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It's just very smug to say you have no sympathy for another person when your kids were fortunate enough to have their mommy and daddy support them.
JMHO.
Did you read my first post? I was quite specific about going to an expensive private school and majoring in an unproductive subject.
My dad was dead and my mom was supporting my siblings working at Sears as an admin clerk when I was in school. I was married with a kid before I graduated, and "paid as I went" by managing an apartment complex, working full time, and going to night school - so no, I HAVE NO SYMPATHY for people that make bad decisions and then want to complain that the world did not just scoop them up and make them a millionare at 25 doing their dream job!
"I have no sympathy for people who make bad decisions, and then try to present it as somehow someone else's fault than the decision maker!"
Except in my case, my bad decision was meant to be temporary. And it WAS someone else's fault that made the decision become permanent and not only ruined me financially, but ruined themselves JUST to sabotage me due to their jealousy or whatever.
Fortunately, this someone realized that in order for me to stick around in their lives and to gain access to my future kids, they will have to apologize, admit they were wrong, and attempt to fix the situation. Because of HER jealousy, I am still paying the price. She's paying the price. We're both hurting. However, we have made steps to fix it.
But look at what happened:
My potential career and savings got held back 8 years. So I'm essentially 8 years behind my peers from high school when it comes to jobs/savings/life.
Her jealousy ruined her, drained her financial savings, and destroyed credit. All because I didn't do what SHE wanted, all because I actually tried getting independent from her.
Yes, I still have animosity, however, what's done is done. I'd rather look into the future than dwell in the past.
I paid less than $800 a semester at the community colleges, and the kids lived at home or paid their own living expenses - their choice. I was hardly well off when the kids were starting college - somehwere in the middle class, sure, well off? Not even close!
Kids today can access pell grants that will cover ALL tuition, books, and some amount of living expenses at the community colleges, so even if they don't have a parent to "pay" for it, using the community college to get your generals out of the way is a cost effect, smart decision.
Well isn't that nice that community college in your area is $800 a semester. Where I am, it's $3,000+ per semester, and my parents didn't put away a dime for my college education.
Also, you may want to check your facts about the Pell grant - many students' EFCs are too high. Take me, for example. I'd consider myself low-income; my husband and I have a combined yearly income of $45,000. But according to the FAFSA formula, our EFC is >$20,000, which makes me ineligible for the Pell grant based on my institution of attendance. My parents' income was around $65,000 in 2007, when I was a high school senior, and I was ineligible for the Pell grant then, too.
Things aren't always so clear-cut, ya know. There are an awful lot of us who fall into the gray zone, wherein we don't earn enough to save for college, but aren't considered impoverished enough to qualify for the Pell grant. (BTW, the Pell grant does not cover "ALL tuition, books, and some amount of living expenses" - it's a maximum of $5,500 per year, or $2,250/semester [attending only Fall + Spring], which doesn't even cover tuition + fees at community colleges in my area. And many Pell recipients are not awarded the full amount.) I don't think anyone goes to college thinking, "Aw man, I can't wait to take out as many student loans as I possibly can!" Unfortunately, a lot of students can't afford college without student loans.
BTW: I did go to community college for my first 2 years, and I will still wind up with a pretty sizable student loan (by my standards).
It's just very smug to say you have no sympathy for another person when your kids were fortunate enough to have their mommy and daddy support them.
JMHO.
I have seen smug responses on CD but I didn't think Tuck was being smug. I just thought he was stating a fact from his own experiences. A lot of people are like that that have done things that took an extra lot of sacrifices and effort.
I like the idea that the kid in the uniform might be a franchisee owner <s> and someone else said that most theatre jobs are hard to come by and people usually have part time or full time jobs to bring in the money.....
OP, you know that people in the arts - even moderately successful people - often maintain flexible part-time employment in another field while also working in the field that they trained for... right? It's not like going to school for accounting, and they know that going in.
I'm quoting the above because I didn't want it to be overlooked.
He might be doing a whole lot with his degree and having a good bit of success in theater but still need or want the supplemental income.
I have seen smug responses on CD but I didn't think Tuck was being smug. I just thought he was stating a fact from his own experiences. A lot of people are like that that have done things that took an extra lot of sacrifices and effort.
I just think for anyone to say they have absolutely no sympathy for those who struggling to pay for college when their own kids had mommy and daddy to pay for the gist of their college is a selfish and cold-hearted thing to say.
i went to a community college when I returned to school. got my associates in IT and then went out of state for IT. a year later, nearly 30k in debt I realized I didn't want to do it and rather go back home for cheaper tuition and a different degree. byt the end, ill be 50k in debt total but I figured that's a car payment anyways and rather be that in debt than 80-100k.
and im thinking of doing something with money. not sure what, think accounting or business.
Nice try. Student loans are the ONLY way a lot of people can go to school and in my case there really weren't ant community colleges close by.. That being said, I don't feel sorry for people going into massive debt for worthless degrees.
"Nice try"?
Getting a student loan for community college is still better than getting a student loan for a four year school. The amount of debt you'd generate to get an Associate's from a CC would be about the same as one semester at private school (or even public school).
Well isn't that nice that community college in your area is $800 a semester. Where I am, it's $3,000+ per semester, and my parents didn't put away a dime for my college education.
Also, you may want to check your facts about the Pell grant - many students' EFCs are too high. Take me, for example. I'd consider myself low-income; my husband and I have a combined yearly income of $45,000. But according to the FAFSA formula, our EFC is >$20,000, which makes me ineligible for the Pell grant based on my institution of attendance. My parents' income was around $65,000 in 2007, when I was a high school senior, and I was ineligible for the Pell grant then, too.
Things aren't always so clear-cut, ya know. There are an awful lot of us who fall into the gray zone, wherein we don't earn enough to save for college, but aren't considered impoverished enough to qualify for the Pell grant. (BTW, the Pell grant does not cover "ALL tuition, books, and some amount of living expenses" - it's a maximum of $5,500 per year, or $2,250/semester [attending only Fall + Spring], which doesn't even cover tuition + fees at community colleges in my area. And many Pell recipients are not awarded the full amount.) I don't think anyone goes to college thinking, "Aw man, I can't wait to take out as many student loans as I possibly can!" Unfortunately, a lot of students can't afford college without student loans.
BTW: I did go to community college for my first 2 years, and I will still wind up with a pretty sizable student loan (by my standards).
Wow, I seem to have hit a nerve with a number of posters. $3,000 per semester in a community college sounds like NOVA, but that's still relatively cheap for VA colleges.
I did not put away money for my kids either, and was making around $80,000 back then, so slightly better off than your folks, but not by much, hence my kids went to community college because I could float that note if they lived at home.
And I agree, things are NEVER clear cut, I just shared my experiences, with a plug for community colleges as a good option for getting the first two years of school out of the way, the fact that it doesn't work 100% of the time for 100% of the population doesn't mean it's a bad or even unreasonable option. It is a good option for most students, and frequently not considered because people tend to think only of the major University in their state as the only "real" school to attend, and pass up a myriad of other good options to get their education.
Not sure anything in that is "smug" or even controversial.
OP set up a scenario with a boutique private school with $30,000 per year tuition, a guy majoring in theater (or so the thought) and working at Dunkin' Doughnuts. There is a LOT of bad decision making in that sequence...
Nice try. Student loans are the ONLY way a lot of people can go to school and in my case there really weren't ant community colleges close by.. That being said, I don't feel sorry for people going into massive debt for worthless degrees.
And for what it's worth, you are in a more unique position than most people in the United States, given that you are in a more remote and less populous area of the country.
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