What have the Republicanites done to the U?

[Lydia Leftcoast]

I was looking into the possibility of taking a summer course at the U, and it all looked fine until I checked out the tuition chart. $256.85 per credit at a state school?

I was thinking of taking a ten-credit (i.e. $2,568.50+$400 "fee") intensive language course (yeah, yeah, Japanese isn't enough for me :-) ), but at those prices, I could definitely go to the country and study there instead.

By the way, I checked out prices at Portland State University, and I could get a comparable course there for about $1200.

Now I'm beginning to understand all the talk about underfunding the U.

ON EDIT: When I was a freshman there in 1968, tuition for a full-time student was $125. Given that everything was five to ten times cheaper then than it is now, full-time tuition SHOULD be only about $1200, so Portland State has it right, even with Oregon's stingy legislature.

[latteromden]

1. Really? Dammit.

I was thinking about taking some classes at the U soon (I just switched to homeschooling vs. regular high school, and I figure it would be nice), but at that price, hey, I can't afford to.

What's been done to colleges around the US in general is just ridiculous.

But, as a language geek, I just have to ask: which language? :)

[Lydia Leftcoast]

2. Korean

I would have preferred second-year Chinese, but they aren't offering it.

Just out of curiosity, I checked out summer language programs in Korea, and I could take a summer session of beginning Korean in Seoul, including tuition, room and board, and airfare, for the same $3000. Now if only I had the $3000...

Maybe I should check out second-year Chinese in Taipei or Beijing... :-)

By the way, Minneapolis Community and Technical College is MUCH cheaper, as far as I know.

[seg4527]

3. i'm out of state, pay 13,000 dollars a year AFTER my scholarship

yeah, it's really really bad. it's become quite elitist. i was handing out flyers a while ago for the anti-war demo we had today, and i got some really ignorant responses such as "ewwwwwww! no!" and "i LIKE the war".

it makes me want to cry.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

4. That's appalling, and the faculty aren't happy either

At least that's what I hear.

[seg4527]

5. and now they want to build a stadium.

it's goodto know where a school's priorities are. is it really that bad to have to go across the river to see games at the metrodome? i don't know, i've never been to one. maybe kids dont' want to get on the bus with smelly poor people or something. i really don't get it. a few weeks back there were signs everywhere "bring football back to campus!" waht about bringing reasonable tuition back to campus? what about bringing more money for education funding to campus? no, it's football they want. *sigh*

[katinmn]

7. That's horrible!

That's what private school tuition was just a couple years ago.

[seg4527]

8. it's 9,000 for in state.

my girlfriend was pretty much forced into going to community college her first two years, because normal public schools aren't affordable.

I am from out of state, as I said, I moved here to be with my girlfriend, so I'm not very solid on minnesota politics, but according to one of my professors, a big reason for tuition increases was the Jesse Ventura gave those tax refunds when he was elected, and now there is a defecit. True? Is it more copmlicated than that?

[katinmn]

9. It's a lot more complicated

We had a huge budget surplus at that time and the sales tax rebates cut into it somewhat. But even if they had left the money in the surplus, it would not have solved the deficit problem we have now.

9/11 affected every state's budget. I think the following year every state in the country faced a budget deficit. Rather than doing a fair balancing act until there was some recovery, which would have included some cuts and some tax increases, our new governor introduced extremely poor fiscal management.

It was said for decades that Minnesota was a high tax state. We may have had higher taxes but we had above average services and afforable education, and a very skilled workforce.

We now have very high individual property taxes. Some homeowners' taxes have gone up 12 or 24 percent within the last couple years. But corporate taxes are extremely low (1.5 - 2.5 percent for some of the largest companies). That loss of corporate tax revenue has resulted in shifting the tax burden onto homeowners and by increasing user fees. Higher individual property taxes and increased fees aren't enough to make up for the reduced corporate taxes.

Plus, our governor is extremely committed to not raising taxes. As a result, services are cut, health care is more expensive, schools receive less funding, and incomes aren't keeping pace with cost of living increases.

That's my take on it. Not explained very well because I've had a long day.

[no name no slogan]

6. The U has lost sight of its mission

The U, being a land-grant university, is first and foremost supposed to serve the needs of the citizens of the state of Minnesota. IMHO it can be fairly argued that the U has gone off course over the last 15 years.

And yes, you can blame the successive Ventura/Pawlenty administrations for that.

[Debliberal]

10. The U of M

From what I have recently read about the U of M administration it appears that they have swung from the center to the right.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

11. Hi, Debliberal

and welcome to DU!

:hi:

[Debliberal]

12. THANKS...DU ROCKS

ITS NICE TO BE WELCOMED...I THINK YOU GUYS HAVE A GOOD THING GOING.

[Debliberal]

13. THANKS...DU ROCKS

I THINK YOU GUYS HAVE SOMETHING HERE....I HAVE RECENTLY BECOME ENERGIZED BY THE POLITICAL PROCESS GIVEN WHAT HAPPENED IN THIS LAST ELECTION IN WHICH BUSH STOLE THE ELECTION ONCE AGAIN.