[OutsiderFan]

Putting aside the merits of private donations versus public funding, isn't the funding model for colleges and universities fundamentally broken?

Does it really make sense for young people right out of high school to be saddled with brobdingnagian debt to pay for school?  They have no money.  There are what 20, 30, 40x more alumni than current students?  Doesn't it make a bit more sense for those who have graduated (and have money), to "pay it forward" on behalf of current students?

Considering the loans, you add what, 6-7% interest to the current tuition and fee total cost?  But this isn't just a "they don't have money so why charge them" argument.  How much more money would be being spent into the economy from college graduates if they weren't facing crushing debt service?

To me, this hits on one of my biggest socioeconomic theories.  That is, I don't believe nobody wants to pay taxes or otherwise contribute to the public commons.  My theory is what we don't like about paying taxes is 1) not knowing where our money is going and 2) not approving where it is being spent.  For instance, if you had to pay 30% of your annual income in taxes, you wouldn't mind doing so if you could choose where it is spent.  I mean we all understand having roads, clean water, police and fire protection, etc. costs money and we have to pay for it, right?

I frankly wouldn't mind if everyone who went to public school signed up knowing they wouldn't have to pay anything for it while going to school, but they would pay for it every year after graduation, sort of like payroll taxes.  This approach would basically create lifetime funding sources for schools, eliminate student loan debt, and put a lot more money into the economy. 

[OutsiderFan]

Putting aside the merits of private donations versus public funding, isn't the funding model for colleges and universities fundamentally broken?

Does it really make sense for young people right out of high school to be saddled with brobdingnagian debt to pay for school?  They have no money.  There are what 20, 30, 40x more alumni than current students?  Doesn't it make a bit more sense for those who have graduated (and have money), to "pay it forward" on behalf of current students?

Considering the loans, you add what, 6-7% interest to the current tuition and fee total cost?  But this isn't just a "they don't have money so why charge them" argument.  How much more money would be being spent into the economy from college graduates if they weren't facing crushing debt service?

To me, this hits on one of my biggest socioeconomic theories.  That is, I don't believe nobody wants to pay taxes or otherwise contribute to the public commons.  My theory is what we don't like about paying taxes is 1) not knowing where our money is going and 2) not approving where it is being spent.  For instance, if you had to pay 30% of your annual income in taxes, you wouldn't mind doing so if you could choose where it is spent.  I mean we all understand having roads, clean water, police and fire protection, etc. costs money and we have to pay for it, right?

I frankly wouldn't mind if everyone who went to public school signed up knowing they wouldn't have to pay anything for it while going to school, but they would pay for it every year after graduation, sort of like payroll taxes.  This approach would basically create lifetime funding sources for schools, eliminate student loan debt, and put a lot more money into the economy.