My first issue is that I believe if our K-12 system was top notch and provided a serious level of high end education, our kids wouldn't need to waste extra years paying a fortune for something they should have gotten earlier as part of the basic school system.

Additional education should be focused, imited and very specific for the profession at hand - we shouldn't be bloating it up with phys ed courses (bowling, archery, etc.), side classes on English 101, art courses, communication and speech 101, etc.  If schools got serious, expertise in a field could be obtained much quicker and far cheaper.

I attended two different schools - University of Detroit Mercy and Eastern Michigan University and obtained two degrees. My parents were low middle class and had no funds saved for me or my brother for college. So, my parents made it clear - you want to go - find a way. I typically averaged a 3.3 GPA in high school and also in college.  So, not a brilliant kid but, no veg either. I received a small amount of parental assistance my first year and limited assistance with grants, scholarships and aid after the 2nd year.

For the most part, I paid for the last four years on my own. How? Through working 2-3 jobs and putting in about 45-50 hours a week - often seven days a week year in and year out. This was in addition to going to school year round and taking a full case load in the fall and then winter and 1/2 loads in spring and summer. So, in addition to busting my hump while in school, I got to walk away with loans and debt too (I'm not alone there!).

I have to admit I felt resentment toward those kids around me who had mom and dad footing the full bill and they got to play in between classes. I felt the same toward kids who got full scholarships (the perfect athlete and/or straight A student) who got breaks galore on attention, work requirements etc. I felt similar unhappines for the kids deemed low income who got full rides because their numbers hit the right mark (ever check out financial aid paperwork - it takes a law degree to understand in the old days you were better off not working year from year and not getting parental help as it made you indepenent early and you got more aid. So, the classic tale of those who didn't work got more in the end than those who did).  

I often felt it was the middle income kid with blue collar parents who got the shaft. But, that's life.  

It was very hard to work all those jobs and put in so many extra hours beyond the school day, but if you are hungry enough, you will do it. I bought what they were selling and believed I had no value without that all powerful four year degree (I've wised up since then).  At least I finished up before they began pushing the masters or PhD program that was needed or you are worthless...

I believe students should be eligible for small loans, scholarships and aid in the first 1-2 years to get them going but, after that, they should pay as they go through their own work effort. They will appreciate it more and expect less from others along the way. By everyone getting similar aid and having similar work experience they are equal playing fields.

On a important side note, I don't believe we should be pumping endless dollars into our post-secondary school system when their rates of tuition, books and other fees are sky high. Often 2x the rate of inflation. Until schools are checked on this and run a better show, they should be penalized when it comes to state aid.

Who is keeping tabs on how many kids go through college/university, pay a fortune and end up in their career choice? How many accountants went into another field? How many nurses never went into the medical field? How many business majors do nothing in business and so on? Who's keeping an eye on placement offices and the final results of what this massive financial burden is costing our state and our citizens? Is it really worth the cash? Are we really educating a new generation of people or just wasting time and money in the long run?

Most successful business people I know didn't rely on a four or six year post secondary education to get their big break. They made it themselves.

I say we should consider boycotting colleges, universities and the like until they get their business in order and provide a solid, financially feasible and productive education with REAL world results. (We won't even get into the issue of indoctrination in the world of liberalism that is happening in schools these days too...).

I'd rather give a smart kid 25-50K and see what they could do in private business or investing versus giving a college/university that money and often getting very little in return.