Posted by
KsReaganite on Tuesday, August 11, 2009 10:04:53 PM
It is rather annoying to keep listening to politicians, specially (though not exclusively) of the liberal variety, who want every 18 year old go to college and make the rest of us foot the bill for the college experience. College is not an entitlement, it is not for everyone, and, frankly, it is not a requirement for being a respectable, wage earning, contributing member of society.
One of the bluntest economic facts is that we are in far more desperate need of auto mechanics, plumbers, landscapers, electricians, and welders than we are of college graduates in sociology, ethnic/gender studies, sports management, and psychology. I won’t even go into the overabundance (and inimical social effects) of law school alumi.
So unless, you are going to go to college for nursing, dental hygiene, engineering, medicine, or computer science, I do not see why taxpayers should be guaranteeing your loans, let alone giving you a grant. Maybe, I can even see the societal need for graduates in fields directly related to international affairs (not of the Mark Sanford kind though), criminal justice, and business administration.
Leaving aside the question of what kind of higher studies should be underwritten by the taxpayer, any astute observer of the consumer side of higher education knows all too well what kind of shallow thinking goes into the process much of the time. Affordable quality education at community colleges and public state universities is often the last choice for the gum-chewing, Blackberry-toting, clueless teenagers who have been conditioned to equate brand name with quality and necessity. The difference being that this time around they (and their parents) want the rest of us to pay for ‘shopping’ at the prestigious private colleges. While at college, most of this crowd will change majors a dozen times, drop a few classes every semester, skip half the classes, booze up every weekend, go beserk on spring breaks, expect to live in comfortable apartments furnished with digital cable, and drive the fanciest cars. That’s all perfectly alright and very cool. Just as long as they pay for this lovely ‘college’ experience themselves instead of asking me to foot the bill of such ‘higher’ education.
As a son and sibling of teachers and holder of multiple graduate degrees myself, I have tremendous respect for the inherent nobility and utility of higher education. Our parents sacrificed and so did we to get those degrees because we valued education (beat up cars, Ramen noodles, basic television..get it?). College and graduate school are not supposed to be all fun and endless partying. You want it, you sacrifice for it and save for it. Don't expect someone else to pay your partying costs. That is wrong, unethical, and immoral.