I don't know about you, but I feel this is a huge issue right now. If any of you out there plan on having kids or have kids getting ready for college, this should be a huge issue for you as well. College tuition since Bush entered office, has gone UP by 35%!!! Bush is not doing a (*)(*)(*)(*) thing about it.

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Not true. I've know plenty of people who were very hard workers that didn't have the brain power to complete high school, much less attend college. For those who are hard working and have at least average intelligence, college should be available, and already is.

It's not our "vision to realize" -- it's the student's. The major barrier to a college education is not the cost, it's how hard students are willing work to get in to a college and do well once they're there. I'd love to see where they came up with the 220,000 number of students "priced out" of college. I've never once met someone who really wanted to go to college, but didn't because it was too expensive.

This will surely ease the burden of a college education costs for people that can already afford college. Since it's a tax credit, it won't do much for low income families that already don't pay any taxes. It also won't do anything to address the problem of students dropping out of school. I also don't like the way this is worded... hopefully the $4,000 would have to spread out over 4 years.

This would be great (as long as the new form was as accurate at determining the level of need as the old).

Isn't it up to the university how they want to take applications? Do they really need John Kerry to "allow" it? LOL.

Yes, because many of us know potential college students that never ended up going because they did not get information early enough. ROFL.

I hate to be negative, but the students that see college as a "distant dream" are not going to be the ones who seek tutoring, mentoring, and college prep classes. That is, there aren't millions of students out there who feel like they can't make it into college because they can't find a tutor or college prep class. I'm not saying tutoring doesn't help students, just that it's not going to help many students attend college who otherwise would not.

It's good that he says he wants to boost the high school curriculum, but that doesn't mean that students are going to work any harder. There is only so much a school can do. Beyond a certain point, it's really up to the student (and parents to help instill a work ethic).[/quote]

This is an unbelievably stupid idea. The goal is to get an education, not to simply "finish college." There are already too many schools pressured into grading easily - do we also need government bribes to pass students? This measure would do nothing but reduce the overall quality of graduates.

My intitial (and probably naive) reaction to this is, what will it do to the size and preparedness of our military? Many people join to serve their country and get a free college education. If this can be accomplished through working at a school or health center (doing who knows what) in two years, then why join the military? Do we want to "strengthen America's security" with kids that are in and out in two years? Is that a good investment for the amount of time and money spent training them? How much will this plan cost the average taxpayer?

You are hanging with the wrong crowd...take a step off the shortbus because there are plenty of people out there who get B's in high school and don't get scholarships to go to college and have parents who make just a little too much money for them to get financial aid, thus the student can't afford college.


You obviously don't have any children or don't plan on having any children because if you did, you would understand that it is our vision to realize. I know plenty of people who decided to work instead of going to college to try and save money for it and were never able to go because they can't save on high school derived jobs. If you can't pay up front, you are screwed. Not all of us are able to have mommy and daddy pay for everything for us.

Any little bit helps...

"Need" is hard to define...colleges are too strict on this

I believe he is talking about state colleges, not private institutions.

Ever heard of rushing to visit colleges in your last year of high school because you didn't get a response back until the last minute?

Again you must not have any children or plan on having any because it is our duty to them to try and help them realize how important college is, and to give them all the resources we can to help them achieve that goal. We can't let kids simply rot on the streets because they had a poor sense of self esteem.

You are right, but why not give them the benefit of the doubt. You are a strong pescimist

Again with the pescimism...you automatically think that this is the only solution to helping students graduate. Why is it not possible to increase quality of education and teachers to help increase the numbers?

You hate Americas youth don't you? You see, not all of us want our children going to war to risk their lives so they can pay for college. If a kid wants to defend this country and protect the people of our nation, that is one thing, but I don't want someone over in Iraq getting killed because he/she was trying to pay for college. Yes why join the millitary if you have other options. That is such a republican thing to say. Again I ask that you exit the short bus for a minute and try and think about what you are asking our youth to do. "Risk your life so you can go to college, its your only option"

Actually this was "my crowd." My parents made too much money for me to get financial assistance (which means GRANTS -- students always qualify for loans)-- but I was still able to go to college. Here's the secret : GET A JOB! It's a really good program. They ask you to complete simple tasks and then give you money in return! Doesn't it sound silly to force someone else's parents to pay for my school simply because my parents preferred to buy new cars for themselves rather than pay my for my college?

ROFL -- let's get this straight. You're advocating a policy that purports to help people that can't afford college by giving TAX BREAKS. Hmm, this should help all who pay taxes and are supporting a student in college... in other words, it helps everyone BUT the poor -- oh, i forgot --- for them, "every little bit helps."

Sickening. If you really want to help poor people afford and get into college, can't you think of at least a dozen ways to do it better than this?

Yeah, and...? Does the POTS has any more authority over the application process at state universities than he does over private universties?

Nope. I believe most students visit colleges BEFORE they apply. But who cares? "Getting information about college earlier in the application process" will do absolutely nothing to ameliorate the situation you describe.

Sorry, but you aren't going to raise self-esteem and engender educational values by offering more funding to tutoring and mentoring programs. Kids are not going to "rot on the streets" because they didn't have a math tutor in the 10th grade. Learning to value an education comes from good parenting, not a tax funded after-school program.

I prefer "Realist." Most students aren't learning the current curriculum. Expanding the curriculum will be good for those who want to learn but do little for those who don't.

Sorry, but you're being naive. Having worked in academics, professors are plenty able (and very willing) to "increase the quality of education," the problem is that students are not willing to work as hard as they once were. Professors are constantly under pressure not to make things too difficult. I believe students do not have a right to a college education. They should have a right for the opportunity, but the education itself needs to be earned through hard work.

Hmm, I guess they don't teach reading comprehension skills in school anymore, either. Where did I ask anyone to "risk your life so you can go to college, its you only option." I merely stated that Kerry's policy might have an impact on the military.

The other problem is that becuase of the horrible economy, having a college degree is no longer an asset, but a liability.

Unless you come froma wealthy family, the 4 years you will spend in college are a risky investment. You have to work to pay your tution at a minimum wage job or lower, you get braodsided by so many fees and expenses, you run up a huge credit card debt, and when you get out, there is still no garuntee that you will be getting a job better than what you had before you left for college.

I know plenty of people with Engineering Degree who are sacking groceries and delivering pizzas. Of course, the rich kids are living off of mom and dad while they go to grad school or gota cushy job orking for daddy or one of his friends.

the middle class are really screwed by this. the poor get lots of help, the rich dont need it, but the middle class have to pay large sums out of their own pockets. luckily in florida i can get the bright futures' scholarship and have it all paid for. Thank God.