Yes, I could only afford higher education with student loans–a lot of them, which I’ve paid back so others can have that opportunity.
ETA:
One of my degrees. Loans paid back; publications. Thanks.
I’m not saying those who major in creative writing are idiots and don’t necessarily have the means to pay it back, but many people borrow well above their means with impractical post-college expectations regarding what their degree will provide. You can’t go tens of thousands of dollars in debt with a ceramics degree. I know someone who did this and, 15 years later, is still paying back the loan.
Okay, why is a ceramics degree more of a problem than a writing degree? The problem is probably not having the wherewithal, or income, or planning ability to pay back one’s loans, not one’s major.
The implication here is that people are somehow entitled to going out of state - or getting a private education. Those things are great, if you can afford it. But if you are taking out loans for the majority of your funding, then you probably can’t afford it for an undergrad degree. And if you choose to afford it, instead of ending up at State College, then you are going to have burdensome loans that really shouldn’t be anyone’s problem but yours.
There are out of state schools that are reasonable for non-residents (you do end up in places like North Dakota) - and if you are lucky enough to live in a state with a good reciprocity system (mine isn’t) a lot more open up.
In the case of my nephew, the private college he’s attending offered a substantial scholarship while the state university offered none. In other words, the small, private liberal arts college was cheaper.
It happens.
But what is more likely to happen is that the kid gets his heart set on the private college and the parents hope that the scholarship or grant comes through. When it does - but its not significant enough, the kid’s mind and heart are made up. State college would be cheaper, but its “only” another $6k a year for the private school that is really wanted. By the time graduation rolls around $6k a year has turned into $25k in added loans.
Thanks for the background. I would have sided with your lawyer for the “pound sand” response personally. You seem to attribute a strange code of honor or chivalry to the concept of personal fair share and obligation against the aggregate of society. If the financial laws support your position, and it seems your lawyer thinks so, then a mysterious surprise debt from a deceased relative’s estate isn’t something you should attach honor to. Debt collectors certainly don’t have this sense of honor, and will bend/break any rule possible to chase a debt regardless of how hazy the legitimacy of it is.
That’s true. But as far as I can tell you can’t even fully fund attendance at a state university as a resident with that much. That amount would just about cover the cost of tuition and fees at my alma mater, which is mostly notable for its size (120 credit hours will cost you $25,000.)
The cheapest dorm will cost you another $20,000 for four years, not including any semesters where you take summer classes.
Yep. Your parents are supposed to have looked at the ultrasound picture and said “in a mere eighteen or nineteen years, this little batch of cells will be going to college. I hear that is expensive.” And instead of buying you lots of legos and more toys than you can play with, they should have been driving ten or fifteen year old cars and putting aside as much as they could for college. That, plus loans, should see most people through a state school - except those at the poverty level, and they usually can get some grant aid as well.
But what happens is that the income is slashed with the birth of the first child because Mom stays home - or the income stays the same, but there is daycare. Then a million other expenses, and you still want to get your kid SOME legos and go out to dinner and a movie once in a while. And college becomes something you’ll save for later.
And then your kid is suddenly in high school, it turns out they aren’t athletic/smart enough for a significant scholarship and your choices boil down to loans for you, loans for them, a few years in the military and the GI Bill and/or some combination of community college/state school. In the meantime, they’ve been dreaming of a small private liberal arts school in Vermont or something.
The middle class really gets squeezed on this - they don’t qualify for aid other than loans - unless its token or private aid. And they struggle to give their kids a middle class lifestyle - so they aren’t stashing money away for college.
But I’m not sure really who is supposed to make the sacrifices for people to go to college if it isn’t themselves or their parents. If its society, then I think at the very least society gets to say “sure, but only state schools where we make some attempt to control the cost and not Theatre majors and only those kids who did well in high school.”