The bubble now includes universities

While it has been widely known that the student loan debt is affecting graduates, the effects that it has on universities is starting be get attention as well. According to a study by Richard Kneedler many colleges have more debt than cash, with one even having a balance of negative $400M. The universities are insolvent and over time will have to close their doors.

"Inadequate-capital institutions are less prepared to absorb potential revenue losses from drops in enrollment, alumni giving or investment income. They are less able to meet increased demands for financial aid for students or higher interest payments on variable rate debt. From whatever direction trouble arrives, these colleges may lack resources to weather the crisis, and their difficulties will tend to compound faster than will those of their better-off peers because they have less cash to spend, fewer assets to sell, and less budget "fat" to trim.

It was found that colleges that have financial issues attract and admit financially at risk students. More than half of these colleges have 25% of the student body that is eligible for financial aid under Title IV of the Higher Education Act. Many universities will have issues providing even partial financial aid to students that require it and will lead to a decrease in incoming class sizes.

When these institutions are no longer able to stay open should they just be closed down? Is it more important for Congress to take action to help the universities or the students that are struggling?

http://finance.yahoo.com/blogs/daily-ticker/student-loan-bubble-putting…

8 Comments
 
AndyLouisha had a fun time looking for images for this post, whatever you do don't search on google images for "university bubble" NSFW. you have been warned...
My curiosity overpowered me. Are you referring to the students with caps over their shlongs?
 
Connor
AndyLouisha had a fun time looking for images for this post, whatever you do don't search on google images for "university bubble" NSFW. you have been warned...
My curiosity overpowered me. Are you referring to the students with caps over their shlongs?
haha no a bit more hardcore than that
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I think you will see the classes seperate as fewer and fewer people can afford to go to college. Those that are on the fence (not seeing a cost benefit of taking on the ever increasing cost of secondary education) may ultimately forego their education.

 
Best Response
trailmix8i dont get why the universities are going bankrupt? dont they receive the money that the students borrow? what is the problem that is causing them to be low on cash?
Just from what I have gathered at my university and many others around mine, they are putting TONS of money into housing, sports, and just keeping the campuses looking pristine. I guess they think that 5-star dorms and a stellar football program are enough to keep the tuition piling in. They certainly aren't spending the majority of that money on academics. I can assure you that's not their first priority.

You could say that they are a lot like our government, just raising tuition (taxes) in order to spend that money on unnecessary shit, instead of cutting tuition, raising standards, and beefing up academics. After all, universities are not-for-profit, so what the hell is going on? If by some miracle Mitt Romney is elected and he sheds the Department of Education, subsidization of education will be gone, tuition will fall, along with the quantity of goof-off students. I hope this happens.

 

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