[lbo-talk] Education expenses, putting it in perspective.

[123hop at comcast.net]

I have a B.A. from UCLA (1974). A fellowship paid for my tuition, and I paid for my books. 

I have an M.A. and Ph.D. (1987) from UC Berkeley, I was only required to enroll for two years, so my total cost was 2 years of tuition: $2800 + books. 
Latin workshop and Greek workshop were paid by scholarships. 

So total higher education costs (not counting living expenses) were $2800 + books. Let's say that was another $1000. = $3800. (What were living expenses: Rent averaged $250/month. Routine medical care was included in fees.)

Take home income during graduate school (after I completed two years of classes) was $1100/month. This was for teaching two sections of composition every semester. During the summer, I could teach more or collect unemployment.

A rather sweet deal and a universe away from current reality. 

Tuition at U.C. Berkeley now is about 13,000/year and rising. AND graduate students are now required to pay tuition every semester until they get their degree, whether they're taking classes or not. In my day, we only had to pay tuition while enrolled in classes, the first two years. 

Here's an article about undergraduates living in tents in order to avoid debt: 

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/700197938/Roughing-it-Millennials-are-finding-shelter-amid-financial-fears.html?source=patrick.net 

You can't build an economy on this. You just can't. Not for long.

And where's the higher education money going? On a lot of overpaid admins and on a lot of construction. Tenure is vanishing, and a lot of jobs are temp only. 

Joanna