This is pretty far from being a ringing endorsement of community colleges. If anything, it just reaffirms the complete lack of academic rigor they provide.
- He aced an English class by doing "nothing more than embellish the definition I had looked up in the dictionary."
- His recollection of public speaking class was a gorgeous flight attendant.
- He never ended up graduating with a bachelor's degree and pursued a career which depends more on good looks than academic or intellectual ability.
I just don't understand why I should be footing the bill for more substandard students to get easy As, ogle girls, and pursue unintellectual careers. There's already plenty of aid available for intellectually deserving students (read: capable of filling out the FAFSA form). Adding more will just drive up the cost to taxpayers and continue to lower the quality of a CC education.
> Acting like regular college students don't have classes that are super simple to game and pass
Oh, I know they exist. I just wouldn't write about them in the admissions brochure or an op-ed touting their supposed value.
> Saying life moments like dating/flirting aren't important (what exactly are students supposed to do between classes anyway!?!)
I suppose some people consider them important (I don't), but that doesn't mean the taxpayer should be footing the bill.
> Saying being an actor does not require intellectual or academic ability (hint: it does)
Maybe for better actors it requires some intellectual ability, but I'm unconvinced that most of Hanks's community college classes had any impact on his career.
> Has no idea what FAFSA is like or what it's like to navigate that mess
I'm in college right now, on financial aid. I'm well aware of the complexities of the FAFSA and probably filed one much more recently than you. But it's nowhere near challenging enough that a bright, motivated student would find it a hindrance.
> Pretending that they aren't already indirectly paying for people to "get easy As, ogle girls, and pursue unintellectual careers"
Oh, I know we are. I'd just prefer to not pay for more of it.
The point I'm making is that we expect people to continue living their lives while going to school, that doesn't change. Getting financial aid isn't a contract to live a strict monastic life nor should it be. Also, the fact that not every single person who gets aid goes on to use it for some optimal standard doesn't mean that it is a waste or that we as a society shouldn't do it.
> I'm in college right now, on financial aid. I'm well aware of the complexities of the FAFSA and probably filed one much more recently than you. But it's nowhere near challenging enough that a bright, motivated student would find it a hindrance.
It wasn't very long ago when I did FAFSA and I knew quite a few bright people who struggled with the process. FAFSA is not a perfect process and leaves a lot to be desired as I'm sure you are aware of.
> Maybe for better actors it requires some intellectual ability, but I'm unconvinced that most of Hanks's community college classes had any impact on his career.
This is an arbitrary thing to say, as clearly to Hanks some of the things he's recalling were significant to his life and his career. We don't get to make decisions for what is important to someone's development, that is up to individual people. There were many experiences that I've had that make me how am I today as a person and professional and I'm sure some folks may want to write that off.
I had a very good experience at community college, and it cost me $11/unit. When I transferred to a four-year school, the matriculation advisors told me I was probably better prepared for having done my lower division math at the community college.
The real kicker is that students filling out a FAFSA form are asking for substantially more money.
I agree, I had an excellent CC experience. I've written about it on HN several times. My mathematics courses in particular were better run, by professors far more passionate about their subject and teaching it, than any of the higher maths I took when I transferred to a university.
Of my college experiences, including my M.S. program, most of the professors I look back on as having really provided me with a quality education were from my CC years (though the best professor I ever had in any subject was at my uni).
- He aced an English class by doing "nothing more than embellish the definition I had looked up in the dictionary."
- His recollection of public speaking class was a gorgeous flight attendant.
- He never ended up graduating with a bachelor's degree and pursued a career which depends more on good looks than academic or intellectual ability.
I just don't understand why I should be footing the bill for more substandard students to get easy As, ogle girls, and pursue unintellectual careers. There's already plenty of aid available for intellectually deserving students (read: capable of filling out the FAFSA form). Adding more will just drive up the cost to taxpayers and continue to lower the quality of a CC education.