Higher Ed: How Committed Are We?
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Growing up Korean, education was the Holy Grail of attainment. Like many families in New Mexico, my parents saw education as the pathway to success in America.
But over the past twenty years, tuition and fees at both two-year and four-year public colleges have more than doubled. Room and board has increased 30% at four-year colleges. But in the midst of these increases, the maximum Pell Grant was only $4,050 in 2006, a decline of 20% in real dollars since 1975.
Senator John McCain hasn't helped much.
In Congress, McCain voted against the College Cost Reduction Act, which increased Pell Grants aid, cut the interest rate on student loans and provided loan forgiveness and public service opportunities.
Even closer to home, he voted against $250,000 in funds for the New Mexico Association of Community Colleges, over $1 million in funds for the Crownpoint Institute (a tribal technical college) and $850,000 in funds for the Mathematics and Science Teacher Academy at UNM.
It's one thing to say you're for education. It's another thing to support education.
But over the past twenty years, tuition and fees at both two-year and four-year public colleges have more than doubled. Room and board has increased 30% at four-year colleges. But in the midst of these increases, the maximum Pell Grant was only $4,050 in 2006, a decline of 20% in real dollars since 1975.
Senator John McCain hasn't helped much.
In Congress, McCain voted against the College Cost Reduction Act, which increased Pell Grants aid, cut the interest rate on student loans and provided loan forgiveness and public service opportunities.
Even closer to home, he voted against $250,000 in funds for the New Mexico Association of Community Colleges, over $1 million in funds for the Crownpoint Institute (a tribal technical college) and $850,000 in funds for the Mathematics and Science Teacher Academy at UNM.
It's one thing to say you're for education. It's another thing to support education.
You are comparing the raw percentage change in costs over 20 years to the adjusted change in the Pell Grant over 31 years - how do you expect us to draw any real meaning from these numbers? This compares different dollars over different periods and is merely a manipulation of statistics.
I would be very interested in comparing the adjusted change in costs over 20 years to the adjusted change in the Pell Grant over 20 years (comparing the same dollars over the same period) - this would be something that is meaningful.
If this manipulation of statistics is out of ignorance, then you are speaking out of place. If it is intentional, then you are as shameless as any politician or bureaucrat out there.
Certain politicians are raising questions as to your motives, now is not the time to cause us to beleive the latter - please correct your posting with meaningful data!
first, thank you for commenting. you raise a good and valid point. i'm not aware of any study that offers the adjusted change in costs over 20 years to the adjusted change in the pell grant over 20 years. i agree that that study would be ideal. what i found that might be helpful however, is the following: according to the College Board, the total "net cost" (i.e., the cost of college after subtracting Pell grants, other grants, and tax benefits) went up by $2200 or 29% in constant dollars between 1996-97 and 2006-07 at public four-year colleges. but, according to the College Board again, the maximum Pell Grant declined by 7% in constant dollars in the four years between 2002-03 and 2006-07.
hope that clarifies the point, and thanks again for commenting.