bearister said:
Another Bear said:
Bearister, how much were fees at Cal for you back in the day?
$212.50 per Quarter. That means the cost of 4 years snuck in a whisker under $3000. My monthly room and board $145.
Since your time at Cal, inflation has changed that $215/quarter to $1,300. So times that by 3, and you get $3,900 per year for fees. Way down from the current $13k.
Okay so don't make it free, just make it affordable and in scale with current wages. Instead fees are about 10x that and rent...forgetaboutit. Still $13k is a tough row with current wages.
In any case, here's something for the old guy brain...it's not really about free college, more about making it affordable. You know how negotiations works, the top number is usually a decoy. The idea remains the same - education is the surest way out of poverty. Also if you want the U.S. to be competitive educationally, might want to look at what other industrialized countries are doing...fully free education.
My old man paid $5 bucks/semester at Cal during the 40s. That's essentially free. He use to make $20 bucks a night as a busboy in a SF nights club. He became an engineer, worked in Silicon Valley from the get go. Many patents for HP and DEC. All from basically free college.
Very affordable education, essentially free, build the great California economy. I'm for keeping that. It's good for the state and its residents.
I for one am grateful I paid so little, I think $1,200 per year at the end in '87. Enough to want that for future generations. It's a good thing.