The Markdown at Harvard
- Thread starter Xue Sheng
- Start date
Steel Tiger
Senior Master
I am pleased to hear something like this. Education should be an option for everybody. The biggest problem I see with making it dependent on wealth is that we might miss the next Da Vinci, Edison, or Florey (the guy who developed medical uses for penicillin). It would be a shame.
Big Don
Sr. Grandmaster
That really isn't as generous as they want it to sound. Harvard has somewhere in the neighborhood of $THIRTY-FIVE BILLION DOLLARS in endowments. That means Harvard could foot the bill for every facet of a student's college years and still have tons of money to give to others. This is the problem with giving monies to charities, some don't want to give it away.
What is ten percent of $35 BILLION, oh, yeah, $3Ā½ BILLION DOLLARS a year. That could sure educate a whole lot of people...
OP
OP
Xue Sheng
All weight is underside
Every little bit does help but it could be so much more, particularly at Harvard. And I imagine even with the cut to the tuition your GPA still has to be fairly high to get in so I do not see it undermining HarvardĀs Status 
so why not help out a little more.
I hope it does catch on in other institutions too.
so why not help out a little more. I hope it does catch on in other institutions too.
It's a nice gesture from Harvard University.
As 5-0 Kempo pointed out, it's a private college, and if they wanted to charge 70 K / year for tuition, room, and board (don't blink; it's getting closer and closer as we speak), then that's their choice. There are plenty of people who are going to be more than willing (if not happy) to pay that amount, simply for the prestige of attending Harvard.
Even if someone can't afford the cost of Harvard, they can still get just as good of an education elsewhere, if they're willing to look. Some elitists may look down at state schools, but those schools can give just as good of an opportunity as an ivy league school, if a student works hard at his studies.
Looking back at history, tuition has been increasing rather disproportionately... When I was a freshman in college (private) back in 1989, a year of tuition, room, and board, cost $14,000 / year. These days, a year at that same college now costs in the upper 30's. I remember every year, getting that letter from the school, asking for donations from me, claiming that I had to put things in perspective, that the costs of everything were rising as well.
I'm not so sure about their comparisons, though... Back in 1988, my Nissan Sentra cost $7,500. These days, that Nissan Sentra costs about $15,000.
As 5-0 Kempo pointed out, it's a private college, and if they wanted to charge 70 K / year for tuition, room, and board (don't blink; it's getting closer and closer as we speak), then that's their choice. There are plenty of people who are going to be more than willing (if not happy) to pay that amount, simply for the prestige of attending Harvard.
Even if someone can't afford the cost of Harvard, they can still get just as good of an education elsewhere, if they're willing to look. Some elitists may look down at state schools, but those schools can give just as good of an opportunity as an ivy league school, if a student works hard at his studies.
Looking back at history, tuition has been increasing rather disproportionately... When I was a freshman in college (private) back in 1989, a year of tuition, room, and board, cost $14,000 / year. These days, a year at that same college now costs in the upper 30's. I remember every year, getting that letter from the school, asking for donations from me, claiming that I had to put things in perspective, that the costs of everything were rising as well.
I'm not so sure about their comparisons, though... Back in 1988, my Nissan Sentra cost $7,500. These days, that Nissan Sentra costs about $15,000.
OP
OP
Xue Sheng
All weight is underside
I am amazed that they did this on their own and I do think it is a good thing. But then my wife keeps insisting our kids are going to Harvard, I just hope they continue this for a long long time
I will admit I find this pretty funny though
Isn't that pretty much the majority of the US?
I will admit I find this pretty funny though
Isn't that pretty much the majority of the US?
OP
OP
Xue Sheng
All weight is underside
When I first saw this I thought this
Yes Mr. Smith we did accept you boy at Harvard and he did VERY well last semester but after looking at your financial records we have discovered that this past year you made $180,001 so you now must pay FULL tuitionĀ Now that would Suck
