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People go to college in search of a better life and economic stability. But Sara Goldrick-Rab explains that too often, the new economics of college are creating poverty. Hunger, even homelessness, are holding students back. Higher education finance must be rethought so students aren't punished for pursuing education.
There needs to be a better discussion of the role of higher education.
A good starting point is The Crisis of Democracy, by the Trilateral Commission.
After World War II, returning GIs were paid to go to school - including living expenses. The US needed smart working-class kids to build the technical infrastructure of the US.
That was a temporary situation, and is no longer true.
The US is returning back to the traditional role of education, which was to 1) train the next generation of leaders (maybe 5% of the population), and 2) provide the leisure class with something to talk about and feel superior about.
If people want to go to college to move into a more financially stable life, they need to study accounting, computer science, engineering, nursing, some kind of profession. And they need to look at the cost/benefit analysis.
It would be wonderful if, instead of paying the living costs of all the kids who don't want to go out and get a job, the school counselors would help students do that cost/benefit study. I started off with a major in Communications. Toward the end of the academic year, at a dinner event, the speaker said there were several hundred students about to graduate with their degree in Communications, and that there would be about 7 job openings in the several hundred mile radius of our town. In other words, the chances of getting a job were slim to nothing.
Instead of crying for more money for more kids to earn useless degrees (how many entry-level jobs for newly-graduated students of philosophy are there?) People like this speaker would be more useful helping students make better use of their limited investment choices.
Working class and lower class people need to think of higher education as job training. Don't borrow money to major in history or philosophy, or something that is fine for rich people who don't have to work for a iiving.
We don't need to subsidize tens of thousands of people who are not going after useful degrees.
I totally don't agree with that.
Working class and lower class people need to think of higher education as job training. Don't borrow money to major in history or philosophy, or something that is fine for rich people who don't have to work for a living.
Or people can rely on their future spouse who makes the real money in the family to pay all the bills, including their student loans.
College is a huge business in the United States, and they know what the great majority of students end up doing with their degrees.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CorporateCowboy
Any career that requires an associate degree or beyond for entry-level employment.
Yeah.... All Those wonderful 'Exempt' jobs
Takes <$50k / hr to break $100k gross pay. I was glad my $40/ hr skilled trades job was feeding me unlimited overtime+ night shift bonus more than 30 yrs ago. My degreed positions totally sucked for wage income.
Which illustrates the main point.. working for wages is never gonna make you wealthy. And that college degree that just robbed you of 6 yrs earning power (at a young accumulation age) is costing you BIG TIME. Especially if you're thinking a college degree = substantial pay....
Wrong!
Use that college degree to follow your classmates who dropped out years ago, and created hundreds of jobs, for which you can now work for meager incremental pay.
Takes <$50k / hr to break $100k gross pay. I was glad my $40/ hr skilled trades job was feeding me unlimited overtime+ night shift bonus more than 30 yrs ago. My degreed positions totally sucked for wage income.
Which illustrates the main point.. working for wages is never gonna make you wealthy. And that college degree that just robbed you of 6 yrs earning power (at a young accumulation age) is costing you BIG TIME. Especially if you're thinking a college degree = substantial pay....
Wrong!
Use that college degree to follow your classmates who dropped out years ago, and created hundreds of jobs, for which you can now work for meager incremental pay.
Path to success? You may have taken a wrong turn.
I think your diatribes (throughout the forum) against college, as a whole, are as ridiculous as if I were to tout law and/or business schools were for everyone. Obviously, college is not for those who have failed to realistically assess their abilities and field of study.
The bar is pretty low. Most admin jobs require a college degree today. I was definitely underemployed starting out, because I moved across country without a job lined up during the global financial meltdown. Things turned out okay; not exorbitantly wealthy or poor.
College students need to plan and borrow wisely; there are many ways to navigate/minimize student debt.
This was not the case 15 years ago, and is still barely the case today. Thankfully, with recent events and executive action, it's brought considerable light to this issue.
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