Hey students have you thanks Bush for the extra bucks yet?

Question

President Bush on Thursday signed legislation designed to make college more affordable for students from poor and middle-class families, swallowing objections to a bill that enjoyed veto-proof majorities in Congress.
The new law achieves a goal Bush shares with lawmakers: boosting aid for needy students. The action allows both the Bush administration and Congress to say they have done something to ease the burden of paying for college, a popular political priority.
"I have the honor of signing a bill that will help millions of low-income Americans earn a college-degree," Bush said in a ceremony, with lawmakers and students by his side.
The legislation boosts the maximum Pell grant, which goes to the poorest college students, from $4,310 a year to $5,400 a year by 2012.
It also cuts in half the interest rates on federally backed student loans

Answer 1

Considering the rising costs of tuition it will still be less affordable so what is to thank?

The Rising Cost of College - Warning! Tuition on The Rise
May 29th, 2007 · 2 Comments
In 20 Years the Average Private School Tuition will be just under $75,000
The Average Public School Tuition will be just under $25,000

With ever increasing college tuition, students are facing staggering college costs … with no sign of slowing down in sight. Tuition continues to rise, and prospective pupils are looking for more and more ways to pay for college including student loans.

Prepare to pay $75k per year for Private Colleges in 20 years

Back in 1975 a student could get away with spending $433 a year for an average Public School, or $2,272 per year on average for a private school. Today one would expect to pay approximately 10 times those amounts. The 2005-2006 college year ended with an average Public School cost of $5,491 per year, and the average private school costing $21,235 yearly.

Average Colleges Costs - 1975 to Present Day
(Tuition from 1975 to 2006)

Over the past 10 years the average private school tuition has increased at a mean of 5.8% while the public colleges have increased more rapidly at a mean of 6.9%. Taking these averages and applying them to future years can give us a rough estimate of what a year of college may cost down the road.

Graphs showing estimated college tuition costs:

Estimated College Tuition in 2018
(Estimated Tuition through 2018)

Ten years from now in 2017-2018 with current tuition rate percentages (5.8%), the average cost of one year at a private college is estimated to be $41,771, while public schools will average tuition of $12,228 per year.

Estimated College Tuition in 2028
(Estimated Tuition through 2028)

Twenty years from now in 2027-2028 with current tuition rate percentages (6.9%), the average cost of one year at a private college is estimated to be $76,406, while public schools will average tuition of $23,832 per year.

Q: What can you do to combat raising tuition?A: Contact your state governor and simply prepare financially for the future. Think of college as an investment to landing a successful career, and apply for scholarships and grants to cover college costs and cut back on student loans.

Answer 2

I appreciate the thought, but the wrong thing was done.

This is just another way to allow universities to charge more in tuition. Go to a college campus and you'll see that the majority of poor students have more money than the middle class students The ones who have to pay their way, especially those forced to claim the income of parents who dont support them (typically middle class gets screwed the most here) get virtually nothing while the poor ones have the offers of Pell grants and school based aid. Instead of helping the low income students (or the children of parents with illegal jobs and such who also benefit heavily from the Pell grant since their income is considered low by the IRS) something needs to be done to help all students. The intent was right, the execution was horrible. This will in reality help very few.

Oh, and just so you know, that 900/year isnt going to make a difference to most anyway. Pell Grant is one of the first things applied, so the cost of attendance wont change and most will just end up losing scholarship money-meaning instead of businesses paying that 900, it will come out of our pockets as taxpayers.

Answer 3

Amazing how little air-time this will get in the liberal media, don't ya think? Let President Bush mispronounce a word and they play that over, and over, and over though. I believe actions speak louder than words - the much maligned "No Child Left Behind" act has created higher test scores in math and science, but you don't hear much about that either, and if you do, the story will include some teacher's union hack down-playing the increases.

Answer 4

Haven't heard it on the mainstream news yet - not surprisingly. But did confirm it on the internet. Great news. Wonderful legislation.

Answer 5

I think President Bush AND congress deserve some praise for this one.

Thanks Guys :)

Answer 6

The liberals will just find new ways to bash Bush.

It never ends.

Answer 7

I haven't heard any thank yous yet, just complaints about how it wasn't enough . . .

Answer 8

They will just find something else to complain about now.


After all the world owes them a living.