4A • COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL • MARCH 20, 2019
O PINION
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Are rising costs, scandals devaluing college degrees?
W
hile reading about the
college scandal involv-
ing payments by dozens of
wealthy parents to William
Rick Singer to assure their
children’s acceptance into
the upper echelons of high-
er education, I had to shake
my head once again at the
need to overhaul our college
educational system and its
dependency on rising tuition
and high profile athletics.
As parents, my wife and I
have been very honest with
kids about the level of finan-
cial support they can expect
from us for college. To do
this, I used my annual do-
nation to our local public
broadcasting station as an
example.
“You know how they have
different levels of supporters?
And how the more money
you contribute, the nicer the
gift they send you as a show
of their appreciation for your
support — like a T-shirt or
really nice backpack, or if
you’re a gold-level member
an entire season of your fa-
vorite PBS show in a special
limited-edition boxed set on
Blu-Ray?”
Our kids nodded.
“As a gift, we received a re-
frigerator magnet for a show
that was canceled three years
ago.”
Blank stares from our kids.
I explained that the only
free-ride scholarship we
could provide will have al-
ready been spent on food,
shelter and their unlimited
texting and data plans.
My wife and I have attend-
ed very helpful scholarship
fairs where local community
organizations provided in-
formation about the many
scholarships available. In ad-
dition, we’ve attended work-
ter much consideration and
analysis, including a math-
ematical formula involving
median income combined
with cost projections, annual
inflation predictions and an
old abacus I found at a garage
sale, I was able to determine
what I believe is the biggest
financial challenge facing
students and their families
when it comes to continuing
their education beyond high
school:
Colleges cost too much.
In fact, if I didn’t know
From the Managing Editor’s Desk
Ned Hickson
shops discussing everything
from how to apply for federal
education grants, to tips on
interviewing and properly
filling out scholarship appli-
cations.
What we discovered about
the scholarship application
process is that there is a lot
of money out there, available
from local organizations and
clubs as well as county, state
and federal funds specifically
earmarked for college educa-
tion.
It’s essentially our tax dol-
lars at work. And since I’ve
been paying taxes nonstop
since I was 17, I have no
problem getting a return on
my investment to help our
kids and others receive a col-
lege education.
Here’s the problem: Af-
better, I’d say colleges are be-
ing run by pharmaceutical
companies — which would
make sense since, coinciden-
tally, most of the side effects
found on drug labels are the
same symptoms I felt while
researching annual tuition
costs: headache, chest pain,
shortness of breath, insom-
nia, vision loss, vomiting,
loss of appetite…
According to the American
College Board, the average
annual cost of tuition at a pri-
vate college is $32,405. Or if
you’re looking for a real bar-
gain, $23,893 a year to attend
a public college from out of
state.
However, your best bet is
to enroll in a community col-
lege as an in-state resident,
where the average tuition is
$9,410.
Which, by the way, is still
$9,310 more than we’ll have
saved up for our youngest
daughter’s college fund.
I should probably point out
that I did not attend college
and never aquired a degree.
That said, it’s not that I’m
advocating against receiving
a college education; I’m just
saying that ultimately, with
or without a degree, what
matters most is a drive to
succeed and willingness to
work hard for it.
No degree can guarantee
success over an individual’s
desire to be successful.
Do I want my doctor to
have a medical degree?
You bet.
Should a lawyer be re-
quired to have a law degree?
Certainly.
Would I be ok with a doc-
tor without a medical degree
operating on the average law-
yer?
Most likely.
The question is whether
the rising cost of higher ed-
ucation — coupled with the
revelation that those wealthy
enough to do so can buy their
child’s way into a prestigious
college through acts of fraud
— are devaluing those de-
grees and our system of high-
er education as a whole?
Especially when compared
to what can be achieved with
a high degree of dedication
and hard work instead —
And the freedom to pursue
your life’s passions debt free.
Send letters to:
nhickson@cgsentinel.com or cmay@cgsentinel.com
HOW TO CONTACT YOUR REPS
Oregon state
representatives
Oregon federal
representatives
• Sen. Floyd Prozanski
District 4 State Senator
PO Box 11511
Eugene, Ore. 97440
Phone: 541-342-2447
Email : sen.floydprozanski@
state.or.us
• Rep. Cedric Hayden
Republican District 7 State
Representative
900 Court St. NE
Salem, Ore. 97301
Phone: 503-986-1407
Website: www.leg.state.or.
us/hayden
Email: rep.cedrichayden@
state.or.us
• Rep. Peter DeFazio
(House of Representatives)
405 East 8th Ave.
#2030
Eugene, Ore. 97401
Email: defazio.house.gov/
contact/email-peter
Phone: 541-465-6732
• Sen. Ron Wyden
405 East 8th Ave., Suite 2020
Eugene, Ore. 97401
Email: wyden.senate.gov
Phone: (541) 431-0229
• Sen. Jeff Merkley
Email: merkley.senate.gov
Phone: 541-465-6750
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