They are closing colleges now.

[Rotsne]

Not that it matters for my kids. Higher education is out of reach due to our social situation.

But here in Denmark they are closing colleges now. They can not fill them. The one our town (Holbaek) would close down within a year. The main reason is not the economical situation, but the fact that modern studies demands more privacy than a college life can provide. It started back around 2002-4, where most of the smaller apartments were bought by parents of new students. It became the new approach to a life during the study. The price level were marked by the larger demand from well-paying parents. If you want a kid to attend higher education, you have to own a house you can second-mortage or your kids have ride a train for hours every day.

'Spoiled' co-eds shunning dorm life (link to article)

I have read that community colleges are the chosen path these days in the States where money is few among the families. How do they function?

 

[ThreeShadows]

I'm confused. Are they only closing down the dormitories or the entire college?

In the US, community colleges are much more affordable than private colleges. Students don't graduate with enormous debt to pay back.
When my husband was in medical school in the 1970's his tuition was very inexpensive. Now young doctors graduate with enormous debt, in the $100,00's!

Here is an article: http://www.campusgrotto.com/most-expensive-colleges-for-2008-2009.html

I'm so glad you are posting about what is happening in your country. We really are a global community.

 

[Rotsne]

It is the dorms, they are closing. I should have been more specific about that. That leaves us who are not living in an area near these schools two options:

1) Buy an apartment with a loan in our house.
2) Help our kids to choose another line of business. We have chosen the this option.

Our newspaper Kampus.nu had a larger number of articles about that. Sadly our society is not as peaceful as before. A huge number of foreign students in our univerisities have forced our education system to adjust our introtrips for the new students so they are less focused on team-building and socializing. For many foreign students our way of socializing is too fierce for them and due to lack of money to upheld a proper education system, youth in many countries in Europe are forced to travel to Denmark in order to get an education at all. Take Sweden and Norway. It is almost as we are educating employees for their entire health care system.

But because they are not allowed to socialize with their peers as they used to the student tend to isolate themselves. They wont have people close to them outside the studies. The dorms have generally been empty the last 5-7 years. The universities have tried to increase the standard of their friday bars in order to keep the students on campus and bond, but that have only resulted in protests from the local club environment, which have complained about unfair competition.

I found this article in English about how the intro-days was before.

http://www.cphpost.dk/get/90297.html

 

[Hound dog]

Wow. That's awful.

Community colleges here are affordable for just about everyone. Even those with low income down into the poverty level can attend. There are grants and FASFA loans to cover the costs.

Take me for example. husband and I are riding just below the poverty line for our size family. But I'm still able to attend community college and get a degree. I have a grant and 2 FASFA loans. One loan has no interest, the other does. (but that second one is much smaller) Nichole, who counts as her own household although she still lives at home because she has a child, is poverty level. Her income is zero. So she has 2 grants and FASFA and will have to pay very little back when she is finished with her degree.

The cost of living on campus for a 4 year college is still high. That's why Nichole's boyfriend lives at home and drives the 1.5 hours there and back each day. But it depends on which college as to the price. I don't know much about 4 year colleges.

 

[BusynMember]

Roste, lots of us can't afford four year colleges. My older daughter is going to a two year college (they are more popular than ever--the community colleges are very VERY popular). Even for that, she has to take out a loan. My youngest will likely go to our community college two for a two year degree. College is NOT affordable for everyone here.
I love hearing about Denmark...lol. I'm very interested in other cultures