Foo - College is too expensive.

Well, maybe not, but it feels like it.

Part of my complaint is due to my own self. I've gone through 5.5 years of school, only have about 2.5 years worth of credits in any particular program area, and still don't have my degree. I'm in way too much student loan debt.

I fear, to get a degree, would incur more debt than I could comfortably pay off.

I'm sorry, I'm just emo cause I'm not a big fan of my job.

P.S., The Colorado School of Mines owes me $250 and the Cashier's office won't cut me a check because of some bureaucratic crap about my ID number no longer being valid...

Now you know why it's called the School of Mines and not Yours.

Tell me about it. My daughter is in vet school at Purdue. We know EXPENSIVE.

You think?

Now you know why it's called the School of Mines and not Yours.
I wouldn't care if it was called the Colorado School of Mimes... I want my damn money!

College is too expensive...

Ain't that the truth

Part of my complaint is due to my own self. I've gone through 5.5 years of school, only have about 2.5 years worth of credits in any particular program area, and still don't have my degree. I'm in way too much student loan debt.

Is part of that due to the community college transfer credit black hole or jumping majors or what? No offense, but I see a lot of people dig fairly deep holes by jumping into an education with no idea what they want to achieve by it. Not surprisingly, a lot of them spend most of their time drunk and drop out...

Regardless, the cost of university education has been rising at around 2-3 times the inflation rate for quite a few years now. Some commentators have made a pretty good case for an upcoming "college bubble" that leaves a lot of graduates unable to payoff their loans and causes a major shakeup of the college financing market. Minor compared to the housing bubble, but it will still be a mess.

At my own alma mater, when asked each year about the typical 5-6% tuition increases, the answer was always "this is in line with the cost increases at comparable schools across the nation." Never mind that the question was why the cost increased, not how the cost increase compared. Their only saving grace in my opinion was the generous merit and need-based aid packages.

Anyways. Good luck with your education.

It's just plain indefensible. Shame that new direct loan program didn't kick in about 7 years ago. My daughter has a mountain of debt from college.

Community college, not so expensive. University, hella expensive.

Is part of that due to the community college transfer credit black hole or jumping majors or what? No offense, but I see a lot of people dig fairly deep holes by jumping into an education with no idea what they want to achieve by it. Not surprisingly, a lot of them spend most of their time drunk and drop out...
No offense taken.

Its due to jumping majors and taking too many elective courses that don't really count for anything (and failing completely during one semester).

I realize I dug the hole I'm in.

I ended up transferring schools after three years because my financial aid was pulled. I'm working on an appeal to get my financial aid back, but I really don't know if I can afford it, even with financial aid.

Are you to old for the service?

P.S., The Colorado School of Mines owes me $250 and the Cashier's office won't cut me a check because of some bureaucratic crap about my ID number no longer being valid...

The local newspaper and a couple of TV stations here have a "community issues" forum where locals can go for help on matters such as this. Do you have anything like that in your area? Sometimes the local medial get excited about things like this if they are having a slow news day.

Yes, a college education is expensive. And depending on what you want to do, it may or may not be required.

Having said that, I took a year off from attending university immediately following high school. Instead, I worked. I figured out that I wanted to major in engineering (civil) or architecture. I enrolled in a community college, got some (most) of my general ed classes done and researched where I wanted to go to school. Something local in the area. Socal in general and Los Angeles in particular had what I was looking for. I ended up going to a local private university. The architecture program is based on the design studios as well as structures classes. There was no way to transfer in and get it done in less than four years, a typical accredited B. Arch degree is five years. For some reason, I had to take five years, though, if I argued it, I could have compressed it down to four. My fifth year, I was a 3/4 time student, having taken all I could save my thesis studios and some electives (photography).

Let me tell you, it was just as expensive to go to my alma mater as it would have been to go to USC. Half of my tuition was from grants and scholarships, and I borrowed the balance of it - not my parents. I repaid it back on the 10 year plan and let me tell you, I was happy to finally get it done and over with. It took me almost as long to get my license (overtaken by life).

My wife is an R.N. in a local NICU. She has her associated degree in nursing (again from community college) - it still took her four years to get the associate degree, two years to get into the program and two years in the program, then passed her boards (first time!) and was something that always bothered her. Ten plus years later and she went back to school for her BSN (she graduates in several weeks, woo hoo!).

Yes, a college education is expensive. What you get out of an education is usually more than you put into it, from my experience. It can open many doors for you that may otherwise be closed. There was a saying that I heard from a few of my university friends: "C's and D's get degrees." While it may be true, what you do with the opportunity to learn is more important than a piece of expensive paper.

Good luck with your endeavors which ever way you choose, make the most of it and you will succeed.

If I went back to School of Mines, provided they are willing to give me back my financial aid, I have 62 credits left for my desired degree... That would take me two years at full time to complete...

... I figured out that I wanted to major in engineering (civil) or architecture....

You survived the five year hazing program. They really should just be more honest with prospective students up front.

You survived the five year hazing program. They really should just be more honest with prospective students up front.

I agree, the sleep deprivation is akin to institutional hazing. I remember there was a big debate back in the early to mid 90s when a student had fallen asleep at the wheel after sleep deprivation to finish a project and died as a result of injuries. After graduating from school, I had a friend who did that very thing, fell asleep at the wheel and crashed. She too succumbed to her injuries.

Now you know why it's called the School of Mines and not Yours.

:lol:

It's just plain indefensible. Shame that new direct loan program didn't kick in about 7 years ago. My daughter has a mountain of debt from college.

That "new direct loan program" is not a new program - it's the same direct loan program that has been around for a decade, which is the same program as the Federal Stafford Loan program. The federal government just got up one day and decided that they could do a better job than the banks & guarantee agencies, and any saved money could prop up the Pell Grant program.

Look out for the new direct loan program improvements:

Instead of looking at the school's certification of in school status on the US Department of Education web site, students MUST send paper deferment forms!!

Instead of obtaining customer service, students can deal with the federal government.

Hello, we're the federal government, and we're here to help you..... by having you do the most possible paperwork to accomplish something already done on line.

The local newspaper and a couple of TV stations here have a "community issues" forum where locals can go for help on matters such as this. Do you have anything like that in your area? Sometimes the local medial get excited about things like this if they are having a slow news day.


Sometimes... when you flunk out of school... the college feels they really ought to return excess funds to a student's LENDER? Before you start a stink, read the school's policy. If you are no longer in school, you may have to formally, in writing, request the funds, otherwise many schools will return aid to the originaing programs.

When I finished my MA, counting the loans I'd taken out for it and my BA, I owed 9K. I also attended public universities (UNI and Iowa) so that helped with the cost. Yes, college can be very expensive, but one of the reasons it is is due to the fact people will PAY the tuition rather than raise hell about it. Too many schools have duplicative programs and facilities that do nothing to educate the students but otherwise gold plate the campus. Also, look at the enormous growth in admin personnel in the upper parts of universities the past 20 years... I think university ought to be more like a co-op - EVERYONE associated with the university should teach, not 'administer'.

It SO aggravates me to see young people with not only huge amounts of student loan debt, but alternative loan debt on top of that.... but, each and every one of them admit to having had a great time at school! Used to be people took out loans to pay for tuition/fees/room/board only, and worked & saved to cover other expenses. Now, students just borrow, and nobody is actively discouraging them. They might have had wonderful spring breaks, might have the neatest laptops & ipods, upgraded their vehicles.... but they'll be 40 before they pay it all off! I know students whose effective incomes during school attendance was near $30,000 - and we are not talking about married/with kids students - talking single students.

Colleges are somewhat at fault, because, in addition to tuition & fees, they are factoring in very generous amounts for activities. The cost of attendance at a school is tuition, fees, estimated books, room, board, travel, personal expense, miscellaneous expense. So, a state school where tuition & fees total $4000 for the year, Room & board at a dorm (room & meal plan) $6000, tosses in anywhere from $6000 to $8000 for all those "other costs" and allows the student to borrow it. I wish schools would restrict freshman borrowing to direct costs - leave the fuzzy costs for part time jobs - and maybe even bar other-than-direct-cost borrowing until a student declares a major.

HTFU and finish dude. Don't get $$ shy. Education is priceless.

What is emo?

http://orkutluv.com/images/girls-emo-haircut.jpg

http://lizilla.files.wordpress.com/2009/06/emo.jpg

http://condemnedtorocknroll.files.wordpress.com/2010/01/emo.jpg

EMO:


Genre of softcore punk music that integrates unenthusiastic melodramatic 17 year olds who dont smile, high pitched overwrought lyrics and inaudible guitar rifts with tight wool sweaters, tighter jeans, itchy scarfs (even in the summer), ripped chucks with favorite bands signature, black square rimmed glasses, and ebony greasy unwashed hair that is required to cover at least 3/5 ths of the face at an angle.

What is emo?
Emotional. Depressed. Like, I wanna sit in a dark corner and cry while cutting myself.

You survived the five year hazing program. They really should just be more honest with prospective students up front.


I didn't survive. Got 4 out of 5 years done in Architecture. Thank god they hand out a BArts (Arch major) after 3 years. Drop out rate after then is huge. The process is pretty soul destroying.

if i have to pay for college im going.

Over here in quebec it's really affordable it's like 200$ per session' (books not included though)
but those are public colleges, The university cost is much higher compared to it. Yet it still really better than in the U.S.A. But the government might shift the cost like crazy in the next few years...

Emotional. Depressed. Like, I wanna sit in a dark corner and cry while cutting myself.

Hey, you don't need to spend lots of money on hair gel and fashionable ill-fitting clothes and play punk music to do that.

What is emo?

UA before he found Joy in his life.

I'm exploring my options... I want to finish my civil engineering degree that I started at the School of Mines... However, tuition for the 2009-2010 year was $10,546 for full time after the state stipend (which I'm running out of)... they're looking at a 6-8% increase for 2010-2011... this is a public school and in-state tuition...

Fracking ridiculous.

and i am JUST thinking of going to college.

what's the old quote? "if you think education is expensive, try ignorance."

An education is an investment. HTFU.

Over here in quebec it's really affordable it's like 200$ per session' (books not included though)
but those are public colleges, The university cost is much higher compared to it. Yet it still really better than in the U.S.A. But the government might shift the cost like crazy in the next few years...

And better than the rest of Canada.

An education is an investment. HTFU.

Correct

Apparently, I only have 17 credit hours left of my COF stipend... Silliest program ever.

OP, the BEST way to get free tuition is to get "a"s in your classes; if you are going to continue, PLEASE settle down into a major you will stick with, and get it over with - seek out Federal Work Study instead of loans, and spend some time reviewing institional scholarships - you might find one you qualify for.

I'm exploring my options... I want to finish my civil engineering degree that I started at the School of Mines... However, tuition for the 2009-2010 year was $10,546 for full time after the state stipend (which I'm running out of)... they're looking at a 6-8% increase for 2010-2011... this is a public school and in-state tuition...

Fracking ridiculous.

I hear you. Tuition is much more than it used to be. It's easy for people who got their degrees years ago to say that college students are just living the high life, but it's not true anymore. Those loans are going to pay tuition these days.

I recently finished a master's degree to the tune of $10,000 for tuition. It was only 30 credit hours and they accepted 9 hours from another institution. So, 21 credit hours for $10,000, or roughly $1400 for each class. That was a bargain by today's standards. My guess is that it was cheap because the degree was in education (not a high paying field). Still, it will take me 6 years of work to break even, in terms of the pay raise that it buys me. Fortunately, I was able to pay as I went, and I didn't incur any loans.

Now I'm considering changing fields. (That's another story altogether.) I've been looking at tuitions for what I'm interested in (physical or occupational therapy), and they are through the roof. Anywhere from $40,000-$100,000 in tuition. :eek: That's a freaking mortgage bill! Plus, all the programs I've seen require a full time commitment from the students, so I'd be looking at 3 years of part time employment at best. Oh yeah, I forgot about the year or more of hidden upper division "prerequisites" that really should be displayed up front as part of the cost of the total program. There's another $15,000-$45,000 in tuition. :twitchy:

There is no way I could pay for that without loans. And the federally subsidized loans are limited to $7000/year, I believe. That means I would have to fund big chunks of tuition with private loans, which are the one of the biggest scams I've seen. Interest starts accruing the day you take it out, and it's legally treated like a subsidized loan, which means you are stuck with that bill until you pay it or die. :notamused:We're talking about a long, long time for repayment and basically paying the same or more than rent/ mortgage. And PT's and OT's start out making around $60,000/year--less than the total cost of school.

I figure it's not worth it for me to return for that type of degree. So I'm looking at the choices of 1) Being trapped in a career that has turned quite ugly in the past few years and hating my life for the next 10-15 years or 2) Obtaining some type of associate's level paraprofessional degree or certificate. Those are cheaper--only $10,000-20,000 total cost. :rolleyes: That would buy me something that pays slightly less than my teacher's salary now. I guess it beats a career transition to Walmart, though. Sigh and :rolleyes:

"Back in the day," I paid $500 for a full load of classes for a semester. I whined about the extra $100 or so for books, which have also escalated unreasonably in terms of price. But I was able to work part time during the school year to pay for rent with roommates and cover the rest with scholarships and summer work. I finished with only $1000 of debt, and I even managed to party and eat out from time to time. That was the high life. What's going on now with school costs is just organized extortion.

An education is an investment. HTFU.
Yes, but let us not make the mistake of assuming that "education" equals "college". There are way too many trades out there where the future workforce would be much better suited with an apprenticeship (which pays) opposed to a college degree (which you pay for).

Apparently, I only have 17 credit hours left of my COF stipend... Silliest program ever.


I had to appeal for 24 more credit hours of COF for my last year of college. No problem. Yeah, COF is a stupid program.

I went to a cheap podunk state college here in GJ. Tuition was (relatively) cheap (~$2500 f/t), but my BS (geology) from MSC probably does not hold as much weight as a BS from Mines.

I kept my GPA way up (3.8) and applied for all the grants and scholarships I could and I graduated debt free. Yee!