Quote:
Originally Posted by NE_Pilot
You do realize that public universities are part of the State, correct? Why would the State do that and what difference would it make? The end result is that the taxpayer is actually on the hook, not the public universities.
Why should universities be responsible for job placement?
Why aren’t the public schools educating children about loans and college? Kids spend 8hrs a day, 5 days a week, for half a year in some type of mandated school for around 12 years, seems like that would be a good place to start. Then again, they are State schools and the State benefits from kids signing up for student loans.
1. Public universities receive taxpayer funded grants, often for research, but the taxpayer wouldn't pay the loan. Much of the financing which keeps the university afloat is still through their customer-facing business model. So the taxpayer itself isn't on the hook as you say for the loan itself. What would happen is the university would have more expenses to help cover those $80k hospitality and liberal arts degrees when their graduates are now making $20/hr instead of $15/h and can't pay their loans. The taxpayer funds that are directed toward research would be literally criminal to divert funds for the loan.
What would get reduced is areas like salary increases (it's public info, google some and you might be surprised how some industry professionals might make $60k in their career field, but $180k teaching at a public university). It's heavily unbalanced because there no bottom to the hill where the snowball will stop until it crashes hard. It would force more pressure to limit tenure for teachers who aren't producing for example.
The professors who are using the taxpayer funds for research have an argument case that they're top in their field. If the universities crack down because their student success rate (i.e. $80k liberal arts degree), then top industry talent will gravitate toward universities who can continue to pay top wages. Then taxpayer funds get diverted to THOSE universities. The taxpayer doesn't pay the loan, but would help direct funds elsewhere giving balance to the out of control (and unchecked) tuition system.
2. Universities aren't responsible for job placement and I never said they were. I'm saying they have no vested interest because it doesn't affect them right now.
3. Agree entirely. There's plenty of missed opportunity in the entire education system even before the university level.