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Comment by wmeredith | Hacker News Reader

> They jacked up tuitions and caused an entire generation of people to carry lifetime of crippling debt.

Please dig deeper if you care about this issue. My wife works at a state school and by far the overwhelming factor on rising tuition has been the systematic defunding of state schools since the 1980's. Our state university currently receives about 20% of what it once did from the state 40 years ago.

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However, I bet the buildings are fancy, the gym is lavish, and the cafeteria looks like a upscale food court with chefs to cook your custom ramen or stir fry. I also bet there are twice as many administrators as there were 40 years ago and far more expenses to maintain the high end buildings and sporting venues. More schools, more competition means more administrators, more marketing, more fancy dorms and facilities to appeal to parents and students. More money.

And rock climbing walls, stadiums, courts, parking enforcement tech, regulations over regulations of the smallest crap.

Imagine if the school was just a building with rooms for teachers to meet with students and labs to do research in. Maybe it wouldn’t be fun for the sporty people and their name wouldn’t be in a cheerleader chant but it would be very focused and efficient

You described University in every European country that I know of. A building, classrooms, teachers, exams.

Yeah, this is crazy for an European to read. Having such amenities on the campus is an expensive luxury. Focus on education/research and let everyone practice their hobbies externally, according to their wants, needs and personal budgets.

Studying at an American campus is like buying an expensive timeshare.

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