A Guide to Getting One of Texas' $10,000 Degrees
In his State of the State address on Tuesday, Gov. Rick Perry touted the $10,000 bachelor's degrees Texas universities began offering in 2011, when he first challenged them to do it.
“There were plenty of detractors at that time who insisted it couldn't be done,” Perry said. “However, that call inspired educators at colleges and universities across our state to step up to the plate.”
And not just in Texas. Perry said interest in $10,000 degrees is spreading nationally, picking up steam in Florida and California.
But now that they exist, how can cash-strapped Texas students ...
Comments (14)
Eric Bittner
The $10K degree already exists:
"Financial aid is available at all public universities. About one-quarter of freshmen at the University of Texas at Austin pay $2,500 per year or less in tuition out of pocket. The average out-of-pocket expense for students at the University of Texas at El Paso is only slightly more than $2,000 per year."
In fact, even at private universities, good financial aid is available to attract the best students who might not be able to pay full tuition. My alma mater, U. Chicago--which is one of the more expensive and exclusive universities--more or less guarantees that anyone admitted will be able to afford to go there. They even offer full tuition scholarships to students graduating from any Chicago public school who gets admitted. Harvard has a similar plan. In fact, Harvard could probably offer free tuition to any student admitted given the size of its endowment.
How is this possible? Answer: Alumni support. All of our Texas public universities could offer low in-state tuition IF the public was willing to support through increased alumni donation and public funding.
Laura Lovett via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Perhaps he should take a look at our states STAAR scores. If we can't get our children a decent public education while in K-12, there's no real need for a $10k degree, not worth the paper it's printed on if our children can't read, spell and write a complete sentence with proper punctuation. Pretty boy Perry, it's time for your exit.
Jalapeño Schwartz via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Pretty Ricky could raid his retirement fund.
Matthew Cowan via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Laura, the schools have the tools to teach out children. Throwing more money at them is not the answer. We spend more on students today than 30 years ago and we have worse results.
There are students who do excel. Why should they not have an opportunity to go to college at get a degree for 10K without having to be in huge amount of debt?
Good Job Gov. Perry!
Brady Bragg via Texas Tribune on Facebook
That and a nickel will get you a job at WalMart.
Thomas Flannery via Texas Tribune on Facebook
I don't believe that Matt. The money ends up in the wrong hands because politicians are running the schools. They teach for a test instead of teaching what they need to know. The education system needs an upgrade. Too much money is being wasted on things like copiers, ink, paper, redundant information, maintenance, etc. EPISD can save $10Million a year if they went to an Enterprise Information System. I did a PowerPoint presentation for them but never heard anything back. It's a digital age, its time to put that money toward education, teachers, transportation, food, and support staff salaries.
Laura Lovett via Texas Tribune on Facebook
I would love to discuss this but for several reasons I will opt not, Matthew. I made a statement with a reference to recent (w/I last 24 hrs.) Factual information released by the state of Texas. You responded with partially true statements and a very weak question. No offense, if I was going to discuss this with you based on what you have said, my first Q would be are you a Texan and Were you educated in the Texas public school system? Just to clarify, I did not imply that our Texas children do not excel or that we need to throw more money their way. I did not imply that our Texas kids do not deserve an education at a reasonable cost. Fore, your bad. Watch the news man 67% of our children grades 3-8 are failing. 33% are excelling. It's not good enough Matthew.
David Whitten via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Yes, wasn't he the one who stopped research in Texas universities?
Matthew Cowan via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Laura, I went to public school in Texas. I attended College in Texas. I am involved with the education system. Our schools have the tools to teach. They are not doing that. Why? Thomas mentioned that money is being misspent. I agree it is . They have the funds but do not apply it correctly. Is it politicians? No it is bureaucrats who are the issue as well as the academic egg head who are trying to tell teachers how to teach when they themselves are far removed from a real teaching environment.
If you want to fix education, do not look to the state for money. That will just make it worse. Look locally. Demand accountability from the District Board Members. The reason we have the state tests is because teachers and districts were not teaching.
Matthew Cowan via Texas Tribune on Facebook
LOL that is one of the most ignorant comments I have heard David Whitten. I guess you never set foot on a Texas University campus because if you had you would know that your comment is wrong!!
Stanley Moore via Texas Tribune on Facebook
His bachelors degree isn't even worth that much. LOLaggie.
David my be off, but not by much.
Toni Mikel via Texas Tribune on Facebook
I don't know about TX, but I know my daughter was robbed of a decent education in AR. She is bright, could read at 4, super at puzzles, math, made As, excelled, we did private school two years then we moved to NE AR. She always made As, continued to be bright, never missed, read weekly books, loved going, Graduated high but SAT were sadly proof her education had been lacking. I noticed it when I would read her work, when she didn't know facts or history but my God! You just want to believe its not true. She was defeated, her selfesteem lost because of those scores. She always wanted to go to college but now was scared. Luckily she got laid off and now going to college and making As in Computer technology. Like I said she is bright as penny but school system failed her. I remember when she would discuss sport teachers reading newspapers all day in class, the clicks of teachers instead of responsible teaching, the often mentioned studying week after week at each year for testing?! Each year those precious teaching days lost as they took tests for ore tests of tests... Instead of learning. I have substituted and was teachers aide also and reality is that our school system is not what it use to be and we must improve it quickly! But there are some remarkable teachers as well. The profession itself should be higher pay scale so as to entice highest teacher quality in our schools. But you can't teach well if you lack integrity.
Clark Humphrey via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Matthew, you have had way too much of the kool-aid.
Matthew Cowan via Texas Tribune on Facebook
CLark that is all you drink, is the liberal kool-aid. Your solution is to keep throwing money at the problem. Take responsibility, oh thats is right, liberals do not believe in responsibility.