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Started By
Message
The Great TOPS Shell Game
Posted on 6/23/23 at 7:51 pm
Posted on 6/23/23 at 7:51 pm
When I went to school in the late 90s tuition was $700 or so a quarter. Fees were about $70.
Fast forward to my kid going and tuition is $1,851 and TOPS pays for all of it! Hooray! Fees are now, coincidently enough, almost what the tuition is, $1,584.
So prior to TOPS fees were about 10% of tuition and now 86% of tuition.
TOPS is nothing but a shell game to make parents feel like Louisiana is giving them a great deal.
Fast forward to my kid going and tuition is $1,851 and TOPS pays for all of it! Hooray! Fees are now, coincidently enough, almost what the tuition is, $1,584.
So prior to TOPS fees were about 10% of tuition and now 86% of tuition.
TOPS is nothing but a shell game to make parents feel like Louisiana is giving them a great deal.
25
Posted on 6/23/23 at 7:53 pm to RougeDawg
No shite. I thought everyone knew this?
Posted on 6/23/23 at 7:56 pm to RougeDawg
In the 90s the states budged played a large role to state universities. That money was taken from the universities and “given” to parents to give to the universities.
….so yes, basically a shell game, but now only kids that meet gpa/act standards and then can keep those standards get the “free” money instead of everyone.
….so yes, basically a shell game, but now only kids that meet gpa/act standards and then can keep those standards get the “free” money instead of everyone.
Posted on 6/23/23 at 8:00 pm to RougeDawg
Friend,
Am I inferring correctly that you are complaining about having to spend $3000 a year on fees and $0 on tuition at a flagship university? See what families in the Big 10 spend on public university tuition and fees for comparison. For example, a Illinois resident can expect to spend nearly $23,000 each year on tuition and fees alone at the University of Illinois.
Yours,
TulaneLSU
Am I inferring correctly that you are complaining about having to spend $3000 a year on fees and $0 on tuition at a flagship university? See what families in the Big 10 spend on public university tuition and fees for comparison. For example, a Illinois resident can expect to spend nearly $23,000 each year on tuition and fees alone at the University of Illinois.
Yours,
TulaneLSU
This post was edited on 6/23/23 at 8:03 pm
Posted on 6/23/23 at 8:23 pm to TulaneLSU
No doubt it is still the best deal. The subterfuge is what rubs me wrong. Why tell people a $1 hamburger is free with a $1 fee instead of just selling the $1 hamburger?
Posted on 6/23/23 at 8:29 pm to RougeDawg
I remember several years after TOPS was a thing (I think it became a thing in the late 90s right?) I had a Calculus teacher, some dude from South Korea.. Early in the semester, there was someone who messed up some basic algebra on a problem and the dude went on for about 15 mins about how because of TOPS the quality of the average student has gone down. Within a week about half the class dropped him, he kind of insulted everyone, but I thought it was funny bc dude didn't give a single frick.
Posted on 6/23/23 at 9:01 pm to RougeDawg
Tell your kids to study hard, to get a good GPA, score high on the ACT, and live at home(or keep living costs low) and you will pay basically nothing. My kids had to come up with no money every semester for tuition and fees. The extra scholarship money covered all school fees. They worked for book money and spending money. Everyone thinks you have to send them away to school and spend a ton of money. That’s not true. You can control a lot of the costs. One more thing to add, if your kid isn’t a great student(especially boys) encourage them to get a trade or attend a community college. Low costs and they can make good money in a lot of areas.
This post was edited on 6/23/23 at 9:06 pm
Posted on 6/23/23 at 9:02 pm to RougeDawg
Tuition 4K, fees 2k
LSU tuition and fees
Edit: you said quarter, you talking LA tech?
LSU tuition and fees
Edit: you said quarter, you talking LA tech?
This post was edited on 6/23/23 at 9:05 pm
Posted on 6/23/23 at 9:05 pm to danilo
Add another 4K or so if it’s a freshman
Posted on 6/23/23 at 9:06 pm to tigeraddict
Ponzi scheme
Posted on 6/23/23 at 9:12 pm to OweO
quote:
I remember several years after TOPS was a thing (I think it became a thing in the late 90s right?) I had a Calculus teacher, some dude from South Korea.. Early in the semester, there was someone who messed up some basic algebra on a problem and the dude went on for about 15 mins about how because of TOPS the quality of the average student has gone down. Within a week about half the class dropped him, he kind of insulted everyone, but I thought it was funny bc dude didn't give a single frick.
What a useless, worthless piece of information.
quote:
OweO
Makes sense.
Posted on 6/23/23 at 9:23 pm to RougeDawg
quote:
Why tell people a $1 hamburger is free with a $1 fee instead of just selling the $1 hamburger?
I understand how it looks and I don’t disagree that the sticker price is misleading but a lot of this comes down to state funding and can/can’t/won’t be covered by those tax dollars. I am also a late 90’s enrollee at LSU and can tell you that the “amenities” and services afforded students are much more plentiful (as are the number of administrators). That’s where many of those fees are going.
I don’t like it, but that’s the reality. Please don’t shoot the messenger.
Posted on 6/23/23 at 9:23 pm to RougeDawg
Tops pays for about 8%
Posted on 6/23/23 at 9:25 pm to TulaneLSU
quote:
For example, a Illinois resident can expect to spend nearly $23,000 each year on tuition and fees alone at the University of Illinois.
Yup. TulaneLSU is spot on here.
Posted on 6/23/23 at 9:37 pm to OweO
quote:what is this gibberish
OweO
Posted on 6/23/23 at 9:48 pm to RougeDawg
TOPS didn't exist yet when I started college. I think tuition at LSU was about $1100. Southeastern was $950 or so. Books were another $400 or so at LSU but that was all of the fees and everything.
Granted, it was just a different pricing model. The state footed more of the bill without many qualifications and yet fewer people went to college.
Granted, it was just a different pricing model. The state footed more of the bill without many qualifications and yet fewer people went to college.
Posted on 6/23/23 at 9:52 pm to fallguy_1978
Without TOPS I’d probably be some piece of shite working in the oilfield
Oh wait
Oh wait
Posted on 6/23/23 at 9:54 pm to Sun God
Posted on 6/23/23 at 9:55 pm to Sun God
quote:
Without TOPS I’d probably be some piece of shite working in the oilfield
I had no incentive in high school to do more than just graduate. SR year I took welding, drafting, power mechanics, woodworking and English 4
Posted on 6/23/23 at 9:59 pm to fallguy_1978
quote:
SR year I took welding, drafting, power mechanics, woodworking
Nothing wrong with that. Do HS courses like that even exist anymore?
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