Among Friends

[LTT1]

When our DD attended/graduated (10 years), she qualified for all kinds of governmental aid Pell Grants; state grants; these may not be available.

We carefully used 0% interest credit cards. Her grants/scholarships applied to anything billed by the University. (Dorm/meal plan/fees). (The first year she attended, DH was out of work)

Something thing we forgot to stress with her was that she must choose a field of study that would net a job when she graduated.

Neice (TCU) graduated with mounds of debt.

IMO, it is not right to "dangle the carrot" of a four year university degree and all of the trimmings, unless there is a high possibility of obtaining a job at graduation.

Our country needs tech and vocational workers. I think our schools should re-consider these fields along with business/accounting training for running a personal.

Not convinced that a broad liberal-arts degree is as useful as it once was.

[Lila Belle]

I hate to see this situation generalized and marginalized. Even with choosing a state  school and living at home the amount of debt can be staggering. Not every student uses the money for pizzas and trips but for books, fees and supplies !

Many professions require a master's and they don't come cheap. I have several friends who were frugal and paying out the equivalent of a mortgage or car payment every month. The cost of a one bedroom apt. is almost cost prohibitive.

I guess I'm tired of hearing those paying back loans being criticized for wanting to go to college to become nurses, teachers, engineers and the like. What do we want a country without qualified and knowledgable professionals ?

Even those who attend community colleges incur a huge debt in relation to what they will earn in the future.

[GSPgirl]

So what should change?  Should professors get paid less?  Should money that rich donors give to the football teams really be going to students?  Should it be free like it was for my first husband in England?  Should we all pay through our taxes, so that everyone gets to go to college?  Yes it's high, but it was high when I went.  My second husband and I came out with loans and credit card debt.  We worked hard the first couple of years to pay it off.  My issue is that there aren't enough jobs for the students graduating and students also feel they have to go to a top college to get a job and instead get into serious debt. My husband and I went to State colleges and we are doing great in our careers.  

[Lila Belle]

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@Q2girl wrote:

So what should change?  Should professors get paid less?  Should money that rich donors give to the football teams really be going to students?  Should it be free like it was for my first husband in England?  Should we all pay through our taxes, so that everyone gets to go to college?  Yes it's high, but it was high when I went.  My second husband and I came out with loans and credit card debt.  We worked hard the first couple of years to pay it off.  My issue is that there aren't enough jobs for the students graduating and students also feel they have to go to a top college to get a job and instead get into serious debt. My husband and I went to State colleges and we are doing great in our careers.  

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Not everyone is going to an "expensive" school. State schools cost about $15k+ /yr for tuition, fees, books and more.

Things have changed since our parents went to college.

[LTT1]

@Lila Belle

An idea: for instance, perhaps there could be loan forgiveness if a student works in a field (like nursing) if they have attended a community college for a pre-certification?  Just a thought....

We do need highly qualified individuals for many fields.  Individuals who can think and reason well.  Those who do well on the PSAT (National Merit scholars) are given a full scholarship for any 4 year university.  College credit is given in high school for taking AP courses.  

In Texas (I don't know about any other states) our state assessment is based on critical thinking and application of facts.  Even tho there is a lot about state assessment that I don't agree with, the test the students take present-day, is based on application of knowledge.  I do agree that application of knowledge and reasoning skills are required for many fields (most).  Some students' minds take longer to develop this ability.

[chrystaltree]

 Today's kids have to have a PLAN for the careers, they can't just wing it the way previous generations did.  A college education is an investment, so our children have to choose careers that will allow them to pay off that investment.  The days when have a college degree alone means something ended a very long time ago.  A kid who does not come from a well off family or who borrowed a significant amount of money does not have the luxury of just going to college for the fun of it.  They have to come out with a career, well paying career that has a future.  I feel so bad for all those business administration and liberal arts students who graduate and assume their degrees will give them a leg up in the working world.  They interview with people like me and that's the first time that they hear that, they can't do anything.  They have no skills.  And if they get hired, it will be a low level, entry level positions with little to no hope of advancement.  As parents, we have to do a better job at teaching our kids the reality of a college education.  It's an expensive luxury if they don't come out of college with a real career.     

[NoelSeven]

I worked my way through college and grad school, two jobs and a full 15-18 units a semester.

It can't be done that way anymore.  For various reasons.

It's common for young people to be coming out of universities with 50 to 150 thousand in student loans.

These young people are our future... doctors, scientists, teachers, nurses.

Darn right something has to change.  Education can't be just for those born with a silver spoon.

[BLH]

Student loan debt is good debt compared to credit card debt.  They say you should never borrow more and you're going to make during your first year of working.  I know students who don't need the money, but use the loan for spring break vacations, cars, nicer apartments, etc.  We paid for our two sons educations.  We worked and saved and lived off of my husband's income and used my income for college.  What I make in a year paid for a year of college.  For the ten years that we had kids in college we didn't go on vacation, didn't do any improvements to our home or spent any money needlessly.  My kids didn't have their own computers, cell phones or cars until they bought them themselves.  We ate "Hamburger Helper" without the hamburger so they could go to college.  HAHA.  Just kidding.  It was a stuggle, but well worth it.

[sashamatthews]

I believe that the tuition for a state school should be free to any student who is a legal resident of that state.  All other fees would be the responsibility of the student. I have a relative who went to a state school, apparently made a mistake when selecting courses and was one course shy when it came time to graduate.  Her mother didn't help her when it came to trying to find loans, grants, etc. - she was in the honors program - and at the end of four years she had no degree and a mountain of student loan debt.  Totally mishandled situation, but kids don't know money ... She is still paying that debt today. 

[CrazyDaisy]

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@NoelSeven wrote:

I worked my way through college and grad school, two jobs and a full 15-18 units a semester.

It can't be done that way anymore.  For various reasons.

It's common for young people to be coming out of universities with 50 to 150 thousand in student loans.

These young people are our future... doctors, scientists, teachers, nurses.

Darn right something has to change.  Education can't be just for those born with a silver spoon.

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It can and is being done, everyday.

Many young people are working their way through school, they find a way because they want it badly enough and do not want debt. It is called being responsible.

For those who feel the need to do something there are a great number of scholorship programs that provide assistance for those in need.  A much better alternative than another "freebe".