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Just because people dont take the time to learn about scholarships and grants doesnt meant they arent there
I agree but don't think it's that simple. A lot of it is that people (parents and students) don't really care for scholarships and this is widely represented by the performance of many students in school. For some reason, they don't care about it for 18 years and all of a sudden they change their mind. You can't change 18 years of commitment (or lack of) in a short period of time.
Full ride scholarships are extremely hard to get. A few grants or scholarships of a couple hundred dollars here and there doesn't do much to offset huge college tuition costs.
I was in the 99%ile on entrance exams and didn't get squat because my parents weren't poor enough. I think you needed to be near the poverty line. My wife whose family was really poor did qualify for a scholarship for tuition, but she got loans for everything else, which amounted to ~$10,000/yr. Tuition was $2,500/yr. Hardly makes a college degree free, as you stated.
I was in the 99%ile on entrance exams and didn't get squat because my parents weren't poor enough. I think you needed to be near the poverty line. My wife whose family was really poor did qualify for a scholarship for tuition, but she got loans for everything else, which amounted to ~$10,000/yr. Tuition was $2,500/yr. Hardly makes a college degree free, as you stated.
You're mixing up scholarships and financial aid. The overwhelming majority of scholarships are based on merit.
You bring up a good point with financial aid, however. They do take parent's income into consideration. Today, if your parents have a combined income of ~$180,000, you're disqualified from receiving any financial aid from most schools. Much less for partial financial aid. $180,000 is a sizeable income... one that the vast majority of the middle class does not have. Well above the poverty line.
Now, if you choose to go to a school with little or no endowment set aside for financial aid, you're probably stuck with federal assistance (if you qualify... but it's much harder to qualify). But that's a decision you make.
Full ride scholarships are extremely hard to get. A few grants or scholarships of a couple hundred dollars here and there doesn't do much to offset huge college tuition costs.
The average financial aid package for freshman entering Penn is $44,000+. That's not a small amount of money.
Full ride scholarships are extremely hard to get. A few grants or scholarships of a couple hundred dollars here and there doesn't do much to offset huge college tuition costs.
So get more than one.... I had a few that provided me a full ride. Each provided about 5k, largest gave 15k and smallest was $500.
Few were based on a "need" basis but what i did in highschool or my majors and projects
Even STEM majors get a "smart" grant from the govt for being a stem major. Nothing else is required. https://smart.asee.org/, arts and music had their own but i dont know what they are called but friends got them
Or private companies provide money to send employees to college
Edit: thinking back on your statement. Did you just say because they are small amounts individually, they arent worth the time? What job can you find that pays out a few hundred each year for a hour of work once then a letter each year to continue it? If you dont want the money then you also dont mind being in debt
Yup it's a bubble. A degree has never been so worthless (so many people have them nowadays). It also costs a lot more for the degree that is diminishing in value. During this 'recovery' graduates had the hardest time finding decent jobs to payoff the debt - meaning the debt burden is staying for longer and will prevent other purchases (like homes and vacations).
The type of degree matters (and to an lesser extent, the college) more than ever. The problem is that while studying and majoring in Women's Gender Studies, Philosophy, or Mass Communications might be noble to some, they don't give you the hard skills that make your resume and "toolbox" valuable to a lot of employers.
Quote:
Originally Posted by svicious22
You must be joking. A four year degree (or better) is required for the vast majority of well-paying jobs. I wouldn't consider hiring anyone without one, and have in fact rejected resumes with ten plus years of experience without one a number of times.
What kind of industry and work do you do?
Quote:
Originally Posted by wawaweewa
A college education has been proven to improve earning potential. Even if half of all student loans default over a 10 year period, it wouldn't be a great shock to the economy at all. $500 billion over 10 years is literally chump change for the US as a whole.
For the Boomers, yes, this is true.
But for the younger generation, this hasn't been proven at all, and the verdict is still out.
Quote:
Originally Posted by wawaweewa
Without a degree, most are pretty much relegated to low middle class work at best.
The only middle class jobs left that do not require a college degree are government jobs. What surprise, right? Private sector jobs that do not require a degree and pay a solid middle or higher wage are on their way to extinction.
Some people win the lottery and squander their winnings. Other win, use their winnings to live comfortably and are fine with that. While others use their winnings to create even more "winnings" via investments.
Are there ****ty colleges out there? Plenty. Are there ****ty majors? Plenty of those as well. Do many students waste their time and do a ****ty job? Most likely. Yet a 4 year college degree still pays off in the long run.
The best jobs might not require college degrees-salary and the near-zero debt to get it-are plumbers, electricians, welders, carpenters, ect.
They'll loan you way more than you need. Even attending a community college part-time, they'll cut you a check for $6,000 each semester AFTER paying for your tuition and books. That's just fed loans that don't require a credit check at all, not even counting any loans students get on their own or have co-signed with parents.
Show a kid who has never had that much money before (hell, even the hard workers in high school probably weren't making more than $200 or $300 a week) the option, and tell them there are no payments until 6 months after they graduate (feels like a lifetime away), and what do you think they'll do? Apply for the full amount, cash that check, maybe pay a few bills and then blow the rest on clothes, spring break, electronics, cars, bars, etc.
Then, we get the, "Student debt is ruining my life! I don't know HOW I racked up all of this debt or how I'm going to get out of it!"
But for the younger generation, this hasn't been proven at all, and the verdict is still out.
No, college still proves to be worthwhile. Its the fact that people cant manage their debts thats changed. Yes the price is more but it wasnt like they werent told the price beforehand. They just didnt care to do all they could to minimize it.
Its dumb how students whine about their debt and solely blame the high costs, why not look at some personal resposibilities. Its like the housing bubble, people took out loans for too big of houses then blamed the banks for not doing the checks.
You must be joking. A four year degree (or better) is required for the vast majority of well-paying jobs. I wouldn't consider hiring anyone without one, and have in fact rejected resumes with ten plus years of experience without one a number of times.
That is pretty closed minded. IMO (and I have a 4-year degree). Suffice it to say that colleges turn out plenty of idiots.... even idiots with STEM degrees (which I also have). College is 4 years (closer to 3, depending on your major and what other courses you must take) of largely theoretical study in a general field.
10 years experience is 10 years of real world experience. If someone has made a living for a decade in a field, then they've obviously learned a few things along the way. I'm not sure why you would automatically consider that to be inferior to a college degree.
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