You should make a distinction between Masters and PhD. If you are in the PhD program you are paid a (small) stipend and tuition is waved. Masters students have to pay for themselves. There just isn't enough money to go around, and PhDs produce more 'prestige' for the faculty buck. There are the dishonorable types who start on Ph.D. then bail after a free masters but thats the exception.
There isn't a huge financial return on a PhD because of lost opportunity costs, but it isn't as dire a situation as you make it out. Undergrad loans can be deferred until you graduate.
If you're careful you can save about 5k a year (~$25k total) on the stipend to pay down the loans at the end. Being a poor grad student makes you appreciate money more imho.
Not all foreigners have scholarships, but if not they definitely will have the financial resources not to take out loans. Your point about dedicated study vs having to work is spot on.
Another point to make is that a lot of engineering companies these days will pay for their employees to get a masters given a promise they will stay x years with the company. That was my original plan until I was guaranteed PhD funding by my advisor.
You're argument isn't consistent. You say that corporations are hiring outside the US in China, India etc. and thats where the grad students are coming from. Think about that. If the grad students are coming to school in the US, why would they want to go back to a 5x lower wage job in India or China when they can get one in the US? The populations are mutually exclusive.
The best universities in the world are in the US. Until that changes, foreigners are going to continue to come to school here, and be employed here. You can't ship talent to a cheaper location, you have to go where the talent already is. How many cities have tried to become the next silicon valley? How many actually succeeded? Its harder building that environment than you think.
Outsourcing in itself hasn't scared away American students from technical jobs. They've just realized that they can make a ton of money in consulting, i-banking, and management track careers. Thats fine by me, career fair was last week and you wouldn't believe how many companies fawn over a Ph.D. with US citizenship.
Its more complicated than just 'training our competition'. Most of the grad students I know really want to get a job in the US and stay. Could they decide to leave after getting their degree? Of course, but if they don't, we've taken talent away from their country and made our workforce that much more attractive for businesses. Ultimately that is what makes our country strong. We constently infuse ourselves with the cream from other countries.
Do you think its better in the long run to let that talent remain where it is?
There was an article posted yesterday on cnet on a medical records system for the Veterans Affairs (VA) hospital system called Vista. It is free for distribution and installation may be payed for by Medicare to help small practices start up. Whether Microsoft intended or not, there will probably be a linkage between their OS and this software.
Yesterday there was an article on cnet on a medical records system called Vista that was created for the VA hospital system. It may be supported by Medicare for free distribution to small practices. Whether Microsoft itended or not, there will probably be a linkage between their OS and this medical software.
http://news.com.com/U.S.+to+offer+doctors+free+ele ctronic+records+system/2100-1022_3-5797866.html
t
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There have been 150-200mV microcontrollers (pdf) at the University of Michigan for some time now: http://wimserc.org/research_highlights/Submiminal_Processor_Research_Highlight.pdf Conference paper 3: http://vlsida.eecs.umich.edu/resource.php?grp=1 what is new is TI and MIT are involved in a commercial low voltage product. But thats still 5 years out. MIT is good at getting press.
You should make a distinction between Masters and PhD. If you are in the PhD program you are paid a (small) stipend and tuition is waved. Masters students have to pay for themselves. There just isn't enough money to go around, and PhDs produce more 'prestige' for the faculty buck. There are the dishonorable types who start on Ph.D. then bail after a free masters but thats the exception.
There isn't a huge financial return on a PhD because of lost opportunity costs, but it isn't as dire a situation as you make it out. Undergrad loans can be deferred until you graduate.
If you're careful you can save about 5k a year (~$25k total) on the stipend to pay down the loans at the end. Being a poor grad student makes you appreciate money more imho.
Not all foreigners have scholarships, but if not they definitely will have the financial resources not to take out loans. Your point about dedicated study vs having to work is spot on.
Another point to make is that a lot of engineering companies these days will pay for their employees to get a masters given a promise they will stay x years with the company. That was my original plan until I was guaranteed PhD funding by my advisor.
You're argument isn't consistent. You say that corporations are hiring outside the US in China, India etc. and thats where the grad students are coming from. Think about that. If the grad students are coming to school in the US, why would they want to go back to a 5x lower wage job in India or China when they can get one in the US? The populations are mutually exclusive. The best universities in the world are in the US. Until that changes, foreigners are going to continue to come to school here, and be employed here. You can't ship talent to a cheaper location, you have to go where the talent already is. How many cities have tried to become the next silicon valley? How many actually succeeded? Its harder building that environment than you think. Outsourcing in itself hasn't scared away American students from technical jobs. They've just realized that they can make a ton of money in consulting, i-banking, and management track careers. Thats fine by me, career fair was last week and you wouldn't believe how many companies fawn over a Ph.D. with US citizenship.
Its more complicated than just 'training our competition'. Most of the grad students I know really want to get a job in the US and stay. Could they decide to leave after getting their degree? Of course, but if they don't, we've taken talent away from their country and made our workforce that much more attractive for businesses. Ultimately that is what makes our country strong. We constently infuse ourselves with the cream from other countries.
Do you think its better in the long run to let that talent remain where it is?
There was an article posted yesterday on cnet on a medical records system for the Veterans Affairs (VA) hospital system called Vista. It is free for distribution and installation may be payed for by Medicare to help small practices start up. Whether Microsoft intended or not, there will probably be a linkage between their OS and this software.
e ctronic+records+system/2100-1022_3-5797866.html
http://news.com.com/U.S.+to+offer+doctors+free+el
t
Yesterday there was an article on cnet on a medical records system called Vista that was created for the VA hospital system. It may be supported by Medicare for free distribution to small practices. Whether Microsoft itended or not, there will probably be a linkage between their OS and this medical software. http://news.com.com/U.S.+to+offer+doctors+free+ele ctronic+records+system/2100-1022_3-5797866.html
t