• The KillerFrogs

AGCS East Side Expansion Update - new website and revised renderings

cdsfrog

Active Member
I agree that TCU’s endowment is going to have to more then triple to get to the point where we can have need blind admissions. That’s why I’m cool with them increasing tuition prices to the maximum amount the market can bear without hurting our academics.

TCU’s infrastructure has been transformed by over a billion dollars of construction over the last 10-15 years. The results have been fantastic. Now we have to use this momentum to grow the endowment so TCU can sustain its upward trajectory. We use the momentum by charging more in tuition than merely covering costs, and we take the extra money and put it into growing the endowment. The only other way to grow the endowment is through donations, and there’s no reason we shouldn’t do both.

I think we agree on the basic problem with TCU (not enough endowment to cover all cost, which means we have to rely on tuition dollars to keep the doors open). So I don’t understand why you suggest tuition rates rising is a bad thing. It’s part of a long-term solution to the problem.

Because the endowment was 1.47 billion 51 months ago. Where is it now? Rising tuition to reach an endowment of 4.5 billion not including inflation would take 40+ years. So possibly in the future when Im dead it might help future middle class...maybe.

Plus it sucks for the demographics. Still will be SMU in a few years, not what I wanted to see. Oh well.
 
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cdsfrog

Active Member
Y’all act like kids only pay full tuition or get schollies. I bet there’s a good amount of kids with student loans going through TCU. That’s what is really leading to tuition increasing across the US, student loans are easily accessible and the departments at some schools should be renamed “Sales.” When an industry is essentially subsidized by the govt look at what happens, prices increase.

Stafford Loan maximums are 27k for all 4 years subsidized and un-subsidized). Current cost of TCU for a freshman for 4 years is 250k.

Interest rate of gradplus was so pathetic I had to go to a private lender to lower it from 8.5 to 5%.
 

LeagueCityFrog

Active Member
I hear you. Perhaps there is some remote chance that TCU has put themselves in a position to HAVE to increase tuition to service the debt from their massive construction projects over the last 10 years. Maybe.

But probably not. By all accounts, TCU has been very responsible borrowing to fund its construction projects. All athletic construction has been paid up front; we know that. So we’re only talking about the academic construction (which is admittedly extensive all on its own).

I think it’s more likely that TCU realized it has been leaving money on the table for decades.

If there are students that will pay more for TCU, then TCU should take the extra income and use it to spur long-term improvements (like capital projects and growing the endowment). Let’s use simple numbers to make the point: assume total operating expenses divided by total enrollment arrived at the conclusion that TCU must charge $10 per student in tuition to break even. Historically, they’ve charged $11 per student, and used the extra dollar per student to invest in projects that make TCU better. If the market can bear $20 per student, then I think TCU should charge $20 per student so they have more available money to make TCU better. Some people seem to be arguing they should charge $10 per student so more people have access.

The problem with that logic is that “$10” in the above example is actually much larger, and in real life that break even point is still way out of reach for low income families. So attempting to be the most moderately priced private school doesn’t help anyone; it doesn’t attract the top students without regard to their parents income, nor does it effectively position TCU for future success. It’s just a blah acceptance of the status quo.
By charging more today while we can, we can invest in a future for TCU where we have an endowment large enough to actually offer need-blind admissions. We aren’t there now.

Get out of here. Let's punish current TCU paying families now to add to the endowment so future "Blind need applicant" families can get the hook up because today's families are juicing up the TCU endowment until it hits a magical $3 billion. I'm sure there have to be some TCU administrative people either on this board reading or contributing and I hope they are thinking about what a really rich and really poor TCU will look like soon. See the state of the City of San Francisco for details. TCU needs to stay true to their roots, Texan and Middle America families that got them where they are.
 

smufrogger

Active Member
Some people here need to take a basic course on supply and demand. Doesn't matter what you personally will pay for, the market has spoken and enough people are willing to pay for TCU at its current and steadily increasing price. End of story
Mark my words- tcu’s bubblewill burst
 

cdsfrog

Active Member
Get out of here. Let's punish current TCU paying families now to add to the endowment so future "Blind need applicant" families can get the hook up because today's families are juicing up the TCU endowment until it hits a magical $3 billion. I'm sure there have to be some TCU administrative people either on this board reading or contributing and I hope they are thinking about what a really rich and really poor TCU will look like soon. See the state of the City of San Francisco for details. TCU needs to stay true to their roots, Texan and Middle America families that got them where
Get out of here. Let's punish current TCU paying families now to add to the endowment so future "Blind need applicant" families can get the hook up because today's families are juicing up the TCU endowment until it hits a magical $3 billion. I'm sure there have to be some TCU administrative people either on this board reading or contributing and I hope they are thinking about what a really rich and really poor TCU will look like soon. See the state of the City of San Francisco for details. TCU needs to stay true to their roots, Texan and Middle America families that got them where they are.

TCU when I graduated in 03 had a total cost annually of $21.6k per year. 15 years laters it's now $60,700.
 

cheese83

Full Member
Stafford Loan maximums are 27k for all 4 years subsidized and un-subsidized). Current cost of TCU for a freshman for 4 years is 250k.

Interest rate of gradplus was so pathetic I had to go to a private lender to lower it from 8.5 to 5%.

Sallie Mae/Navient is basically a govt funded institution.
 

rifram09

Active Member
Were you mad about your son not getting accepted when you posted this or do you just generally harbor ill will toward TCU in general?

Ya. Hard to reconcile that post with the fact that he’s pissed his child was waitlisted.

SMUfrogger— If TCU is merely experiencing a bubble, meaning it is going to decline in reputation in the future, why are you wanting to send your child there in the first place? Especially over other places, like UT or Aggy, that you claim are currently superior?
 

TCUdirtbag

Active Member
Looks like they're still working on selling club seats. I got this ad on a news website I visited today:

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Curious about how many they have left. These weren't exactly swept up overnight. The prices are quite steep.
 

smufrogger

Active Member
Ya. Hard to reconcile that post with the fact that he’s pissed his child was waitlisted.

SMUfrogger— If TCU is merely experiencing a bubble, meaning it is going to decline in reputation in the future, why are you wanting to send your child there in the first place? Especially over other places, like UT or Aggy, that you claim are currently superior?

I don't believe I am the only person who has dared to suggest that the pricing of upper education is in a bubble...albeit a very long standing bubble- but while a lot of the top tier schools have insulated themselves well for a day of reckoning with large endowments, most schools have not. I am by no means well schooled in where TCU ranks in endowments, but I know its no where near what the top academic schools are at.
As for rankings and reputation- I don't claim them as superior- that is done by all other entities which by most all accounts, rank UT and Aggy higher...I don't like that any more than any other frog alum should, but I also don't believe I should live in my own fantasy world. I don't argue with Longhorns or Aggies who claim their business school, or Engineering schools are academically superior.
To your question- Am I wanting to send my child "there"? Ideally I (as I assume most parents do) want him to go to the school of HIS choice...but reality is often the schools choose who they want , and the ability of one paying the costs narrows such a choice even further than what they may want..
TCU has great facilities, and has much smaller class sizes than most other universities, but where they fall short is on academic reputation on the formerly mentioned Universities, and on value for the degree.
And as also previously mentioned by others- I'm disappointed to see that TCU's endowment hasn't grown all the much in the past few years. My own 401k has far exceeded the growth rate of TCU's endowment.. why TCU can't invest their endowment for better gains is puzzling.
In summary, all I can do is state the facts. (okay- I'll concede the bubble theory is only based upon opinion) - yet you are free to choose not to like them, but that doesn't make them invalid.
 

flyfishingfrog

Active Member
I don't believe I am the only person who has dared to suggest that the pricing of upper education is in a bubble...albeit a very long standing bubble- but while a lot of the top tier schools have insulated themselves well for a day of reckoning with large endowments, most schools have not. I am by no means well schooled in where TCU ranks in endowments, but I know its no where near what the top academic schools are at.
As for rankings and reputation- I don't claim them as superior- that is done by all other entities which by most all accounts, rank UT and Aggy higher...I don't like that any more than any other frog alum should, but I also don't believe I should live in my own fantasy world. I don't argue with Longhorns or Aggies who claim their business school, or Engineering schools are academically superior.
To your question- Am I wanting to send my child "there"? Ideally I (as I assume most parents do) want him to go to the school of HIS choice...but reality is often the schools choose who they want , and the ability of one paying the costs narrows such a choice even further than what they may want..
TCU has great facilities, and has much smaller class sizes than most other universities, but where they fall short is on academic reputation on the formerly mentioned Universities, and on value for the degree.
And as also previously mentioned by others- I'm disappointed to see that TCU's endowment hasn't grown all the much in the past few years. My own 401k has far exceeded the growth rate of TCU's endowment.. why TCU can't invest their endowment for better gains is puzzling.
In summary, all I can do is state the facts. (okay- I'll concede the bubble theory is only based upon opinion) - yet you are free to choose not to like them, but that doesn't make them invalid.
Here is a hint...you might want to just stop.

You have a bone to pick and we all get it...you didn't research what it took to get your child in to TCU before you applied and now you and him/her are paying the price but you have other good options - so get over it.

But again - if you are going to continue to talk about crap you have no idea about...like the return rate of the endowment investment for example, you might want to actually know the facts before you continue.

If we all got the same level of average return our endowment has gotten in the last 10 years, there wouldn't be so much complaining about the cost of TCU. Expenditures to support our great campus upgrades have to also be taken into account - but just keep spouting off crap you know nothing about.

Congrats to your kid for getting in to UT and A&M, if they are a high performer like you said then they should be able to handle the 200+ classroom size until they get to 300-level classes without a problem and have a great time because its college and that alone is fun. and they will have lots of other alumni to bang rings with...
 

smufrogger

Active Member
Again, my response was to "where less kids are applying", not to this "2) the highest level of applicants ever."

I never stated tuition is a problem, those are your words. I stated it could be a factor in a decrease of applications based on your first statement. I get it, applications are at an all time high, but that wasn't your post. And all you had to do was clarify, minus being a supreme [ Orgeron ].
I hear this "highest level of applicants ever", repeated over and over again at many universities....does that make more students wanting a particular school?
I applied to one school - TCU, was accepted early, and was done applying.
Fast forward to my sons- they are applying to 4-6 schools. My nephew and niece applied to ten or more schools.
Highest level of applicants is a great marketing statement by most universities, but they realize that in fact most of their applicants are throwing applications in where its less than 20% likely they will attend.
Bottom line, as long as TCU can fill their freshman class with a minimum level of financial aid, they succeeded in pricing their tuition for supply/demand. What's left to argue is whether TCU could be academically even stronger if they gave more aid/lowered the net price to attend. I believe they could, and should- but to do so requires a larger endowment. TCU realizes it, but its not their top concern right now. .
 

smufrogger

Active Member
Here is a hint...you might want to just stop.

You have a bone to pick and we all get it...you didn't research what it took to get your child in to TCU before you applied and now you and him/her are paying the price but you have other good options - so get over it.

But again - if you are going to continue to talk about crap you have no idea about...like the return rate of the endowment investment for example, you might want to actually know the facts before you continue.

If we all got the same level of average return our endowment has gotten in the last 10 years, there wouldn't be so much complaining about the cost of TCU. Expenditures to support our great campus upgrades have to also be taken into account - but just keep spouting off crap you know nothing about.

Congrats to your kid for getting in to UT and A&M, if they are a high performer like you said then they should be able to handle the 200+ classroom size until they get to 300-level classes without a problem and have a great time because its college and that alone is fun. and they will have lots of other alumni to bang rings with...

wow, okay mr flyfishingfrog- sorry, you gave me a "hint" , but instead I'm taking your bait- - instead of spewing your own crap and deriding me and my post- how about you fill me in - correct me where I am wrong.. I admitted I wasn't up on the facts- .what are the facts of TCU's return on endowment over the last five and ten years?

you state I didn't research what it took to get your child into TCU??? [ What the heck? ] do you know about me?? Please state facts... The only thing I was unsure of was what if any scholarship money he could possibly earn by applying to TCU.. Fill me in fly- how do you know what you will get in your aid package, up until you submit all your paperwork when applying to TCU, or any other school? Actually, Baylor has a pretty good scholarship estimator right on their website, but I dont' see one for TCU??

"If we all got the same level of average return our endowment has gotten in the last 10 years, there wouldn't be so much complaining about the cost of TCU. Expenditures to support our great campus upgrades have to also be taken into account - but just keep spouting off crap you know nothing about."

Besides your other inane comments, help me understand this paragraph of yours I have quoted above. If my 401k has grown more than TCUs endowment, you are saying we can't complain about the cost of TCU- or the lack of endowment to support greater scholarships, and more blind need admissions criteria?

If I could offer my own suggestion to you- please, maybe less derogatory spewing and judgment of others, and more of providing facts??
 

flyfishingfrog

Active Member
wow, okay mr flyfishingfrog- sorry, you gave me a "hint" , but instead I'm taking your bait- - instead of spewing your own crap and deriding me and my post- how about you fill me in - correct me where I am wrong.. I admitted I wasn't up on the facts- .what are the facts of TCU's return on endowment over the last five and ten years?

you state I didn't research what it took to get your child into TCU??? [ What the heck? ] do you know about me?? Please state facts... The only thing I was unsure of was what if any scholarship money he could possibly earn by applying to TCU.. Fill me in fly- how do you know what you will get in your aid package, up until you submit all your paperwork when applying to TCU, or any other school? Actually, Baylor has a pretty good scholarship estimator right on their website, but I dont' see one for TCU??

"If we all got the same level of average return our endowment has gotten in the last 10 years, there wouldn't be so much complaining about the cost of TCU. Expenditures to support our great campus upgrades have to also be taken into account - but just keep spouting off crap you know nothing about."

Besides your other inane comments, help me understand this paragraph of yours I have quoted above. If my 401k has grown more than TCUs endowment, you are saying we can't complain about the cost of TCU- or the lack of endowment to support greater scholarships, and more blind need admissions criteria?

If I could offer my own suggestion to you- please, maybe less derogatory spewing and judgment of others, and more of providing facts??
Ok fine - give it one more shot

Avg annual return is into double digits over the last 10 years

However we also have spent a lot of money - you might notice all those new buildings and stuff...did you assume others that think TCU is worth it paid for it all directly through additional donations? Some of the money was stored in endowment funds in preparation for the construction and thus we have spent a large portion of the return on capital. We don’t borrow it all like Baylor and I am actually amazed it didn’t go down.

Doubt you are using your 401k for capital projects or to fund your expenses- which is what endowments do

If you had called admission and talked to them before the early decision deadline you would have been told the deal based on previous years and the scores you mentioned your kid had a high chance of acceptance based on numbers and potential range of academic aid- you don’t have to file paperwork to have a discussion nor do you have to wait for a letter in the mail to talk after you apply

Would have also learned that based on last years if you didn’t pick early decision you stood a high chance of being waitlisted and the academic based aid will be gone - all this has been true and known for a few years

You could even go talk before final waitlist is cleared and get a quicker decision - but if you wait chances are the academic aid will be gone

Curious if you have called admissions at UT or A&M to talk about the chances of your kid getting accepted to the business school as a freshman or what it will take to be accepted as a junior?
 
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smufrogger

Active Member
Ok fine - give it one more shot

Avg annual return is into double digits over the last 10 years

However we also have spent a lot of money - you might notice all those new buildings and stuff...did you assume others that think TCU is worth it paid for it all directly through additional donations? Some of the money was stored in endowment funds in preparation for the construction and thus we have spent a large portion of the return on capital. We don’t borrow it all like Baylor and I am actually amazed it didn’t go down.

Doubt you are using your 401k for capital projects or to fund your expenses- which is what endowments do

If you had called admission and talked to them before the early decision deadline you would have been told the deal based on previous years and the scores you mentioned your kid had a high chance of acceptance based on numbers and potential range of academic aid- you don’t have to file paperwork to have a discussion nor do you have to wait for a letter in the mail to talk after you apply

Would have also learned that based on last years if you didn’t pick early decision you stood a high chance of being waitlisted and the academic based aid will be gone - all this has been true and known for a few years

You could even go talk before final waitlist is cleared and get a quicker decision - but if you wait chances are the academic aid will be gone

Curious if you have called admissions at UT or A&M to talk about the chances of your kid getting accepted to the business school as a freshman or what it will take to be accepted as a junior?
So basically you responded with a vague figure. Double digits? Me thinks you don’t know citing that.
Have I called the admissions people? No, not directly but I’ve talked to the counselors and spoken to other parents. I’ve spoken to representatives at the school Fairs but they never want to provide much guidance.
All the more reason I shared my own facts- and believe it or not I did that not wanting to be lambasted by fellow frogs but more as an FYI to those that may have their kids applying in the next few years.
To the one point you mention that is rationale and without added condemnation - I also share to fellow parents of high schoolers- that they should apply early.
 

flyfishingfrog

Active Member
So basically you responded with a vague figure. Double digits? Me thinks you don’t know citing that.
Have I called the admissions people? No, not directly but I’ve talked to the counselors and spoken to other parents. I’ve spoken to representatives at the school Fairs but they never want to provide much guidance.
All the more reason I shared my own facts- and believe it or not I did that not wanting to be lambasted by fellow frogs but more as an FYI to those that may have their kids applying in the next few years.
To the one point you mention that is rationale and without added condemnation - I also share to fellow parents of high schoolers- that they should apply early.
If I recall it’s 12% but I didn’t write it down

It was enough that everyone on the committee asked if we could get them to manage our personal investments when they showed the results

Funny that you didn’t want to be lambasted but you have gone out of your way to question the objectives, judgment and even integrity to some extent of TCU administrators and admissions even when the facts don’t support your perspective
 
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