State report says 7 Virginia universities should be monitored as enrollment cliff approaches

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Somewhat regarding the subject of this thread, what are some of the more subtle signs (beyond a school decreasing courses offered and departments) that a school may be in financial danger?

I ask because my DD expressed interest to a (non-VA state) school and has received a lot of really sharp, well-produced PR mail from that school. Very impressive marketing that looks like it costs a fortune.
Yet I recently learned that the school is on the brink of closing.

Which school?

[Anonymous]

I’m not sure why some of you are offended by the idea of closing colleges like Va State. Nothing is preventing students from going there, if they want to. The point is that they very clearly don’t want to - and have many more options available to them. So why is the state pouring money into a school that is not attracting students?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m not sure why some of you are offended by the idea of closing colleges like Va State. Nothing is preventing students from going there, if they want to. The point is that they very clearly don’t want to - and have many more options available to them. So why is the state pouring money into a school that is not attracting students?

You know why.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m not sure why some of you are offended by the idea of closing colleges like Va State. Nothing is preventing students from going there, if they want to. The point is that they very clearly don’t want to - and have many more options available to them. So why is the state pouring money into a school that is not attracting students?

+1. There isn’t a reader on this board would would send their kids to an HBCU agriculture school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m not sure why some of you are offended by the idea of closing colleges like Va State. Nothing is preventing students from going there, if they want to. The point is that they very clearly don’t want to - and have many more options available to them. So why is the state pouring money into a school that is not attracting students?

+1. There isn’t a reader on this board would would send their kids to an HBCU agriculture school.

VT is also an agricultural school, so what’s wrong with VSU? Have you ever visited a HBCU?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some of you are positive gleeful that smaller and more affordable (relatively speaking) colleges are having problems.

And it's super weird. Not to mention ugly.

+1 It’s shocking this thread went from being gleeful that some colleges might close to saying large groups of students shouldn’t go to college at all. Folks, other kids deserve college too. Get a grip.

College is not a right. If you didn't do the work in k-12, for whatever reason, you're not automatically entitled to a 4 year college. A GED and community college is an established path that can lead you to a bachelor's degree. Many people already choose that path.

Why not?

NP-How bout you tell everyone why it should be a right first.

Why is free K-12 a right?

DP here. I don't actually think it should, but that is beyond the scope of this post. In many European countries for example, HS ends after 10th grade if you are not a good student.

I also vehemently disagree with all of the "wrap around services" provided by our public education dollars, at the expense of providing better a better education.

Yes, but people in those countries don't have an expectation of nearly-universal college education and many other pathways are available - the trades, apprenticeships and the like. And these pathways are free or nearly free - they are paid for out of the public purse because people pay much higher taxes - this is why college education is souch cheaper in Europe as well. Unfortunately most people in the US would never agree to this (and no, I don't mean to turn this thread into a political discussion, just stating a fact).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some of you are positive gleeful that smaller and more affordable (relatively speaking) colleges are having problems.

And it's super weird. Not to mention ugly.

+1 It’s shocking this thread went from being gleeful that some colleges might close to saying large groups of students shouldn’t go to college at all. Folks, other kids deserve college too. Get a grip.

College is not a right. If you didn't do the work in k-12, for whatever reason, you're not automatically entitled to a 4 year college. A GED and community college is an established path that can lead you to a bachelor's degree. Many people already choose that path.

Why not?

NP-How bout you tell everyone why it should be a right first.

Why is free K-12 a right?

DP here. I don't actually think it should, but that is beyond the scope of this post. In many European countries for example, HS ends after 10th grade if you are not a good student.

I also vehemently disagree with all of the "wrap around services" provided by our public education dollars, at the expense of providing better a better education.

Yes, but people in those countries don't have an expectation of nearly-universal college education and many other pathways are available - the trades, apprenticeships and the like. And these pathways are free or nearly free - they are paid for out of the public purse because people pay much higher taxes - this is why college education is souch cheaper in Europe as well. Unfortunately most people in the US would never agree to this (and no, I don't mean to turn this thread into a political discussion, just stating a fact).

* Ugh, "so much cheaper in Europe"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m not sure why some of you are offended by the idea of closing colleges like Va State. Nothing is preventing students from going there, if they want to. The point is that they very clearly don’t want to - and have many more options available to them. So why is the state pouring money into a school that is not attracting students?

+1. There isn’t a reader on this board would would send their kids to an HBCU agriculture school.

VT is also an agricultural school, so what’s wrong with VSU? Have you ever visited a HBCU?

What’s wrong with VSU is that they had 5,000 undergraduates in 2010 and have about 3800 today. The market is voting.

I visited VSU multiple times in high school. The same separation is happening with HBCUs as elsewhere. Howard, Spelman, Morehouse, and to a lesser extent Hampton are drawing the best students and leaving others behind.

Hampton in particular is siphoning off students from VSU. Hampton got $30m from McKenzie Scott and its endowment is approaching Howards.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m not sure why some of you are offended by the idea of closing colleges like Va State. Nothing is preventing students from going there, if they want to. The point is that they very clearly don’t want to - and have many more options available to them. So why is the state pouring money into a school that is not attracting students?

+1. There isn’t a reader on this board would would send their kids to an HBCU agriculture school.

Mine is heading to UMD-Eastern Shore. It’s our only in state option for Pro Flight. So yes, there is a reader on this board that is sending their kid to an HBCU agricultural school.

Obviously the MD system is much smaller than the Va system. Having different majors offered at the various school without a lot of overlap helps the smaller schools attract students.

[Anonymous]

I briefly considered Bowie State as an option for my lily white child.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m not sure why some of you are offended by the idea of closing colleges like Va State. Nothing is preventing students from going there, if they want to. The point is that they very clearly don’t want to - and have many more options available to them. So why is the state pouring money into a school that is not attracting students?

+1. There isn’t a reader on this board would would send their kids to an HBCU agriculture school.

VT is also an agricultural school, so what’s wrong with VSU? Have you ever visited a HBCU?

What’s wrong with VSU is that they had 5,000 undergraduates in 2010 and have about 3800 today. The market is voting.

I visited VSU multiple times in high school. The same separation is happening with HBCUs as elsewhere. Howard, Spelman, Morehouse, and to a lesser extent Hampton are drawing the best students and leaving others behind.

Hampton in particular is siphoning off students from VSU. Hampton got $30m from McKenzie Scott and its endowment is approaching Howards.

The market is reflecting 100+ years of underfunding.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m not sure why some of you are offended by the idea of closing colleges like Va State. Nothing is preventing students from going there, if they want to. The point is that they very clearly don’t want to - and have many more options available to them. So why is the state pouring money into a school that is not attracting students?

+1. There isn’t a reader on this board would would send their kids to an HBCU agriculture school.

VT is also an agricultural school, so what’s wrong with VSU? Have you ever visited a HBCU?

What’s wrong with VSU is that they had 5,000 undergraduates in 2010 and have about 3800 today. The market is voting.

I visited VSU multiple times in high school. The same separation is happening with HBCUs as elsewhere. Howard, Spelman, Morehouse, and to a lesser extent Hampton are drawing the best students and leaving others behind.

Hampton in particular is siphoning off students from VSU. Hampton got $30m from McKenzie Scott and its endowment is approaching Howards.

The market is reflecting 100+ years of underfunding.

BS

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m not sure why some of you are offended by the idea of closing colleges like Va State. Nothing is preventing students from going there, if they want to. The point is that they very clearly don’t want to - and have many more options available to them. So why is the state pouring money into a school that is not attracting students?

+1. There isn’t a reader on this board would would send their kids to an HBCU agriculture school.

VT is also an agricultural school, so what’s wrong with VSU? Have you ever visited a HBCU?

What’s wrong with VSU is that they had 5,000 undergraduates in 2010 and have about 3800 today. The market is voting.

I visited VSU multiple times in high school. The same separation is happening with HBCUs as elsewhere. Howard, Spelman, Morehouse, and to a lesser extent Hampton are drawing the best students and leaving others behind.

Hampton in particular is siphoning off students from VSU. Hampton got $30m from McKenzie Scott and its endowment is approaching Howards.

The market is reflecting 100+ years of underfunding.

BS

You’re surprised students don’t want to attend a college that hasn’t been given enough money to maintain the campus and buildings? Maybe if they had been given appropriate funding 100 years ago they could have attracted better students and faculty members over the decades. Funding matters, but the folks that underfunded HBCU’s knew what they were doing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It would be smart to fund two free years at community college, because that way more people could go into the trades as well as college.

I'm not sure most people will be able to afford four years at a rural university anymore.

No thanks. I’m not interested in paying more taxes to fund someone else’s college education. Nothing is “free.”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think it would be nice if VA made community college free like some other states. A tiny bit off topic, but really ... something to consider.

My child probably could have gone the community college route. We took a leap of faith and sent her to a 4 year school that caters to her specific needs and has the programs she wants. We luckily had that luxury. Many families do not.

Nothing is free, so, no thanks. I don’t really want to pay for your kid’s education through my tax dollars.

There’s a lot of things I don’t want to pay for with my taxes. Or I pay for but dont use. So that’s a dumb comment.

You’re “dumb,” as exposed by your lack of logical response. You made my point, we already pay for too much stuff we don’t want to pay for with our taxes. Providing a “free” education for adults is a ridiculous add on. Same with student loan forgiveness. No way.