Hacker News new | ask | show | jobs
by throwawaysocks 3638 days ago
> In many thousands of cases, you are also wrong about buying the degree: research grants to universities fund those students' tuition and stipends, in exchange for good work.

I think your parent was primarily referring to masters programs, not phd programs.

FWIW I am pro-immigration in general, but I do worry about expensive diploma mill masters programs becoming a way for wealthy immigrants to buy preferential treatment. It's a legitimate concern with any "masters == green card" scheme.

That said, anyone who opposes such a scheme for Ph.D. students or for highly quality masters programs is insane.
2 comments
davidw 3638 days ago
> FWIW I am pro-immigration in general, but I do worry about expensive diploma mill masters programs becoming a way for wealthy immigrants to buy preferential treatment. It's a legitimate concern with any "masters == green card" scheme.

Of course the answer to that is probably to open things up more in general, so you're not creating these perverse incentives and special channels, but it's difficult to do that. People get incensed because they worked so hard to be born in the US and consequently don't think others should have the same opportunities.

http://johnhcochrane.blogspot.com/2014/06/the-optimal-number...

link
jordanb 3638 days ago
Because we have such a serious of shortage of people with PHDs?

https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-B9Hv9N6bi1w/V2WBuW96arI/AAAAAAAAE...

link
throwawaysocks 3638 days ago
No, because as a nation we are actively investing in each funded Ph.D. we train.

If we have too many PhD's then we should decrease the number of PhD's the federal government funds. But as my original parent observed, paying hundreds of thousands to train someone just to kick them out of the country is silly.

(Also, I think downward pressure on PhD salaries has very little to do with over-supply, but that's for another article.)

link