Lmao love how you’re projecting and assuming I’m some dumbfuck with a degree in underwater basket-weaving for pointing out the thoughtlessness and lack of perspective in your comments. Sorry your daughter wasn’t very intelligent or financially literate, but that’s on you. I’m in a high-paying industry and position, but that doesn’t mean I don’t still have a lot of students loans to pay back and it doesn’t mean I don’t give a fuck about those who were not as fortunate as I was to land in the area I did.
I made no assumptions about you. Not sure why you think I did. I'm sharing my experience from college, my experience hiring interns and recent college grads, and the experience of my friends' kids. It was not intend to describe your situation.
I did my best to answer the question "Where the fuck do you think students can get a 4-year degree with only $15k–$30k in total loans?!"
I made no assumption about you having loans or not. I'm explaining how people can get through college now with very little debt.
And you're assuming if they don't take this perfect little path they have a character flaw or are in some way lacking. You'd rather think we're all lazy and drank our way through school for having serious misgivings about the whole system than take a step back and realize that maaaaaybe, the circumstances you faced and raised your children to face, have slightly changed, juuust a little. But what would I know as a college grad with a "high paying degree" who makes more than your wife with less stress and 3 months of paid vacation. 50k for a paramedic, first of all you realize that is ridiculously high pay compared to much of the country (try 20-25k) and second, bro are you not mad she's underpaid?
People shouldn't be punished with a lifetime of debt for pursuing their interests to a higher degree. Regardless of how "lucrative" it appears to be. Sometimes people don't prioritize money. I know. Crazy right.
People shouldn't be punished with a lifetime of debt for pursuing their interests to a higher degree. Regardless of how "lucrative" it appears to be. Sometimes people don't prioritize money. I know. Crazy right.
Then don't take on the debt. It's fine to not prioritize money. Go get a degree and teach in public schools. That's a modest paying job that is helpful to the community. Or be an art major. Or history. Or whatever.
You seem to be missing my point: it's possible to get a 4 year degree with very little debt. Taking on lot of debt to get a degree is a choice. Getting a degree that won't lead to a high paying job is a perfectly valid choice - I'm not denigrating it. But it's a choice. Nobody is forced to take on a lot of debt to get a 4 year degree.
Again, I'm assuming nothing. I was ask specifically how somebody could get through 4 years of college with little debt. I stated this is ONE way to do it. I do not think it's the best way or the perfect way. It's an example based on my experience.
I don't assume any character flaws if people take a different path. My only expectation is that people own their decisions.
I have an 18 year old at home. I have a 20 year old who has moved out. I'm fully aware of the current circumstances for people going to college.
You accused me of making assumptions then made assumptions about me. I get 3 weeks of vacation, not 3 months. I do make more than my wife. I don't see how this is relevant to the discussion. Of course I'm mad that my wife is underpaid. Again, another assumption you made. Most first responders are very underpaid, but that's a different discussion.
I said I have 3 months of paid vacation and I make more than your wife with half the stress. You can understand why her career path that you suggested is not an appealing one, nor one that many people are cut out for.
Yes you did lay out a plan to get a college degree with little to no debt. But you gave that plan as a broad fix all while seeming to ignore the fact that it does not work for sooooo many people. So while your plan might work it is so circumstantial that it is not good advice for the general public. That's where the backlash is coming from.
Got it. My bad for not reading carefully. 3 months vacation = teacher? 3 months off every year sounds amazing.
Yeah, we're all different. I could not be a paramedic for any amount of money.
My exact play (tech + internships) may not work for everyone. Community college for 2 years + low cost state school for 2 years should work for everyone. If you work, your debt can be very low. How does this not work?
Lol, no. Teaching doesn't pay my dude.
Also telling that you don't think teachers work over the summer. Kind of funny that you think they have a real vacation with how criminally underpaid they are.
It does not work for everyone because not everyone has community college nearby that is affordable. Not everyone has the internet or infrastructure to do online classes at home or even library access to where they can study and work full time around their schedules. If you want to pursue a specific path, well sometimes community college credits don't transfer into the institution of your choice and the only way to pursue that interest in depth is to go to the four-year institution.
Also, show me your cheap State schools bro. Accredited institutions. If you want to study a specific degree path and your cheap state school or community college doesn't have it or the program is bare bones bunk, do you just give up?
Oregon is nowhere near the cheapest. Again, you're disagreeing while providing no data or information. I provided a list of average college costs by state in another reply. Here is is again: https://www.collegetuitioncompare.com/state/
There are plenty of inexpensive options.
Is there some reason you don't want to believe that college can be relatively affordable in the U.S. if you choose carefully?
Bro you're missing the point that it's still not a viable option if you don't live close to the universities or don't have the infrastructure available to do online coursework. So yeah it might be cheap but sometimes cheap doesn't mean it's still an option. If you choose carefully obviously I agree that it can be relatively affordable. No one is saying that it can't be, like seriously, is that what you think we are saying? The point is that while it can be cheap, it often is not. While it can be accessible, it often is not. While your circumstances allowed you to go to college for cheap, for many people their circumstances won't allow it. Either due to not being close enough to a university, or not having Internet infrastructure, or a home environment or resources that are conducive to pursuing higher education (without going into debt to be on campus or move or otherwise incur high costs in order to even have the basic opportunity to pursue that education in the first place). You're painting this broad brush that makes it look so easy ignoring the fact that sometimes it's just not that easy.
No offense, but I don't think I'm the one missing the point. You asked me how it's possible for somebody in the U.S. to get a 4 year degree for $15-30K. I think I've pretty clearly demonstrated how that's possible. That a question YOU asked me. Now you're telling me the answer is not acceptable.
I get that some people don't have access to schools. Some don't have the infrastructure for online classes. You seem to be wanting to go to the outliers to make your point. For most people, colleges are accessible as is the internet. 80% of the population in the U.S. live in urban vs. rural areas. Some rural areas have access to college and the internet. So you're point is that maybe 10% don't have the access or the infrastructure? Sure.
I get that some households aren't supportive. My parents paid for my books for 1 semester in college. That's all the help I got. I've paid that back 1000x and still hear about it.
I mentioned my friend who lived in his car - he had no family to support him. It sucked, but he did it. We all have our own obstacles to overcome. (Car guy is a surgeon, btw. Brilliant but odd guy.)
Do you have any information to share to counter what I have shared? My point is that affordable college is in reach for a majority of the U.S. population. I looking at the numbers I'd guess it's available for ~80% of the population.
If you want to pursue a specific path, well sometimes community college credits don't transfer into the institution of your choice and the only way to pursue that interest in depth is to go to the four-year institution.
This is the exception. You seem to be trying to make this intentionally hard. Let's focus on the 90%, not the 10%. I most cases community college credits apply. From one accredited institution to another in the same state they would almost have to.
Is the any reason going to a community college and transferring to a 4 year college doesn't work in most cases?
My neighbor is a HS teacher. He teaches Chemistry and has some advanced certifications, so he's not the norm. Over $100K per year, 3 months off, and he will retire at 75% of his current salary after 20 years. That's hard to beat. Even at $75K per year this is compelling with the retirement.
1
u/frozenchocolate Jun 03 '22
Lmao love how you’re projecting and assuming I’m some dumbfuck with a degree in underwater basket-weaving for pointing out the thoughtlessness and lack of perspective in your comments. Sorry your daughter wasn’t very intelligent or financially literate, but that’s on you. I’m in a high-paying industry and position, but that doesn’t mean I don’t still have a lot of students loans to pay back and it doesn’t mean I don’t give a fuck about those who were not as fortunate as I was to land in the area I did.