University of Michigan to offer free tuition for Michigan residents with income less than $65K

University of Michigan's president Dr. Mark Schlissel announced that the university plans to offer free tuition for Michigan students for up to four years with family income of less than $65,0000 per year. Schlissel made the announcement at the beginning of the University Board of Regents meeting on Thursday, June 15, 2017. The Board approved the new program as part of the fiscal year 2018 general fund budget for the Ann Arbor campus.

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I'm of two minds about this. On one hand, great!

On the other, to offer such a large entitlement cheapens the whole experience. I've got a huge issue with not earning what is yours, but I could be in the minority with that thought. Then is raises the question of how absurd are tuition prices for middle class and up families that the university can absorb this financial burden.

Go Blue!

a reply to: JinMI

Would not have a problem if they would do this for medical degrees or something similarly useful.

Of course, most will take useless classes and I am sure they will get loans for living expenses.

There is something seriously wrong with these types of programs. I really feel sorry for families that earn little more than 65k a year in Michigan; their kids must now face a very unlevel playing field.

For all the bookoo bucks the universities make off their sports franchises this ought to be the norm.

a reply to: infolurker

The Board of Regents also approved a tuition increase by 2.9% for in-state undergraduate students, and an increase of 4.5% for out-of-state undergraduate students, and tuition for most graduate programs will increase by 4.1%.

I retract my statement about the school absorbing the cost. It's socialized education apparently.

OofM offers a wide variety of healthcare and engineering majors.

a reply to: JinMI

If they roll the money they make back in to the school that they gain from the sports programs, this should be much easier to pay for.

They make about $150 mil off of their students and athletes a year.

Bout time we give some back.

originally posted by: IgnoranceIsntBlisss
For all the bookoo bucks the universities make off their sports franchises this ought to be the norm.

We finally agree.

Good call.

IIB and Introvert,

See my above post, they are raising tuition to compensate.

a reply to: JinMI

Check my edit above.

a reply to: JinMI

As long as there is still an academic performance requirement...nothing is cheapened. It's great!

Yay! I have long believed that funding education and job-training should be our number one priority.

The more educated and job-trained the populace, the better the competition is, and the stronger our capitalist system is!

Or that's how I logic things out. I hope this proves successful and my logic proves to be correct.

originally posted by: JinMI
IIB and Introvert,

See my above post, they are raising tuition to compensate.

Of course. Florida Universities have done the same things and they make ridiculous amounts of money off of their athletes/students. They even send their coaches/staff on costly getaways while raising tuition costs.

a reply to: MotherMayEye

I don't disagree. However it is my opinion that free is not a boon nor an incentive.

Having said that, major university tuition is ungodly expensive and with the extra cash they rake in from their sports programs, there is no need.

I mean say your family makes 68k/year. You just saw a tuition increase for no added benefit.

originally posted by: JinMI
a reply to: MotherMayEye

I don't disagree. However it is my opinion that free is not a boon nor an incentive.

Having said that, major university tuition is ungodly expensive and with the extra cash they rake in from their sports programs, there is no need.

I mean say your family makes 68k/year. You just saw a tuition increase for no added benefit.

My thinking is that as long as students are required to meet a certain GPA/test scores for admission and then keep their GPA up...then it's a great thing for capitalism/competition.

Nationally & globally.

oh the humanity! free education.

I'd like to cryogenically freeze those who think this is wrong and unfreeze them in a not so distant future when higher education is covered in all state universities to everyone, then watch your heads explode instantly.

Jesus tap dancing Christ... a world power and economy giving free education... stop the press!!

welcome to the rest of the 1st world mich. U

a reply to: MotherMayEye

I would hope that would be in place but still, IDK. I'm just not sold on the idea of here this is free at the cost of someone else.

I reserve the right to be wrong!

a reply to: odzeandennz

But it's not free.

originally posted by: MotherMayEye

originally posted by: JinMI
a reply to: MotherMayEye

I don't disagree. However it is my opinion that free is not a boon nor an incentive.

Having said that, major university tuition is ungodly expensive and with the extra cash they rake in from their sports programs, there is no need.

I mean say your family makes 68k/year. You just saw a tuition increase for no added benefit.

My thinking is that as long as students are required to meet a certain GPA/test scores for admission and then keep their GPA up...then it's a great thing for capitalism/competition.

Nationally & globally.

It's not a great thing for the competing families making 68k a year; they've just had the rug pulled out from under them.

originally posted by: JinMI

I mean say your family makes 68k/year. You just saw a tuition increase for no added benefit.

Fair point. $68,000/yr is the middle class.

Every class should feel a comparable pinch. I don't want to see middle class families/kids suffer unfairly to make this happen.

and when everyone in Michigan has a doctorate degree who is going to be working at McDonalds and starbucks? oh that`s right people with doctorate degrees will be flipping burgers, well that`s taxpayer money well spent because America doesn`t have enough burger flippers with doctorate degrees.

there aren`t enough jobs in America that require college degrees that`s why there are so many college graduates flipping burgers NOW,but what the heck if the taxpayers are footing the bill why not have burger flippers with doctorate degrees.

a reply to: MotherMayEye

In my uneducated opinion, if the tuition prices were at a somewhat fair rate, then there wouldn't be a need for a program such as this. Or perhaps there would be an equitable payscale based on income combined with grades.