeting two weeks ago that the City Council cannot justify giving UDC any more money without it bringing in some cash on its own. As a DC taxpayer, I'd rather not underwrite UDC tuition with my federal tax dollars (how DC gets most of its budget) and more of my city tax dollars too.
UDC still plans to keep tuition at current levels for the new 2-year community college -- still giving access to many -- who can work their way to a 4-year degree.
UDC isn't raising the tuition because the stimulus bill made more money available to students; UDC is raising the tuition to attract better professors and more serious students and to gain some respect.
It's the right move.
You want federally funded education and a federally funded job to go with it upon graduation? And get paid while you go to school?
Attend a Service Academy or join ROTC.
CCE--I am agnostic as to UDC's plans to raise its tuition. This post was designed (poorly, I fear) to hit one of my common themes in this blog--that the more money the federal government pours into cheap and easily available student loans, the more demand their will be for college educations, the higher will be the price (reflected in tuition). It really is simple ECON 101.
You are partially right in saying that UDC is raising tuition in order to attract better professors and more serious students--I have no qualm with that. I hope you'll grant me however, that their ability to do so now is enhanced and enabled by additional funding that will be made available to potential students--their President (UDC) even said so!
Let's keep in mind that UDC nearly closed several years ago, and that it has been kept on life support ever since. It will be interesting to see whether this new strategy works, I am not hopeful.
By the way CCE--lovely to see you here. Do stop by more often.
This change has been in the works since about 5 minutes after the new University President took over in the fall.
Honestly, I don't think it will work but I was quite surprised by my Ward 3 councilwoman's response that the city council wouldn't throw more money at UDC unless UDC could bring in more itself. A seemingly novel approach in our city . . . and possible precursor to pulling the plug?
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