College costs shocked me...

[Wolf359]

Originally Posted by WyrTwister
There is a saying that was told to me by a professor . Those that can , do . Those that can not do , teach . Those that can not teach , go into administration .

I paid off my college loan and did not insist Uncle Sugar bail me out . Far as I am concerned , everyone can do so , too . Or go on to be a first responder . Think they get some sort of brake ?


That saying has been around for a very long time. I heard that in high school. Those that can, do, those who can't, teach, those who can't teach, teach gym.

Didn't end up with much college loans when I graduated, got Pell grants though so that paid for a part of it also got loans and worked. In college I was lucky enough to get part time jobs. I had taught myself how to type and knew how to use a computer so I was making about 2x to 3x more than minimum wage and that also helped to pay the bill. That's probably hard for any student to do these days.

 

[SeaJay]

It was described to me by someone who had just paid his daughter's first full year's tuition bill:

"It is roughly equivalent to going to the dealer, purchasing a brand new $50,000 Mercedes and then driving it off of the cliff before the insurance policy becomes effective"

Have fun, Dads out there and enjoy. Lucky you!!!

 

[supton]

Sometimes I'm shocked that I muddled through somehow--took the grants when available, but borrowed about half of what it cost, graduated with $20k in debt and about $4k on my credit card. Think I paid it off in 10 years? plus two new cars and the wife's $20k of loans, and had kids during that time too. I guess engineering was a good gamble twenty five years ago. I suspect it still is, but not at today's cost.

I plan to push my kids into community college for at least gen ed credits, although I guess if they get a free ride someplace that'll be ok too. Working on teaching them how to look for the total cost and to plan ahead. And to start working on their career path already.

All I know is, I'm telling them now that I'm not paying--I goofed and bought new cars instead of saving money for them. My fault, I don't blame anyone but me. Coulda shoulda woulda done differently, had I known then what I know now. Maybe.

 

[Virtus_Probi]

Full tuition at my daughter's school is about $50k, but she got a reasonable scholarship and also saved some money by moving off campus as soon as she could...the school basically encourages this as they have a space crunch for on campus housing.
She is an athlete for her school and has training and practice the whole school year 'round (no matter what the NCAA rules for her division say) and is also up until the wee hours working on her school projects quite often, so we are OK with her not having an on campus job....she does work in the summers and that has been a good experience for her in many ways.
My wife and I started saving up for college when our daughter was born and she ended up being our only child, so we should be able to cover her through an MS without any trouble. I think it will be a worthwhile investment for her financially and as a person...she should be making at least close to 6 figures right off the bat and is also really emerging as a leader on the field and in the real world projects that are a huge part of her coursework.

I'm not sure what tuition was at my university as I was lucky enough to get a free ride for that...my memory is that room & board was ~$5k/year but I'm shaky on that figure. I also finished in 3 years due to AP credits and that obviously was a big help in limiting costs. Elected to pursue my MS later and was about halfway through doing one class a semester by VHS (!!!!) while working when a combination of a job change and my daughter's arrival knocked me off track...never got back on. Definitely hurts me now....

 

[atikovi]

Reminds me of a post in another forum where a wealthy family in India sends their son to America to attend school. Nearly 4 years later and just a few months from supposedly graduating, he is freaking out because his parents are making travel plans to attend graduation. But, it turns out he dropped out 2 years ago and blew the $200K his parents have sent him over the years on cars and partying.

 

[Ws6]

Originally Posted by JeffKeryk
CA just announced free 2 year Community College. A great investment.
Most of my college was paid for by my employers.

I am committed to helping my grand nieces with college, if they should choose to go.
It's important.


Screw that. It's not "free". It's paid for by hard working people. Taxpayer Funded.

 

[Andrew1972]

^^ Nice to hear a positive story on modern college. People a little extremist it is not worth it. It definitely is worth going to college as your lifetime wage on average is higher. I went from starting $35k to 6 figures within 4 years of graduation in the tech field and stayed there mostly except two really lean years (2003, 2008).

Just need to think about ROI of college choice, potential connections and major.

 

[Ws6]

Originally Posted by madRiver
^^ Nice to hear a positive story on modern college. People a little extremist it is not worth it. It definitely is worth going to college as your lifetime wage on average is higher.

Just need to think about ROI of college choice and major and not do the easy path of signing loans.


I make 6 figures, and my degree cost me around $10-12K or so. Not all degrees have that level of pay-off. IF your plan is not financially savvy...get over it. Get a real job. Make some money. Then pursue your basket weaving degree/passion/whatever, is what I tell people.

Thing is, people want free. They want to be paid to play games, do what they want, whatever. It's called work. They bribe you with money to do it. It's not GOING to always be "fun", or the bribe will be much lower to do it.

People amaze me. Not really, I know what people are. But still, lol!

 

[Andrew1972]

Originally Posted by Ws6
Originally Posted by JeffKeryk
CA just announced free 2 year Community College. A great investment.
Most of my college was paid for by my employers.

I am committed to helping my grand nieces with college, if they should choose to go.
It's important.


Screw that. It's not "free". It's paid for by hard working people. Taxpayer Funded.


I think it is a required extension of high school that is sorely missing and required now. We have plenty of (complex) manufacturing jobs locally to be filled however they require a two year degree and high school is not enough.

 

[Ws6]

Originally Posted by madRiver
Originally Posted by Ws6
Originally Posted by JeffKeryk
CA just announced free 2 year Community College. A great investment.
Most of my college was paid for by my employers.

I am committed to helping my grand nieces with college, if they should choose to go.
It's important.


Screw that. It's not "free". It's paid for by hard working people. Taxpayer Funded.


I think it is a required extension of high school that is sorely missing and required now. We have plenty of (complex) manufacturing jobs locally to be filled however they require a two year degree and high school is not enough.

Sounds good, let's just get someone to hold someone at gunpoint and take the money for it, then, yeah?

#TaxationIsTheft

 

[bubbadog]

You're right, college costs have far out-stripped mere inflation. Research into today's insane college costs show that many schools, public, as well as private, have built gleaming new student unions, rec centers, swimming pools, and dorms. Many college campuses appear to provide plush resort-style living compared to the spartan and somewhat dilapidated facilities I enjoyed at college in the late '70s. Someone has to pay for that. Of course, it doesn't help many college presidents are pulling salaries in the high six to seven figure range, have long lists of dean-level positions and there's a department of well-paid bureaucrats for every cause and purpose, trivial or not.

 

[JeffKeryk]

Originally Posted by Ws6
Originally Posted by JeffKeryk
CA just announced free 2 year Community College. A great investment.
Most of my college was paid for by my employers.

I am committed to helping my grand nieces with college, if they should choose to go.
It's important.


Screw that. It's not "free". It's paid for by hard working people. Taxpayer Funded.

I believe in low cost public education. Quality education.
We need nurses, construction workers, tech workers and so much more.
Investing in young people gives them a better chance to make a decent living, which only increases the tax base.
It offers everyone a chance for a better life.
Education is key. I believe in investing in people.

 

[Alfred_B]

Originally Posted by Ws6
[Sounds good, let's just get someone to hold someone at gunpoint and take the money for it, then, yeah?

#TaxationIsTheft

It's an investment in the future. Not very difficult to understand.

 

[JTK]

It sure is ZZman. The missus and I took our 12th grader to an open house at a local private college a month or two ago. My daughter wants to go to school for nursing. $28K/year to commute. $40K to dorm there. This is before FAFSA and anything else of course, but still.. Boy what a sales pitch they gave regardless. My kids will have to foot 100% of it given I've got 4 of them and one job. It worries me to death.

My 2yr AAS in mechanical engineering tech cost me about $12K back in 1991 and that was dorming and all. I had it paid off in no time. My subsequent employers paid for my bachelors years later.

I'm not against military or trade school for my 3 boys, but all I can do is be a dad. I've got 3 in high school this year and an 8yr/old.

Like said above State schools are all about $25K/year to dorm there. Insane. I couldn't imagine being 22yrs old and saddled with a $100-120K loan.

 

[Wolf359]

Originally Posted by Ws6
Sounds good, let's just get someone to hold someone at gunpoint and take the money for it, then, yeah?

#TaxationIsTheft

Yep, you got kindergarten and grades 1-12 paid by taxes. What's a few more years? In some countries it's "free", just like health care....

Oh and I don't know about you, but I've never seen or heard of anyone held at gunpoint and their money taken to pay their taxes. Taxes are already being paid now to pay for everything thru high school.

 

[Pew]

Originally Posted by JeffKeryk

I believe in low cost public education. Quality education.
We need nurses, construction workers, tech workers and so much more.
Investing in young people gives them a better chance to make a decent living, which only increases the tax base.
It offers everyone a chance for a better life.
Education is key. I believe in investing in people.


This. I have no problems investing in people as long as they make something good of themselves, society, and the future. We as humans should all understand that.

 

[JTK]

Originally Posted by supton
Sometimes I'm shocked that I muddled through somehow--took the grants when available, but borrowed about half of what it cost, graduated with $20k in debt and about $4k on my credit card. Think I paid it off in 10 years? plus two new cars and the wife's $20k of loans, and had kids during that time too. I guess engineering was a good gamble twenty five years ago. I suspect it still is, but not at today's cost.

I plan to push my kids into community college for at least gen ed credits, although I guess if they get a free ride someplace that'll be ok too. Working on teaching them how to look for the total cost and to plan ahead. And to start working on their career path already.

All I know is, I'm telling them now that I'm not paying--I goofed and bought new cars instead of saving money for them. My fault, I don't blame anyone but me. Coulda shoulda woulda done differently, had I known then what I know now. Maybe.


Supton, I'm very much in the same boat. I lucked out choosing a college in 1989 (Alfred State) and a curriculum that local employers scooped up.

My kids all know college costs are on them. Do they understand the gravity of it? No way. My wife and I have always tried to live within our means and don't do or own anything flashy. We made the choice early on that she be a stay at home mom. My miscalculation is having 4 kids. That in itself is financially crushing.

 

[JustN89]

In my opinion, there is too much of a push to get kids to go to college. A Bachelor's degree does not mean the same that it did 15 years ago, and any more today, a Master's degree is "preferred' in my line of work. Could I do it all over again, I'd skip going to college and learn a technical trade. HVAC, plumbing, diesel technicians, electricians, welders, etc. are all making excellent money in my area, with little entry cost, and the ability to get into the work force much faster than those pursuing higher education. Higher education is worthwhile if you're pursuing a STEM degree, but if you study anything else, it's a $50k (or so) gamble and be prepared to need to go back to school to get a Master's to maximize your marketability.

 

[Skippy722]

Originally Posted by madRiver
Originally Posted by Ws6
Originally Posted by JeffKeryk
CA just announced free 2 year Community College. A great investment.
Most of my college was paid for by my employers.

I am committed to helping my grand nieces with college, if they should choose to go.
It's important.


Screw that. It's not "free". It's paid for by hard working people. Taxpayer Funded.


I think it is a required extension of high school that is sorely missing and required now. We have plenty of (complex) manufacturing jobs locally to be filled however they require a two year degree and high school is not enough.


Apprenticeship>College

Can't beat on the job experience.

 

[Uregina09]

In the fall of 1996 my mom gave me a cheque for $2,700 to cover tuition for my first year (30 credit hours) at the University of Saskatchewan. My dad couldn't believe how expensive it was at the time, compared to the approximately $600/year or so he and my mom paid for tuition at the same university in the early 1970s. When I completed my degree four years later, I believe tuition was approximately $3,600/year (30 credit hours). Luckily for me, my parents paid my tuition and many living expenses, and I had a summer job with the provincial telephone company that paid approximately three times what my friends making minimum wage earned. I didn't realize at the time just how lucky I was. I do now, and my wife and I have been saving since our kids were born so they too will graduate from university debt free.

I started my Master's degree at the University of Regina in 2006. At the time, tuition was approximately $7,000/year for 30 credit hours. By the time I graduated in 2009, it had risen to approximately $20,000. Luckily my employer paid my tuition and all school-related expenses.

I just checked, and tuition for the same MBA is now $36,000. I was told that for Master's degree, particularly in business, people are wary of institutions that don't charge enough because the perceived value of the degree is lower when tuition isn't high enough.