2016 elections - because it's never too early

[Valmy]

Hey he only said Real America is coming for him.

Huh. I wonder what Real America looks like?

[Valmy]

But seriously though there is probably a reason he is an ex-representative.

[Ed Anger]

I'm washing my white sheets.

[sbr]

I'd imagine Real America is rather light skinned

[celedhring]

Does Ronaldo play for them?

[dps]

I think Berkut's system would help fight that though, since the Feds would be partially funding the in state student (which is not true now).  If lack of funding for the university drives them to seek out of state students, making in state students generate more money would only help.

Exactly.

Which is why I don't think there is a need to solve this problem in advance. Let the system sort it out, and see what happens. Will tweaking be needed by the states? Perhaps - let them do so.

Do you think there's any need to address admissions policy?  It seems to me that if you want to pay for everyone's tuition at state schools, you have to limit admissions in some way.  At the very least, you'd have to do away with open admissions--though from a lot of what I've read, that seems to already be the case at most public 4-year institutions.  That does raise a question, though--does you plan apply just to colleges and universities that offer 4-year programs?  And if not, what, if anything, do we do about junior colleges and community colleges?

[Berkut]

I think Berkut's system would help fight that though, since the Feds would be partially funding the in state student (which is not true now).  If lack of funding for the university drives them to seek out of state students, making in state students generate more money would only help.

Exactly.

Which is why I don't think there is a need to solve this problem in advance. Let the system sort it out, and see what happens. Will tweaking be needed by the states? Perhaps - let them do so.

Do you think there's any need to address admissions policy?  It seems to me that if you want to pay for everyone's tuition at state schools, you have to limit admissions in some way.  At the very least, you'd have to do away with open admissions--though from a lot of what I've read, that seems to already be the case at most public 4-year institutions.  That does raise a question, though--does you plan apply just to colleges and universities that offer 4-year programs?  And if not, what, if anything, do we do about junior colleges and community colleges?

I think it would be foolish to NOT include JUCO's - they seem to be the only institutions of higher learning in our country that have any kind of sensible ideas about actual value.

And yes, admissions are something that would have to be worked out - I think in general it is the case that a college education today has become pretty standard for a middle class position in society, so there needs to be a place for most high school graduates to go get one.

Getting into the best public schools, however, should be entirely divorced from your ability to afford them, under this plan.

[dps]

And yes, admissions are something that would have to be worked out - I think in general it is the case that a college education today has become pretty standard for a middle class position in society, so there needs to be a place for most high school graduates to go get one.

Hmm.  You seem to be looking at this differently than I am.  You seem to be saying that we should increase the number of people going to college, while I think we should at least consider decreasing that number, at least as far as people in 4-year programs are concerned.  To be clear, I'm not trying to limit opportunity for students from low economic backgrounds, I just don't think we can afford to send everybody to college, and frankly, on the other end, there are a lot of jobs where employers unnecessarily require applicants to have a degree when there's nothing about the job itself that requires that level of education to handle it.  And my perspective may be skewed by having attended school at a time when open admissions was apparently the norm at most public colleges--I had a lot of classmates my freshman year who had no business attending college (some of them, in all honesty, shouldn't have graduated high school) but who were eating up funding that could have been used by more deserving students.  Something like the approach used by Germany, as outlined earlier in this thread, seems appropriate to me.

Also, do you think Federal aid (and state aid, for that matter) should be means tested?  I don't see any great value to society in the government paying for the sons and daughters of millionaires to go to State U when they can afford to pay their own way. 

[Berkut]

I agree that it would be better if fewer people went to college who didn't really need to go to college, but that is a different discussion.

As far as means testing, I don't think it is worth the trouble. Under my plan, we should no more means test people for college than we do for high school.

If people want to pay to send their kids to private school, they are welcome to do so on their dime, of course. But if we are going to make college free, then it should just be free for everyone...as long as they are ok with going to an in state, public institution.

[jimmy olsen]

287,000 new jobs in June. That's good for Hillary

http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/the-jobs-recovery-may-not-be-flashy-but-its-strong/

[Valmy]

Good for the country as well 

But what is good for Hillary IS good for America am I right? 

[dps]

Good for the country as well 

But what is good for Hillary IS good for America am I right? 

Only in the sense that it helps keep Trump from becoming President.

[PJL]

No chance, the swing voters aren't listening. Donald Trump has the presidency in the bag.

[HisMajestyBOB]

American voters want a change from a growing economy and positive jobs growth.

[11B4V]

No chance, the swing voters aren't listening. Donald Trump has the presidency in the bag.