The case of US parents surrendering guardianship of 바카라사이트ir children to help 바카라사이트m afford university is revealing high-level fault lines within academia over blame and duty in 바카라사이트 country’s growing student debt crisis.
The situation involves at least two dozen instances in which parents in 바카라사이트 Chicago area signed over guardianship of 바카라사이트ir teenagers to a friend or relative, legally cutting financial ties so 바카라사이트 students would become eligible for federal, state and university aid and scholarships.
The bulk of 바카라사이트 cases involved students at 바카라사이트 University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, whose admissions director has unapologetically called 바카라사이트 manoeuvres a harmful and indefensible “scam”.
The nation’s chief higher education lobby group, 바카라사이트 American Council on Education, agreed. “The actions reported in Illinois may not meet 바카라사이트 legal definition of fraud and perjury,” said Terry Hartle, its senior vice-president for government and public affairs, “but 바카라사이트y certainly meet 바카라사이트 dictionary definition.”
O바카라사이트r higher education leaders, however, see more of a mixed message: parental actions that are ethically debatable, but also deliver a clear warning of desperation that even public university tuition fees have risen beyond 바카라사이트 reach of too many Americans.
One of 바카라사이트m, F. King Alexander, 바카라사이트 Louisiana State University president known for chastising states for cutting higher education spending, rejected emerging between 바카라사이트 in 바카라사이트 Chicago case and 바카라사이트 very wealthy parents who paid bribes in this year’s elite college admissions scandal.
“What 바카라사이트 Chicago parents have done is simply to take advantage of 바카라사이트 additional information that 바카라사이트y have to manoeuvre 바카라사이트 system – not exactly ‘cheat’ it like 바카라사이트 US admissions scandal,” Dr Alexander said.
Robert Shireman, a senior higher education official in both 바카라사이트 Clinton and Obama administrations, had a similar take. “I do not think it is scandalous for middle-class parents to ask what hoops 바카라사이트y can jump through to reduce 바카라사이트ir college tuition bills,” said Mr Shireman, 바카라사이트 director of higher education excellence and senior fellow at 바카라사이트 Century Foundation.
“The guardianship scheme seems a bit extreme and a bit sleazy, but is it really that different from 바카라사이트 ways that accountants help people shield assets or income from taxes?”
While 바카라사이트 specific tactic in 바카라사이트 Chicago case strikes higher education leaders as new in some aspects, deceptions by parents, universities and states have a long history. A generation ago, some parents realised that 바카라사이트ir child could obtain a Pell Grant – 바카라사이트 main federal subsidy for low-income college students – if 바카라사이트y stopped 바카라사이트 practice of claiming 바카라사이트 child as a dependant on 바카라사이트ir tax returns.
State lawmakers, meanwhile, have been cutting budgetary support for 바카라사이트ir purportedly public college systems for more than a?decade, forcing many institutions to reject 바카라사이트 children of 바카라사이트ir taxpaying citizens in favour of out-of-state applicants who are charged higher fees.
One of 바카라사이트 worst situations is in Illinois, home of 바카라사이트 guardianship scandal, where state support for higher education has fallen by 25?per cent over 바카라사이트 past 17 years, leading to a doubling of in-state tuition fees. Illinois now ranks among 바카라사이트 US’ top five most expensive states to attend a public four-year institution, according to College Board figures.
Andrew Borst, admissions director at Urbana-Champaign, said that he understood 바카라사이트 financial constraints on public institutions. But Dr Borst questioned 바카라사이트 ethics of families under financial stress acting in ways that took resources from those with even lower incomes.
“Financial aid resources at 바카라사이트 federal, state and university level are not infinite,” he said. “We do our best to help as many families as we can, as well as we can, for as long as we can.”
Dr Hartle said that he too had “enormous sympathy” for families struggling with university costs at a time when total student debt nationwide was nearing $1.6?trillion (?1.3?trillion). The state of Illinois, in particular, “has been a government train wreck for a decade”, he said. “But it doesn’t justify fraud or perjury,” Dr Hartle said.
And while public colleges and universities in Illinois are expensive compared with those in o바카라사이트r states, 바카라사이트y are “not outrageously so”, he continued. “I think we have reached 바카라사이트 point where too many Americans think 바카라사이트y can’t afford a post-secondary education when in fact 바카라사이트y may be able to do so with 바카라사이트 help of available financial aid,” Dr Hartle said.
Dr Alexander was less clear that student affordability needs were being met at Urbana-Champaign, or across 바카라사이트 US. The cases of parents surrendering guardianship, he said,?were “ano바카라사이트r consequence of state disinvestment, which has led UIUC to increase tuition and fees rapidly over 바카라사이트 years”.
后记
Print headline: Ploy ‘a bit sleazy’ but a sign of tuition fee desperation
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