LETTER: Weaver Challenges Tsongas and Olver on Tuition Costs
The following is a letter to the editor. To submit your own letter to the editor, e-mail us at westford@patch.com
Dear Editor,
Democratic U.S. Reps John Olver and Niki Tsongas on Thursday held a listening tour for the students and officials at Mount Wachusett Community College. What Olver did not say is that he voted for the College Cost Reduction Act of 2007, knowing full well that the interest rate would revert in an election year. Tsongas had not been elected in September 2007. What they both failed to mention is that for the next three years, with the Democratic Party controlling the House and Senate, and for two years the White House as well? They did nothing to fix the return to the nominal interest rate of 6.8%. Why not?
As taxpayers, we have increased our tax burden for Pell grant funding from $2.1 billion in 1980 to over $44.3 billion in 2011. In thirty years, funding has increased over 22 times. Has anyone’s salaries increased that much in the same time period?
According to the NY Times, the average cost of college tuition has almost tripled in the same period. Richard Vedder of the Center for College Affordability and Productivity states that with more government aid, the tuition is increased. Others do not agree, but the money is going somewhere.
Per the Department of Education, full-time 4-year college enrollment increased from 7.1 million students in 1980 to 12.7 million in 2010.
Does this make sense? Enrollment increases some 60%, tuitions increase 300% and federal grants increase 2200%.
Where has the money gone? Why can’t the Congressmen talk about that?
Sincerely,
Tom Weaver
Amy McGrath
9:06 am on Monday, May 7, 2012
And...see today's (5/7) Boston Globe "Students don't get what they pay for" by former US Senator John E. Sununu.
AB
9:47 am on Monday, May 7, 2012
Lots of questions but no answers from Mr. Weaver either.
When the economy went to pot (to the rich, really), guess who went back to school in droves to try to better qualify for jobs? Guess who gets Pell grants? Poor, undereducated people. People who can't just ask mom & dad for a business start up loan. Real people.
No surprise to this girl the enrollment went up!
Mike
1:21 pm on Monday, May 7, 2012
So, the one non-government source cited in this letter is from a notorious "academic" who accepted money from tobacco companies to concoct junk science, and whose Center for College Affordability and Productivity is largely funded by private education lenders who are pushing for fewer government grants and loans. (Google the Lumina Foundation.) These are the exact types of big-business organizations that claim to be looking out for the middle class while lining their own pockets. Check out Vedder's book on Walmart if you're in need of a laugh.
Unfortunately, the aspiring Congressional candidate didn't do his research on this...or maybe he did, and decided to cherry-pick facts and figures to prop up a fundamentally weak argument.
John
6:22 am on Tuesday, May 8, 2012
This does not seem like a letter to the editor. This is more like a mandatory lecture. This gentlemen oozes arrogance! He had recently done an article on his web site, chastising concord citizens for either not coming out in force to a town meeting, or chastises them for banning bottled water, Typical of people who “know” everything, they take both sides of an issue so as not to offend either side, and then ultimately offend both sides.
I sincerely hope this is NOT the only choice against Tsongas. I’ll have to do some research, It appears our choice now is an “empty dress”, being challenged by an “arrogant suit” It must be election time Tsongas is all around either handing out money, 40% borrowed Chinese money, or asking the “rich” for more money…disgusting..I hope and pray this is not the only choice, or we get two more years of N.T.