Apparently, some Colorado college are suing the University of Colorado, “arguing they are due refunds for student fees that cover services they can no longer receive due to the coronavirus pandemic shutting down most recognizable aspects of campus life.”
According to an article by reporter Elizabeth Hernandez, published earlier this week in the Denver Post:
Two class action lawsuits filed against University of Colorado’s Board of Regents and Colorado State University’s Board of Governors this weekend said students pay fees separate from tuition that enable access to events and services such as the student recreation center, bus passes, athletic events and arts performances.
“A lot of this just is not accessible right now while the lockdown is in place,” said Igor Raykin, a local attorney representing the students. “That’s not a problem. Nobody has an issue with the fact that they’re shutting down the campus right now…The issue is if they pay for a lot of things they can’t access, they should be getting their money back for those things, just like any business would do…”
I’m fascinated by the number of perspectives I hear and read, as we stumble through this curious (and for many people, frightening) social, economic, political and biological adventure.
Some of my friends view the current crisis as a conflict between two political viewpoints… some view it as an all-out war against a dangerous virus… some as a temporary inconvenience… some as a conspiracy to destroy the American way of life. Others see a prime opportunity for fixing the inequities of modern capitalism.
I can imagine, for current high school seniors, the situation is especially confusing.
From an article by reporter Jason Gonzales published on Chalkbeat.org on April 14:
Like many other prospective college students worried about their future during the coronavirus pandemic, Vista Peak Prep senior Jordan Stewart is debating whether he should wait to go to college.
“It’s hard to actually try to think about the future when you’re generally confused and questioning if you’ll even have one,” said Stewart, 18, an Aurora teen who was set on attending college this fall before the nationwide shutdowns.
Knowing students like Stewart are reconsidering whether they should wait to attend college next fall — or are planning to forgo higher education altogether — counselors are rethinking how they advise students, even without having all the answers themselves.
Students are wondering whether college campuses will be safe or even open later this year. Boston University last week became the first U.S. higher education institution to publicly announce plans for delays or cancellations of in-person classes for fall semester if needed — and others could follow. And students and institutions alike face major economic uncertainty, raising questions about financial aid…
Will students even want to attend college in the fall?
And a related question: Will students want to put themselves $30,000 in debt to get a four-year degree, when the future seems so oddly precarious?
Back when I was a kid, applying for college in 1970, there were essentially three classes of college students. Kids who had rich parents; kids who were able to qualify for scholarships; and kids who were willing to work a part-time job while they were attending college.
But the vast majority of young men and women did not apply for college in 1970. In fact, in 1970, only about two-out-of-three American teens completed high school, and only about one-in-seven completed four years of college.
The earnings spread between the college-educated and those who didn’t earn a degree was rather dramatic in 1970. College educated males — who, back in those days, typically left college with little-to-no student debt — were pulling in an average of about $100,000 per year while males without a college degree was earning around $58,000. The spread was less dramatic among females, but the spread between males and females was rather enormous. A college-educated woman averaged about $30,000 a year, and woman without a degree was making around $20,000. (These numbers are based on a 1993 history of education published by the US Department of Education, and I adjusted them for inflation, calculated as 2020 dollars.)
The numbers are different in 2020. Last year, a college graduate fresh out of college could expect to make about $48,000 per year — regardless of being male or female. (On average, recent female graduates earn less, but much of the pay differential can be attributed to the college majors typically chosen by female students.)
We have no idea how much today’s college graduates — most of whom are missing their graduation ceremonies in 2020, due to the corona virus — will be earning at age 40, compared to their peers who never earned a degree. We know the pay differential was massive in 1970. And we know that in 2019, a typical college graduate left school with $30,000 in student debt.
But what the future holds? We have no idea.
Perhaps most — college educated or not — will be on unemployment.