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Michael Bloomberg Donates Record $1.8 Billion To Johns Hopkins University; Donation Will Be Devoted Exclusively To Undergraduate Financial Aid (go.com)

Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg is giving $1.8 billion to Johns Hopkins University. The gift is believed to be the largest ever to an academic institution. The money is earmarked for scholarships and grants for undergraduate students from low and middle-income families, Mr. Bloomberg, 76, said through a press release. The gift will enable Johns Hopkins to become one of just a handful of need-blind schools -- meaning students will be considered for admission regardless of their ability to pay. Currently, 44% of Johns Hopkins students graduate with some form of debt averaging $24,000. From a report: As a direct result of the endowment, Johns Hopkins will be able to permanently commit to "need-blind admissions," which will admit the highest-achieving students from all backgrounds, regardless of their ability to pay, according to the university. In addition, the Baltimore-based school will be able to offer no-loan financial aid packages, reduce contributions for families who qualify for financial aid, provide "comprehensive student support," and increase the enrollment of Pell grant eligible students, which will "build a more socioeconomically diverse student body," Johns Hopkins said in a statement. In an op-ed published in The New York Times, Bloomberg wrote: America is at its best when we reward people based on the quality of their work, not the size of their pocketbook. Denying students entry to a college based on their ability to pay undermines equal opportunity. It perpetuates intergenerational poverty. And it strikes at the heart of the American dream: the idea that every person, from every community, has the chance to rise based on merit.

I was lucky: My father was a bookkeeper who never made more than $6,000 a year. But I was able to afford Johns Hopkins University through a National Defense student loan, and by holding down a job on campus. My Hopkins diploma opened up doors that otherwise would have been closed, and allowed me to live the American dream. I have always been grateful for that opportunity. I gave my first donation to Hopkins the year after I graduated: $5. It was all I could afford. Since then, I've given the school $1.5 billion to support research, teaching and financial aid.

19 of 134 comments (clear)

  1. USA your education system is broken by johnjones · · Score: 3, Interesting

    if you cant admit students regardless of their ability to pay otherwise known as NORMAL

    1. Re:USA your education system is broken by PopeRatzo · · Score: 4, Informative

      Sorry, we're not interested in socialism.

      The data suggests otherwise.

      --
      You are welcome on my lawn.
    2. Re:USA your education system is broken by alvinrod · · Score: 3, Informative

      You're welcome to go work for the college at a reduced rate so that they can lower their costs. I'm guessing that whatever company you work for admits or maintains customers on the basis of their ability to pay.

      The line from the summary indicating that "Currently, 44% of Johns Hopkins students graduate with some form of debt averaging $24,000" which assuming that it's saying the other 56% graduate with no debt at all, would suggest that students who attend that college graduate with significantly less debt on average than students at most other universities.

      If the U.S. education system is broken it is precisely because it will gladly loan anyone money to go to college regardless of their likelihood of being successful there, the ability for their degree to allow them to earn a living or pay back their loan, or any other sensible metric. Given the surprising number of college students who cannot even pass the high-school level math courses necessary to take college algebra, I suspect that these loans are being given to people who have no real understanding of compound interest or who have given any thoughts as to how their degree might enable a career. It is morally reprehensible to shackle young people with a debt that they cannot discharge through bankruptcy.

    3. Re: USA your education system is broken by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Except you have socialism? How ignorant are you?

      Also itâ(TM)s implemented so poorly that you spend way more than other nations for way less.

    4. Re:USA your education system is broken by NicknameUnavailable · · Score: 2

      If college loans were handled like anything else, where there was a possibility of default, then...

      If that were the case you'd have to include the degree (and probably a means of having them blacklisted from relevant industries) with the bankruptcy because recent college grads are poor and have no incentive to not file bankruptcy. They could easily just take out loans, get their diploma, file bankruptcy, and start their career, so they all would.

    5. Re:USA your education system is broken by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

      I don't mind rich guys making a show out of doing a big donation, or engaging in feel good rich man's hobbies. It beats them using their money to buy political favors or spread misinformation that furthers their goals. Better Bloomberg and Gates than Soros.

      How about the Koch brothers? They buy political favors and spread misinformation, but you're all "meh, don't care."

      Ohhhhh, I get it. The Kochs aren't jewish. And they're on the "right" side.

      Soros is one millimeter to the left of center – politically – and he's jewish, so that makes him a bad guy when he donates to Dem candidates.

      And you don't care who Bloomberg and Gates donate to because they're not donating to Dems. Or Republicans, but mostly that they're not donating to Dems.

      Just callin' it like I see it.

    6. Re:USA your education system is broken by JaredOfEuropa · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Why I mentioned Soros? The guy bet against the UK Pound, then dumped assloads of that currency to get it to tank... he made about a billion dollars in that little stunt. Enough for me to question his motives when he meddles in EU politics. The Kochs are probably as bad (perhaps worse) but they get plenty of negative press (in mainstream publications, not just crackpot blogs), and there's plenty of commentary on what they are doing. In contrast, everybody seems to love Soros. EU politicians decry the US practice of rich people buying political influence, but they'd kill for a lunch date with Soros. He does have lunch with the top EU dogs... behind closed doors, and who knows what is being discussed there. I can well understand why Hungary wants to curb his influence in that country and shut down his education and "free press" initiatives. And no, the guy being Jewish has fuck all to do with all that. Nor the fact that he's left leaning. I don't trust his motives, but he is not the only one with suspect motives or undue influence. What scares me about him is that there's zero pushback against his influence from the people who are usually very critical about whom they associate with.

      Also, as a European, I care very little about Dems and Reps and who donates to them.

      --
      If construction was anything like programming, an incorrectly fitted lock would bring down the entire building...
    7. Re:USA your education system is broken by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Sorry, we're not interested in socialism.

      The data suggests otherwise.

      Haven't you socialists killed enough people? Nearly 100 million just in the last century. How many failures does it take before you "get it right"?

      Its astounding to me that despite all the evidence of the amazing success of capitalism that people can still stand there stubbornly insisting they deserve other peoples money. Every single one of your arguments crumble to dust the second anyone asks, "How do you intend to pay for it?"

      Name the "people" who have been killed by socialism? Now there's an argument that crumbles to dust.

      Just for you and you alone: we're going to take away the highway system, airports, fire departments, schools, paved streets, police departments, etc., etc., etc. Somehow we manage to pay for those things – for the common good – with everyone's money.

      Oh wait, you actually want those things? I guess it's okay in your book when they're the things you want. But when they're things you don't want, then you drag out your <<<socialism>>> boogeyman.

      We've had socialism for a long time. You just don't want to see it.

    8. Re: USA your education system is broken by FuzzyDaddy2 · · Score: 2

      We just want free college and single payer health care. But damn it, no socialism! https://www.reuters.com/invest.... (Scroll to end)

    9. Re:USA your education system is broken by mrvan · · Score: 2

      If the U.S. education system is broken it is precisely because it will gladly loan anyone money to go to college regardless of their likelihood of being successful there, the ability for their degree to allow them to earn a living or pay back their loan, or any other sensible metric.

      As a corollary, tuition has gone up to a level that is nonsensical for the purposes of education. In the Netherlands the real cost of university is about 10k euro per year (of which the taxpayer pays about 80%), depending on study programme (bachelors are cheaper than masters because of scale; medicine is more expensive than history; etc). Now, the global top-10 universiteit are not in the Netherlands, but a number of Dutch universities are in the top-100.

      10k a year is something you can save for, or even something you can earn on the side if you are OK with working hard. 60k a year for 3-4 years is not something you can save for as a young person, and not something you can earn waiting tables next to your study. So (unless you have a rich parent) your choices as loans or financial aid.

      Of course, what you are paying for is exclusivity, brand name recognition, and an elite network. These might be worth those kinds of sums, especially if you have dreams of grandeur; but if your ambition is a happy middle class life I think going into 6 figure debt is not going to be worth it.

  2. Obvious next step? by K.+S.+Kyosuke · · Score: 3, Insightful

    The school will now probably start charging higher tuition fees.

    --
    Ezekiel 23:20
  3. That's nice and all by rsilvergun · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Now how about we restore the lost federal and state funding that was cut by this country's right wing politicians (from both parties, Yes, I'm calling out the Clinton Democrats here too)?

    I like my schools to be independent, not begging for scraps from billionaires.

    --
    Hi! I make Firefox Plug-ins. Check 'em out @ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/youtube-mp3-podcaster/
    1. Re:That's nice and all by alvinrod · · Score: 2

      If the colleges would cut the useless administrative bloat (see The Changing of the Guard: The Political Economy of Administrative Bloat in American Higher Education) that they've acquired, I suspect that government funding could even be decreased further. Tax payers are uninterested in funding the expensive adult daycare that college has become for a large number of students.

      If the government would get out of the student loan business, this problem would likely become self-correcting.

  4. Well I guess we now know who won... by 3seas · · Score: 2

    ...the 1.6 billion $ lottery

  5. In usa just about any one can get a student loan by Joe_Dragon · · Score: 2

    In usa just about any one can get a student loan even at schools like trump-u

  6. Re:Need-blind admissions by bug_hunter · · Score: 2

    Do we need admissions to be that blind?

    What about somebody who gets 90% on their tests but their parents fund them and pay for a private tutor vs
    A person who gets 80% on their tests but also works two jobs to cover living expenses and fees?

    --
    It's turtles all the way down.
  7. The left figured that out ages ago by rsilvergun · · Score: 3, Informative

    Clinton Democrats OTOH did not.

    Folks keep mixing up the right wing of the Democratic party with the left. They are not.

    For example, Nancy Pelosi is not a member of the left. The actual left is currently trying to oust her from her speakership, and they tried to primary her but she had so much cash she buried her primary challenger.

    Listen to Bernie. To Liz Warren. To Ro Khanna. They're the left, and they're trying to unite the working class for better pay, universal, guaranteed as a right healthcare, clean air and water and worker's rights.

    You're right about the Clinton Democrats though. They behave like the GOP 90% of the time, so the only thing they've got to run on is phony social issues. Like the actual GOP all they've got is identity politics and fat sacks of cash from their donors. Don't fall for it. There's a real left, and they're the party of the working class.

    --
    Hi! I make Firefox Plug-ins. Check 'em out @ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/youtube-mp3-podcaster/
  8. Donations as Fuel by SaBumNim · · Score: 2

    What stops Johns Hopkins from raising their tuition on incoming students by the interest on the endowment (or more)? This would leave students exactly where they were, which the market has proven it would bear. After all, they have to maintain their competitive position...

  9. Re:True but he's giving up that much cash by alvinrod · · Score: 2, Informative

    The article you linked to makes a terrible mistake in that it looks at funding per student instead of the overall cost. I'd suggest this article in the NY Times which does a good job of explaining the flaws in the reasoning in the article you've presented. I'd link to other articles, but you have a tendency of dismissing the source without bothering to read it so you get the Times, which if you could successfully dismiss as "right wing" would constitute such an amazing display of mental gymnastics that even the fucking Russian judge would have to give you a 10.