College In Many Cases Is A Rip-off

Grieving parents hit with $200,000 bill for 27-year-old daughter's student loans after she died suddenly
By Jame Nye | The Daily Mail

"A Californian pastor is being mercilessly hounded for $200,000 in student loans he was saddled with when his 27-year-old daughter Lisa died suddenly of liver failure... Making the situation dramatically worse is the fact that the couple are now the guardians of daughter Lisa's three children, ages nine, 12 and 14, leaving their futures in the balance."

My Comments About The Article AboveThere are few things that need to be pointed out before I comment. Even though this was not a government loan someone can't avoid paying by declaring bankruptcy. The amount borrowed started out at $100,000 her parents co-signed for.

I'm of the opinion that both hospitals colleges are one of the biggest most successful businesses going on in this country. I titled this post inferring many colleges are a rip-off. Here's why..* Many colleges will not allow students to purchase used textbooks for a number of their courses even if they are only one year old. These costs students annually between $850-$1,000 on average.

* In addition to tuition there are hidden fees for parking, lab and so forth. Required tools of the trade needed for specialized course work.

* Joining a Fraternity/sorority or professional society also help rack up costs. In some cases it's not an option, especially those pursuing a degree in medicine or engineering.

* More costs (beyond tuition) most students don't think about when they decide to go to college:Becoming a foreign exchange student, laptops (and other electronics), furnishings, laundry money, activity fees, personal items (clothes/sport, towels, lamps, etc.), food, dorm cable TV/internet fees, travel/transportation, tickets for special/sporting events.. The list goes on and on.
* The lost wages in not having a job while attending 4-6 years of college

As you can see tuition, room and board is only a beginning point. In this student's particular case she was pursuing a Bachelor Of Science Registered Nurse (BSRN) degree. From my own daughter's experience she was not allowed to use any text book that was not brand new. Each cost between $50-$300. She also had to join a nursing society. Purchase a stethoscope and a number of other pieces of required medical equipment She also incurred several lab fees. In addition take courses that had nothing-what-so-ever to do with medicine.

In most cases the average college student could easily be well educated within two years for their chosen profession. Colleges add additional course requirements so they can drag this out as long as possible. Some students only attend three or four one hour classes a week. Sometimes even less in their senior year.

Many are all too happy to exaggerate the earning potential for careers they already know will lead students to a dead end. Such as teaching, journalism, etc. This leads some students to spend a couple more thou$and dollars to change courses. Heaven help them if they switch colleges. Colleges will never give full credits for courses already taken elsewhere.

What A Racket!
Kids are told if they don't go to college they will end up losers. What they aren't telling them is credit card companies, food service providers, text book publishers, manufacturers of tools for the trade, a whole host of subcontractors and the college itself all get a cut before someone gets a piece of paper. A piece of paper that offers little to no guarantee anyone will land a job that pays enough for a return on their investment. On top of all of that, it traps students into paying banks back by disallowing bankruptcy no matter how desperate the circumstance. Yeah well I guess that's an education in of itself many are coming to realize for themselves.

Don't Be A Fool
(1) Pick a trade. Go to a one or two year trade school. Work for a couple of years first and save up the money for it. Never borrow money on a promise. No one should start out 10,000's in debt.

(2) Take only the essential courses needed to start up a business of your own that your good at.

(3) Find an employer willing to pick up part of your costs for education.

(4) Never ever listen to a college recruiter. They are nothing but sales people working for a college.

(5) Joining the military service will not lead to an education you can use after duty.

True Personal First Hand Stories
(1) Brian joined the Air Force. He was told after leaving he would be fully qualified to become a jet mechanic. Brian spent 12 years in the AF. Each time he was that close to making the school. Never did.

(2) Tom had a job repairing electronic equipment at Lehigh University in the 60's. Rather then being drafted he joined the Army for electronics. #1 the army doesn't repair electronics, they replace it. So he learned nothing. Lehigh never held his original job after the Army, although they did offer another job to him as required. Tom also was assigned in Germany to repair large trailer mounted diesel generators. Something he had no idea about what to do when it broke down. He was disciplined!

(3) Since I wanted to work in radio broadcasting I too tried to avoid the draft by signing up in the 60's right after high school. The recruiter promised me I'd end up working at the 'Armed Forces Radio Network'. He made the mistake of driving me up to Wilkes-Barre before I signed papers. When I got there I was put with a bunch of draftees looking to get out by whatever means they could. In the waiting room one of them peed on some guy's head on the row in front of him.

When I was tested they claimed they were impressed and gave me an additional Army intelligence test which I passed. They said congratulations I'm qualified to be an advanced intelligence radio operator. WHOA! That's not 'AFRN' that's advanced ground operations in Vietnam. Radio operators are the first to be targeted. No F&*%ing way!!!

Here's the best part. My recruiter had to leave because my tests took longer then he could stay. So I was sent back to Allentown on a bus with the draftees. In the last two rows on the bus three guys were masturbating to see who could cum first. A half dozen others guys kept saying to the driver (grinding gears on a nearly broken down bus).. "grind another pound". The driver got pissed off stopped the bus and kicked them off in Lehighton. Screw that. I took my chances on the newly created lottery. I ended up with lottery number 285.. THANK GOD and never got called up. I swear everything I said is true.

The Point Is..
Neither colleges nor the military have anyone's best interests at heart. Look at what interests you and what your good at. Invest in only the kind of education necessary. If all else fails settle for what's available until a better opportunity comes along. Above all else don't go into debt starting out nor have faith in those who stand to gain a profit from you by doing so.

I've spent the last 33 years of my working life in a job that wasn't what I intended nor enjoyed very much, but it paid the bills. It also enabled me to retire at 59 1/2. My working life may have not been a perfect as I expected, but it wasn't all that bad ether.