Robert Hahl

A member of the Philip Greenspun's Homepage community since January 13, 2000

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January 13, 2000, on Tuition-free MIT:
Phillip argues "If we [MIT] were charging $1 million/student, would any rich person give us money? Do rich people make donations to United Airlines?" implying that rich people mostly donate to institutions that really need it. I don't believe that is what motivates them. Rather, it is the chance to meet other donors - social climbing. Can it be true that MIT and Harvard are more in need of still larger endowments than dozens of good but unknown schools? Giving to the famous school returns more in social standing, so that is where the money goes. On the subject of totally free tuition, that would have ruined me. I vividly recall signing on the dotted line for a student loan. And paying for college taught me not to fear debt, something poor people often do. I became a serious student first to avoid wasting the money, later to learn something. But I do agree that tuition must be kept reasonably low. I graduated with only $10,000 in debt to Stevens Institute of Technology (class of 1980)...