The college board reports that college students actually pay less out-of-pocket college tuition these days because of generous government subsidies.
Although average published tuition and fees increased by about 15% in inflation-adjusted dollars at private not-for-profit four-year and by about 20% at public four-year colleges and universities from 2004-05 to 2009-10, average estimated 2009-10 net price for full-time students, after considering grant aid and federal tax benefits, is about $1,100 lower (in 2009 dollars) in the private sector and $400 lower in the public sector than it was five years ago.
Apparently the feds are subsidizing college meals as well. The Daily Caller reports on college kids on food stamps.
About 20,000 people sign up for food stamps every day, and college students across the country are the newest demographic being encouraged to enlist.
Portland State University devotes a page on its Web site to explaining the ease with which students can receive benefits, along with instructions on how to apply. The school says food stamps are not charity but rather a benefit all honest taxpaying citizens can afford. . . .
It’s a trend that seems on the rise — Salon recently reported on young, broke hipsters using federal assistance to buy high-end organic food:
“I’m sort of a foodie, and I’m not going to do the ‘living off ramen’ thing,” one young man said, fondly remembering a recent meal he’d prepared of roasted rabbit with butter, tarragon and sweet potatoes. “I used to think that you could only get processed food and government cheese on food stamps, but it’s great that you can get anything.”
Read the whole depressing thing here.