6/28/11

It's Criminal: The College-Educated Poor

Several short, first-person accounts of young adults who are, unfortunately, starting their married and/or working lives with a mountain of college debt.

I'm guessing that most of these folks, who chose to live beyond their means, probably didn't receive wise counsel from their elders. In fact, they were probably told that an expensive college degree would net them a financially-secure job which would help them pay off their debt.

But most of these sob stories also cause me to shake my head. Like the fella who won't marry his girlfriend because he can't afford a "decent" engagement ring. Or the gal who also has credit card debt and also elected to attend a pricey school.

I will never understand why those who don't have the means to do so, won't humbly bow their necks, go to their local, very affordable community college ... at least for the first two years of their undergraduate experience.

I do appreciate the honest accounts, though. Perhaps they will act as a deterrent to others eager to sign their souls away to receive a (taxpayer-subsidized) Perkins, Stafford, or PLUS loan.

Sidebar: Rep. Josh Cockroft, a homeschool grad who serves in the OK legislature, criticizes tuition hikes at the Sooner State's colleges. “It saddens me that the individual who recommended these significant tuition increases has no idea of the hardships ordinary Oklahomans are facing,” Cockroft said. “Chancellor (Glen) Johnson makes almost $400,000 a year.” Johnson, the Machiavellian-style bureaucrat who championed the hikes, is head of the Oklahoma State System of Higher Education and the son of a congressman. Talk about connected and out-of-touch. You, go, Josh!

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

"I feel like I spent my loans on a future that I simply did not receive. "

25 years ago, I decided not to go to law school (a good law school) because I didn't want to borrow the money. And then finding that a BA wasn't enough -- but worse than nothing as I was both over and underqualified for everything but minimum wage/part time retail, I started collecting grad degrees, working my way through them. Each time I was told that this degree will get you a job, and each time I was lied to, it is all a fraud.

For a white male without connections, affirmative retribution means that I needn't even bother apply for jobs.

I may bother to complete my Doctorate, may not -- either way, it really is nothing but random letters to add to my name. Otherwise useless.

I am a very angry white male, and there are a lot of us out there...

.... I am not really proud to be an American anymore .....

TCC said...

Sorry to hear that, Anonymous. I hope that even if you've given up on your country you haven't given up on God or the Prince of Peace. Blessings, TCC.