State University Students Are Homeless and Hungry

[J. D. Stembal]

I wanted to link this article from Yahoo, not for the article, because it doesn't really have anything relevant to mention aside from some shocking statistics in the first few paragraphs, but the conversation in the comments section is engaging.

 

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/college-students-striken-by-poverty-and-homelessness-fight-rising-college-tuition-costs-172400767.html

 

There are a lot of student run protests against tuition hikes going on around the country. Very few observers are asking the question that if students can't afford college, why are they going?

[dsayers]

This is one of the side effects of widespread, unprincipled claims to a "right" to something. If it were true that people had a right to education, then they'd view those that stand in their way of that right as required to conform to their right. As opposed to them conforming to the reality that inflicting unchosen obligations upon others to educate them is internally inconsistent.

[hannahbanana]

As a simple answer to the question of why poor people go to college, it's probably because they believe it's the only way to get out of their financial status...whether that's true remains to be seen, but I that many jobs look for some sort of degree on resumes. I've seen stats on how college tuition has gone up something like at least 100% in the past several decades (not sure if including inflation), and textbook prices up to 200%. That's not counting the cost of room and board. I think that this massive price hike is due to that fact that people are able to take out loans for the full amount, back by (you guessed it) the government. It would make sense, because if people were unable to pay the prices and therefor not go, schools would need to adjust prices accordingly, like any other business.

 

This article also doesn't take into account the fast-growing number of online schools and classes, which are of course a much cheaper alternative.  

[Josh F]

It is because they are paid to go to college.  Any poor person in college can get funding, not just for school, but for housing and other costs as well.  Most just have to pay it all back one day.  Welcome to indentured servitude.