'It just boggles my mind' 4.0 GPA student at UT leaving school for the military due to housing cos

[Jilly_in_VA]

'It just boggles my mind' | 4.0 GPA student at UT leaving school for the military due to housing costs

Arabella Sarver grew up in East Tennessee, and so when she walked across the stage for her high school graduation, she dreamed of attending the University of Tennessee.

"It was the only place I applied to, got admitted. I was so ready for this," she said. "I never thought it would be this hard to get an education."

She said that after finishing her semester, she is leaving the school and enlisting in the U.S. Marine Corps. She said she wasn't picked in the university's raffle system for housing, and she couldn't afford the rent prices in Knoxville — if she could even find a place to live.

"First-generation, working class does not have thousands to fall back on," she said. "I have had many people reach out to me who want to go to UT and my number-one response to them has been, 'Don't go here.'"

Around ten years ago, UT received around 17,000 applications. That number climbed to around 49,000 applications this year. They called it their "most competitive pool" in UT history.

https://www.wbir.com/article/news/education/student-leaving-university-of-tennessee-due-to-housing-costs/51-dc5f1979-0b66-4101-9cf8-361db70f3a05

Read on. It gets worse. UT is going to have to be like Cal-Berkeley and take only the top, forcing the rest to go to state schools or community colleges and transfer in.

[SWBTATTReg]

1. Hmmm...a shame really, but I think that we've have/had this issues for some time. For example,

when I went to college, my folks wanted me to stay at home, it made sense, cheaper to live at home, folks were happy I was there, plus I was happier (most part) in finding jobs, etc. all in the community I was already comfortable with/in.

It's a shame perhaps re. the student leaving for the military (qualified w/ a maybe). Maybe the student wasn't able to afford the schooling on an ongoing basis, the school tuition itself and housing, etc.? Thus, the student chose this option willingly and eagerly.

College and associated housing, lodging, etc. have all gone up massively, pricewise, so any way that incoming students can address and handle these high schooling costs is to be applauded.

I only wish the best for such students. It can't be easy to look at these costs coming out of high school (and being a student looking at these ridiculous costs being new to the work force, a newbie too).

[Jilly_in_VA]

2. Did you read the whole article?

It's worse than the airlines overbooking. UT accepted way more students than they could house, then had a lottery for housing, including even freshmen, which is unheard of. My granddaughter got caught up in the lottery as a junior with a 3.59 and is currently out of school working 2 jobs so she can go back. My grandson is working construction to save up money so he can even go. And the school is demolishing 3 res halls to make way for a business school expansion, but new res halls won't be ready for 10 years. Poor planning much?

[CurtEastPoint]

4. Maybe brainiacs like Gov. DragHater and Sen Marsha Marsha Marsha can help. But seriously...

Poor planning is the GOP way.

[SheltieLover]

7. Yup

[Duppers]

11. That's mostly been true for decades.

And why old apartment complexes thrived.

[jimfields33]

3. When talking student debt relief, the topic never discussed is the price of college.

It’s frustrating to me that the topic is not front and center in these discussions. Congress definitely should get a handle on school costs. I still say it’s BS for Cornell to cost 67,000 thousand dollars a year. I’d make the president of the school come in and breakdown the costs and justify each dollar and if refused, no financial help for the school. Drastic? Yes. But I believe this is the biggest problem with student debt.

[Phoenix61]

8. College got significantly more expensive when federally

insured loans became easily available. I grew up in Gainesville, Florida home of UF. My Dad tracked the ration of non-teaching staff to teaching staff and watched the ratio explode as tuition got more and more expensive while financial aid got easier and easier to get. Needless to say, it truly pissed him off. The solution isn’t increasing aid it’s getting rid of the deadwood.

[Probatim]

9. It got more expensive when students could no longer default on student loans.

No reason to remain cost-effective when the money will be there.

[Phoenix61]

13. The college doesn't loan the money so whether or not

the loan is paid off has no impact on it.

[Probatim]

14. They don't - but they collect the money up front, not as it's being paid off.

[Phoenix61]

15. Yes they do. What does that have to do with your statement

that college got more expensive when students couldn’t default on loans?

[Probatim]

16. If you were getting paid at the start of a project and could charge whatever you want

knowing you'd get paid in full and didn't have to worry about quality, what would you do?

[Phoenix61]

17. What does that have to do with your statement that

college got more expensive when students couldn’t default. What your saying supports what I said that college tuition increased when loans became easy to get.

[Docreed2003]

5. This problem has been brewing for years at the Knoxville campus

Not enough housing compounded with the fact that housing within walking distance to campus has become outrageous. It's frustrating that the state has done essentially nothing to address this issue. A similar problem is ongoing here in Nashville with housing at TSU. The issue with TSU is made more difficult due to years of the state legislature ignoring the HBCU's upgrade and modernization needs.

[Tanuki]

6. What a damn shame! 😡

[Midnight Writer]

10. Joining the military is one way to pay for college.

You can get training in several fields through the military that can sometimes transfer to college credits.

Do your military time, take advantage of the training they offer, save money while living on base, then attend college as a (hopefully) more mature student.

Sure, it will take a few years, but less than a lifetime of paying off college loans.

And military service looks good on a job resume.

[Jilly_in_VA]

12. Which is fine

as long as we don't have some fool like Darth Cheney getting us involved in some war we don't need to be in.....