Originally posted 05/01/07
For the academic year 2007-2008 undergraduates attending classes in the Cal State University system will pay about one-third of the cost of their education with tuition of $2772 for the academic year. This means that two-thirds of the cost of their education is being paid for by other people, either generous donors or more likely by taxpayers in the State of California. In the State’s budget is $4.4 billion for the UC and CSU systems, more than many countries gross domestic products.
In February Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke gave a speech to the Omaha Chamber of Commerce in which he stated those with a college degree or higher earned 75% more in wages than those with just a high school degree.
The economic benefit of a college degree is tremendous; in California the State’s investment (i.e. taxpayer investment) in college degrees is also tremendous. Over $4 billion is spent to assist those pursuing undergraduate and post-graduate degrees in California and those receiving these degrees will earn almost double what those without degrees will earn. Sounds like a great deal doesn’t it?
For $2772 per year you can attend an excellent academic institution in the State of California and with some discipline and work obtain a degree. For a nine month academic year running from September through May it costs students $308 per month in tuition. That is just over $10 per day to earn a degree, about the cost of lunch plus dessert at Hof’s Hut—where I’m sure students like to hang out. Sounds like a great deal doesn’t it?
Evidently not great enough because this reflects a 10% increase in tuition from the current academic year–$252 per year, $28 per month. According to Helen Doe a junior at Cal State Long Beach this is not right and she wants to “fight against this injustice.” Ms. Doe is evidently a political science major, I hope before she earns her degree she is able to distinguish the “injustice” of a minor tuition increase for her mostly state supported education compared to other injustices in the world. Yes, how unjust for the students to have to pay the equivalent to a cup of coffee a day more for their education next year, with two cups per student being picked up by taxpayers, so they can earn a degree and increase their earning power when they graduate.
Showing the capacity many students have to be future city council members, is the inability to connect the dots of their protests. Just a month or so ago many were out protesting that their professors were not paid enough. Evidently their voices were heard since the profs ended up receiving a 24% pay increase. Where did the students think the money for the raises was going to from? Evidently they wanted the taxpayers to foot an even greater portion of their tuition. Oooops, their solidarity with the professors resulted in a win for their instructors and a loss for them—albeit minor.
One of our social contracts is the opportunity for a free education for every child from kindergarten through high school, we agree to be taxed for this and to provide for the employment of teachers and administrators and support personnel and the construction and maintenance of facilities. In essence we have created a right to an education—but that right stops at high school. Recognizing the benefit to society of individuals with educations and knowledge beyond the high school diploma level we have agreed to subsidize the great and growing expense of college undergraduate and post-graduate study—subsidize not guarantee nor fully fund.
Instead of complaining about the cost of their tuition going up less than a cup of coffee a day, a little acceptance of their role in obtaining and financing their degrees would be refreshing. Acknowledging the hit to the CSU system’s budget for the large increase in professors’ pay and their willingness to accept part of that increase to ensure their class rooms and lecture halls are led by quality instructors would be showing the taxpayers their gratitude for receiving a quality education from quality instructors for about a dollar a day.
I can see the thumbs flying, texting each other on their $39.99 plans (about the same as their tuition increase) “OMG the $$ bump sux!” Injustice indeed!