Students to feel pinch in debt deal

I believe this is a good point. Why are graduate students being targeted with this? Graduate school tuition for most programs is absolutely absurd. Sure you can find the occassional good deal, but most schools have increased their graduate school tuition to levels unattainable without the use of loans.

Your point is also valid that there are differences between undergraduate level students and graduate level students. I can't think of many people I know that took on grad level work just because it was something to pass the time, but I can't name around 15 friends that did this for undergrad.

 

Sadly, many will just rack up and "max out" their student loans to amass several graduate degrees, and then run out of the country to places like China, where degrees from American universities attract good paying jobs.

 

True.

Abner

 

Sorry, that was supposed to be CAN.

 

Yes, you do. I know of a lot. Some wanted to take a "vacation" from their careers, primarily in high finance.

 

I know of exactly zero that have done if for those reasons out of the 15 or so friends that have attained master's degrees. I'm not saying it doesn't exist, but I believe they are in the minority. You don't sign on for the headaches that come along with grad school work just for a perceived vacation.

 

I once made $60.00 in four hours playing guitar at the Porter Square Red Line with a busker's license that cost me $25.00, that I earned while delivering news papers. Spare me the I can't earn the minimum payment while in school argument. While it's a fine premise, it's not practical from my point of view provided people want to work.

Anyone with multiple graduate degrees would be a proof to your initial question. As to the second, I know many who have taken a sabbatical from a high paying job with insane stressers to go back to school and veg out. Wall Street comes to mind.

 

so your sample set of 15 makes it fact? I would definitely agree they are the minority, but it happens a lot more than you might think. I think it is probably more prevalent in professional programs (MBA and JD programs). I'll be perfectly honest, my employer would have paid for me to go to a local school part-time, but I hated my boss with a passion and felt I could use a break. I didn't have some overwhelming urge to get an MBA to better myself. I thought two years back on campus sounded fun, I had no idea what I would do afterwards (still don't really have a "passion", just a variety of interests). I can think of 6 classmates of mine who would tell you they did it because they wanted/needed a break from work. Grad school definitely wasn't easy, but compared to working 70-80 hours a week in a job you hate it was a cake walk.

 

I never suggested that it was. Just like you, I used personal experiences.

I'm not suggesting that it doesn't happen. Again, I just believe that it is the monitory. It doesn't make sense to take on the debt of a grad program as some sort of vacation away from work.

Ahhhh and here's why we disagree. I can certainly see someone doing it if an employer pays for it, but this article is about student loans. It's a bit different than someone else footing the bill.

I think this is also why we are disagreeing. I work my butt off too and take a full course load. In the distance learning world where most of us are full time workers, maybe grad school seems more difficult because we are balancing a million things in one day.

:beerchug:

 

Agreed. My girlfriend just graduated from nursing school and none of the hospitals are hiring new grads since there are plenty of experienced nurses who have been taken advantage of through the recession and will work for a lower wage. She has an internship with a local hospital but even though she is a registered nurse they refuse to pay her more than minimum wage while she's still an intern (illegal?) She doesn't qualify for unemployment since she is working full-time minimum wage and the student loans can't be put into forbearance while she is working towards a full time position (that is if they like her). Is college still worth it???

 

I doubt that the cost of grad school will decrease.