Broad subsidization of public higher ed tuition is a relatively new phenom. Other forms of support have a long history. It's easy to spend other people's money on things I like.

Now let's talk about feedback loops. Where is the feedback that contains cost in higher education?

Put another way, what would happen to housing rent cost if the fed gov subsidized everybody's rent?

Unless Oregon has a way different system than Colorado, it's just not true that there is no negative feedback loop. Tuition only covers part of the cost of public universities. The rest comes thru the state legislature and has to be voted on. In Colorado, even tuition rates are subject to control by the legislature so there are a number of ways that budgets of public universities and colleges are under control.

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1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13

There'd some college in NY that always used to be tuition free. There was a big wailing and gnashing of teeth recently when they realized it wasn't possible any longer. Can't remember its name but its one I've heard of before. Quite a decent one apparently. I agree with spdrun, that education and research are worth funding. But Bots right, without cost containment how do you ensure it will remain viable?

- Peter.

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2021 Chevrolet Spark
Formerly...
2000 GMC Sonoma
1981 240D 4spd stick. 347000 miles. Deceased Feb 14 2021
2002 Kia Rio. Worst crap on four wheels
1981 240D 4spd stick. 389000 miles.
1984 123 200
1979 116 280S
1972 Cadillac Sedan DeVille
1971 108 280S

Cooper Union. And it's a private school, that made some fawked up investments and lost 50% of their endowment fund during the 2008 crash. Bad luck on their part.

I suspect that them charging tuition isn't a done deal either.

Costs are limited to what can be garnered from 3% of your average state uni graduate's income for 20 years, spread out over four years. OK, not that simple, but funding isn't infinite here.

And when students take basket weaving as a major because they like that subject and no one hires them- how is 3% of a full time McDonald's order taker going to pay for the classes they took?

That's one of the major issues with today's universities students- they've been told to get a degree and then they do- in some subject which is economically un-viable. (I made up that word; but it fits) Then they expect someone to save them from the debt they racked up.

Funny, that most of the humanities majors whom I went to school with are doing just fine. The amount of truly unmarketable people who graduated from college is actually pretty tiny.

Funny- I saw a brown cow and now I know cows are brown.
I heard that also on the internet- and of course it's true because it's on the internet.

This--coming from a scientist, who's well being counts on govt grants to fund operating.

Almost as though I have experience to inform my opinion, wouldn't you agree?