I think actual policies are starting to drive the numbers, so some of these people are going to have to up their policy game to compete.
Really, I think it is way early to worry about this.
It’s pretty clear that Biden, Warren, Sanders, Harris, and Buttigieg are going to all get a close listen and a close look, not only on policy, but also on the way they present themselves, the way they respond to criticism. Not to mention skeletons in the closet that might emerge with heightened scrutiny.
After they have done some debating and a higher percentage of the voters have tuned in, the polls will mean more. Right now, I think just being on that list is all that matters.
My own take on this issue is that that lack of scalability / inherent tendancy for college to become overpriced is baked pretty deep into the cake of our market-based higher education system, but that it can be offset by various generous public subsides for tuition, like many European countries do, and like some states in the US used to do with their state university/“land grant university” systems.
To me, the best solution here is increased public investment in public universities, specifically focused on bringing tuition back down to the levels it was prior to the insanity of price-surging beginning in the 1980s.
The other factor here is that a lot of the public investment in public universities dropped like a stone (see California, with some of the best public universities in the world, after prop 13, and then the massive budget issues in the 2000’s). Tuition was free prior to prop 13 (in CA), and has gone way up. This raises the floor for education prices, leading to an upsurge in prices across the board, especially at the highest level schools, both public and private:
Here’s College Board’s breakdown of how tuition has changed by decade, with all figures adjusted to reflect 2017 dollars:
Private nonprofit four-year institution
- Tuition for 1987-1988: $15,160
- Tuition for 1997-1998: $21,020
- Tuition for 2007-2008: $27,520
- Tuition for 2017-2018: $34,740
Public four-year institution
- Tuition for 1987-1988: $3,190
- Tuition for 1997-1998: $4,740
- Tuition for 2007-2008: $7,280
- Tuition for 2017-2018: $9,970
To put those numbers into perspective, a 1988 graduate of Harvard University would have spent $17,100 on tuition during their senior year. Now, in their 50s, they’d have to pay $44,990 in tuition for their child to attend Harvard today.
That makes the current cost more than two-and-a-half times as much as it was in 1988 — a markup of 163 percent.
Note that that is in inflation adjusted 2017 dollars. If you look at the public costs, those have more than tripled.
Love Warren she has just been plugging away with a policy plan for every little thing, and people are starting to enjoy the candidate with concrete plans for the future of the US.
I like Warren because she is tough on corporations that don’t play fair. She is all about ethical capitalism, and I think that is the best way forward to fix our economic system that favors the rich disproportionately.
I am also glad she is around because she is pushing the rest of the candidates to work harder to match or counter her proposals.
Matt_W
2979
I’ve been in the Warren camp for some time now, and nothing so far has dissuaded me that she’s the best candidate for 2020. I only wish she was a bit younger.
Ladies usually dont go senile as quickly and early as men do.
She seems like 30 years younger than Biden or Sanders.
JoshL
2985
Can’t imagine she’ll have that job very long.
Well I don’t think she can’t be fired until Trump appoints and the senate confirms the 2 vacant seats.
Just FYI, the FEC is basically paralyzed until that happens since they need 4 votes to proceed on anything.
Hmm, how about a program that is optional, takes away ($100k-income*10%) of college debt every year (which can either be used for monthly payment, or for principal), but in exchange requires say 40 hours of civic service a year, and voting?
Lol do you think the conservative establishment have any motivation to back this? They’ll fight it hand and nail.
Sounds like the UK system.
I have a student loan and I only pay it when my earnings are above x, and then it is 9% of everything above X.
So basically, a small extra tax that I don’t notice.
This is per year?
Mother…
My entire student debt, over 4 years, including the money borrowed to actually live, is a whisper over £30,000 (about $40,000)
CraigM
2992
Yes it is per year, and tuition only. Add in living expenses and it easily passes $40,000 per year if you live on campus.
Nah, we’re just a buncha whiny entitled snowflakes with our hands out, expecting Real Americans to foot the bill so we can go gay it up and get socialist for four years.
e: railing against the dipshit conservative narrative, obviously, not you. We’re cool :)
