The Real Reason College Tuition Costs So Much – NYTimes.com.
“This is just another peak behind the door that hides the real goals and social order of America’s system of “higher” education.
But its not only public schools that play fast and loose with their descriptions. Private colleges do, also – most even more so.
They discuss “discounts” as part of a “pricing strategy” among themselves but tell students it’s “financial aid”.
Colleges want students to think they are getting a good deal (based on the sticker price) because they got “financial aid” (based on their personal qualities).
(See 2 recent posts on my blog, inside-higher-ed, describing what colleges do, or, read “How the Government Exaggerates the Cost of College” from the Upshot in this paper. It appeared last July.)
So, what we have are non-profits (colleges) that deliver a public good (education) and have a “pricing strategy” that is intentionally misleading to the “customers” – once quaintly called “students”.
Falsely advertised pricing strategies, football scams, lack of education among graduates, catering to student “wants” – vs. their “needs”. These all point to a system that is no longer about education at all. We are starting to pay and we better fix it soon.”
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