Note: Since I wrote this, I've been corrected: Kerry only offered to pay for tuition at public university levels, not private. Therefore, the specific complaints I make below about costs are not valid.
Yesterday, I wrote a quick handful of observations on Kerry's education plan. But Josh caught an absolute stunner that I'd missed. (It was in another document entirely.)
Josh wrote:
Let's not forget this great idea:
As part of his 100 day plan to change America, John Kerry will propose a comprehensive service plan that includes requiring mandatory service for high school students and four years of college tuition in exchange for two years of national service.
Everyone who joins the Kerry Brown Shirts gets a college education for free. Do they get free jackboots with that? Seriously, though, if it's mandatory, why is he even going to need to deliver on his promises for free college. This guy should terrify anyone who gives a hang about freedom.
While I respectfully disagree with the final assertion -- I don't see why Kerry wouldn't deliver on the promise of free college, since he'd be doing with other people's money -- Josh makes an excellent point.
Mandatory social service during high school? Two years of full time service in exchange for full tuition at any college?
First, consider the staggering costs: How many families wouldn't take advantage of two years off in order to get four years of tuition?!? If the cost of an average year of college tuition is $27,000, this means our dear federal government will be paying your average volunteer a whopping $54,000 per year salary! And a nearly $76,000 salary to a student who plans to attend an elite institution like Harvard! Not a bad salary for a few hours "volunteer" service each week.
(Of course, consider the incredible unfairness of the program! You're going to be paying the smarter kids more, since they're going to the more elite institutions! That's smacks of meritocracy!)
Universities would undoubtedly love such a program, since it's widely known that their "published" tuition numbers are usually reserved for the wealthiest students whose families can actually afford it. Middle-class schmoes like me usually paid the lower "real" tuition. In this way, our federal government would be paying top dollar for students who could probably have gotten the exact same education, at the same school, for a much lower total cost to all involved.
But sure, they won't notice it because they'll be paying it through their taxes. Nothing's ever quite as expensive as when it's free. But let no expense be spared for the children, no?
Last, and much more importantly, consider the limitless possibilities for ideological indoctrination: After all, there will come this important task of deciding which programs will qualify:
Boy Scouts? No sir! NARAL? Yes sir! The local Salvation Army homeless shelter? Those bigots? No way! People for the American Way? Mais Oui!!
Brilliant system: When will the little critters even have time to be involved with the Boy Scouts or their church's youth group? They're already busy enough with their schoolwork, sports -- let's channel that last bit of their free time into a mandatory service program for the local Public Interest Research Group.
Josh closes with:
This guy should terrify anyone who gives a hang about freedom.
Indeed. Not to mention fiscal responsibility and stewardship, for all my newly-fiscally-conservative liberal friends. :-/
Sarah: According to this, he's offering $4,000 per year tuition, thus paying $8,000 per yer for service.
At that rate, I wonder, just as you do, how much service time will be required, and how many students will avail themselves.
It sounds like some within the banking industry say Kerry's scheme may be unworkable:
Without federal backing, banks would have to charge higher interest rates to better guarantee a return from loans to individuals who lack collateral and aren't making money, Scott Talbott, a lobbyist for the Financial Services Roundtable, said. ``If you take away the government subsidy, the program will essentially collapse,'' Talbott said.
They have a vested interest in saying this, but Kerry also has a vested interest in saying otherwise. It'll be interesting to see how this turns out, but I'm fairly sure, like most government programs (including Bush's), this will cost quite a lot more than estimated.
Thanks for the correction!
If you read the fine print, it says "four years of tuition at the typical public university", which wouldn't come close to $27,000 average. My big question though is whether you get a salary while you're doing your two years of service. Are those two years done for no money and then you just get tuition at the end, or do you make some sort of salary for the service in addition to the college tuition? That's a big difference, and it's not explained.
Posted by: Sarah on April 15, 2004 07:32 AM