Heath Einstein, Associate Director of College Counseling at The Hockaday School
Earlier this week the National Basketball Association’s player’s union rejected the NBA’s latest proposal in the ongoing negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement. Opting not to acquiesce to Commissioner David Stern’s ultimatum, the union plans to decertify—in a legal maneuver that ultimately worked in the recent National Football League labor dispute—and file anti-trust lawsuits in federal court. The NBA lockout has already become more protracted than the NFL confrontation and this week players missed their first paycheck of the season, harshly reminding them of what this work stoppage is about. The average player missed out on their first installment of $220,000, according to CNBC. That’s right—the average player earns that figure on a monthly basis. Kobe Bryant, star guard for the Los Angeles Lakers, lost $1.1 million.
*****
According to an October 26th College Board report, the cost of attending college continues to far outstrip inflation, continuing a decades-long trend. Private non-profit colleges increased tuition and fees by 4.5%. Perhaps even more alarming, public colleges increased tuition and fees by 8.3% for in-state students and 5.7% for out-of-state students. Federal financial aid dollars no longer cover the bulk of expenses and students are left to fend for themselves, seeking riskier private loans to make ends meet. Over the thirty-year period 1978-2008, the increasing cost of college was roughly three times the cost of living inflation. To put this in perspective, consider how much time our nation has debated overhauling our unwieldy health care system. President Obama and Congressional leaders negotiated ad nauseam in order to arrive at so-called “Obamacare,” a controversial program that is currently winding through the courts. And the rate at which college costs outpace inflation dwarfs the rate at which medical costs relate to inflation.
*****
NBA players and owners bicker over how to equitably distribute billions of dollars; at the same time, the bubble created by the way in which we finance education is bursting, causing a bottoming out which will further widen the gap between those who can and those who cannot afford college. An increasing percentage of our population is comprised of non-traditional students: lower income, first generation, minority, etc. These young men and women, most of whom strive for greatness, are being priced out from meaningfully contributing to society. The fabric of our culture is slowly fraying at the seams and the basketball overlords are quibbling over pennies on the dollar. Something is wrong with this picture.
*****
Last night I had the good pleasure of attending a reception for Fred Lawrence, the recently inaugurated president of Brandeis University. President Lawrence shared his thoughts about the value of the Brandeis education, the perfect blend between the close connections found at liberal arts colleges and the pre-professional experiences offered at research universities. When asked what makes his college special, President Lawrence described Brandeis as a school whose essence cannot be captured in enrollment numbers or pictures in brochures. Rather, Brandeis is a sense of spirit, energy, and camaraderie. It is a mission-driven institution concerned for the welfare of all. In a most eloquent expression, “Brandeis is about the music, not the lyrics.”
*****
Against a backdrop of highly-paid athletes confronting billionaire owners, college costs continuing to spiral out of control, and factions of society starting to question the value of higher education, students are wise to pay little heed to the lyrics that drive up those costs, and focus squarely on the music which provides value for that investment. Scores of colleges provide ample opportunity to listen to the soothing sounds of their music at affordable prices. The life of a college can be found in those cascading harmonic notes.
