Timothy Noah was on Wednesday's show to discuss The Great Divergence. Noah's new book looks at the effects of income inequality in the United States.
I am an intern for the show, as well as a rising junior in college, and the increasing cost of college tuition is something my friends and I discuss a lot. Although, many people at my school receive financial aid packages, many families are on the cusp of just being able to afford tuition. So this stat from The Great Divergence really hit home for me:
"From the 1950s to the 1970s, annual tuition at public and private universities average, respectively, 4 percent and 20 percent of annual median family income…[but by] 2005 college tuition at public and private universities averages, respectively, 10 percent and 45 percent of median family income."
According to the College Board, in 2011 a year's tuition (not including room and board) at public colleges and universities averaged $8200; at private institutions, a year’s tuition averaged $28,500. So how do we tackle this problem? Tune into tonight's show. And tell us your story.
— By Kelly Wilkinson
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In recent years, Republicans have recharged their cyclical battle against education, and it is once again peaking. Don't Americans wonder why Republicans have such contempt for education? Are they advocating ignorance as a desirable quality quality? Or are they busy trying to reconstruct a feudal society?
Today, people in America can and do die as a direct result of poverty. That's class warfare. The fact that is isn't currently trendy to care about those below a certain economic level, or perhaps even regard them as legitimate and equal human beings, is irrelevant.
Our higher education institutions have become similiar to our hospitals, some get serviced without being expected to pay, and others serviced have to pay the full costs which includes a mark up for those getting the freebies.
Even the Republicans have furthered this trend...as Governor of Massachusetts, one portion of Romney's very good Education reforms was to set aside $10,000,000 to pay the full tuition costs for the top 25% of graduating high school students in the state undertaking their higher education at state supported college and universities, incuding community colleges. This was to provide for avenues to the students from less wealthy famlies, and to provide an incentive for higher achievement amonst the states high school students. However, it was done at the expense of the state;s direct aid to the state colleges and universities, which may have caused some of the markup in the tuition and fees increases subsequently in Massachusetts.