College Education for all
At the end of last week, it was announced that Wayne State University’s tuition was going to rise 18.5%. As a part-time WSU MBA student, I don’t enjoy or appreciate those types of announcements. Even with my employer’s assistance, it can require creativity to pay off my tuition. It makes me wonder how others afford the education? WSU is marketed as an urban school. If tuition keeps rising and even those employed struggle to pay their bills, are we not making education unattainable to all?
Proponents for reducing WSU’s state aid point out it gets the most aid of all the schools and the compares it with University of Michigan and Michigan State University. I really don’t care what those schools charge or get for aid – they are the elite schools of Michigan, trying to attract the best and the brightest. This is not the to say WSU doesn’t do that but I prefer the fact it is trying to provide an education to all, especially the city residents.
Does anyone else remember the study recently released that said something like 70% of Michigan residents thought a college education was optional? Maybe it was because I was raised in Maine or my parents are both teachers, but college was never optional. Yet if the cost keep rising, how can it be viewed as anything else?
Agreed. It’s shameful that so many students are being effectively priced out of college opportunities, especially when it is such a necessity. I mean, grad school is starting to become essential.
However, I do care what goes on with all of our public universities. I have a sister in her final year at UM and her financial aid was slashed. I know Wayne State took a huge hit, but this is a statewide problem.
When I say I don’t care, I mean I don’t care how the prices match up. UM and MSU market themselves much differently than WSU.
It is just that since WSU focuses on attracting lower income city residents as students, I do think it is justified that the education be cheaper or more aid be available.
I think the problem is that Wayne State receives the most out of the 15 public universities in state appropriations as a % of their total revenue (57%). That’s a significant portion.
So unfortunately, as the state goes, so does Wayne State…
Melissa:
It is interesting to me that you can take the time out of your day to COMPLAIN about the rise in tuition, but not to INVOLVE yourself in a more productive manner-such as being a participatory agent in the fight against tuition increases. Even more interesting to me is that you weren’t aware of the proposal that takes place before the implementation of tuition increases-you are a graduate student, correct??-tuition increases don’t just go into effect by themselves;they’re voted upon.
Perhaps it is appropriate to raise tuition when the students attending WSU are so inactive in their pursuit to an affordable college education to spur participation in the decision-making processes that affect them.
I am a student at Arizona State University and am doing research on the similarities between the future of Arizona’s educational system and that of Detroit’s and just happened upon your blog entry regarding this issue.