Top Colleges Are Too Costly -- Even for Parents Making $300K - Big Take

[SouthBayDem]

Apr 28, 2025 The Big Take | Bloomberg Podcasts
Tuition at US colleges and universities is higher than ever. But an exclusive new Bloomberg analysis reveals that the cost of a four-year degree is particularly burdensome for middle class students and their families.

On today’s Big Take podcast, Bloomberg’s Francesca Maglione and Paulina Cachero join David Gura to break down the real cost of attending the most selective colleges and universities in the US — and how that cost changes depending on how much a family makes.

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[Irish_Dem]

1. The goal is to make sure Americans are not educated.

[surfered]

2. Tuition, books, fees for one semester for a state resident at the University of Texas

averages $12,500. This does NOT include room and board, transportation, and certain lab fees. Usual undergraduate degree is 8 semesters (no summers).

That would amount to $100,000 for an undergraduate degree at a State supported University, not a private school.

[SouthBayDem]

3. It's been suggested that a way to incentivize reduced costs of colleges

is for there to be price controls. The Century Foundation writes this year:

The higher education system runs on federal funding: colleges receive more than $135 billion in federal grant and loan aid every year. However, the federal government does not place any limits on tuition costs. This creates an incentive for schools to increase tuition to capture more federal dollars. Some type of federal guidelines on tuition makes sense to protect against the danger that institutions are charging more, or charging too much, because of the availability of the aid.

Another suggestion: "...to make institutions responsible for unpaid student loans..."

[surfered]

4. I've read that the States have reduced their funding of state colleges and universities.

[SouthBayDem]

5. Increased technically

"Per-student state funding to public colleges increased for the 12th consecutive year but saw minimal growth beyond inflation." (2024 State Higher Education Finance report)