[beambot]

Exactly!

My labmates and I (all PhD students in robotics) read through that _entire_ article up until that statement. We work like mad as paid engineering grad students, covered by grants and industrial partnerships. Because we serve a useful role to the University and our collaborators / partners, our grad school is _earned_ sans debt. We get an education chocked full of useful skills; they get cheap labor for 4-6 years.

It is ridiculous to expect handouts and/or government subsidies for a degree with so few (obviously) practical skills.

On a related note, I'm disappointed with the NYT shock-and-awe tactics. The degree sought should have been in the first paragraph!