College Debt

Serious Business 47 replies 1,509 views
like_that's avatar
like_that
Posts: 26,625
Mar 31, 2017 1:10pm
0 debt. I received a white privilege scholarship.
Fab4Runner's avatar
Fab4Runner
Posts: 6,196
Mar 31, 2017 1:12pm
ernest_t_bass;1844980 wrote:I honestly really like this approach. Gives more value to their education. Couple things I will push:

- Don't go to college for a shit ass degree
- Only go to college if you want to work in a field that requires a degree
- Don't discount a 2-year school for an associates before pursuing further degrees

- Don't, I repeat, DO NOT go into education.
Yes, they made sure we were aware of all of those options.
Commander of Awesome's avatar
Commander of Awesome
Posts: 23,151
Mar 31, 2017 1:15pm
SportsAndLady;1844880 wrote:About 90k. Have 70k left. Lay about $700/mo. Fucking sucks.
Got dayum
Automatik's avatar
Automatik
Posts: 14,632
Mar 31, 2017 1:16pm
Yes...wow. My roommate pays $500/month and I though that was high.
Fab4Runner's avatar
Fab4Runner
Posts: 6,196
Mar 31, 2017 1:20pm
Automatik;1844985 wrote:Yes...wow. My roommate pays $500/month and I though that was high.
I have several friends who pay between $800-$1200/month. I pay $448.
Commander of Awesome's avatar
Commander of Awesome
Posts: 23,151
Mar 31, 2017 1:20pm
Also zero debt. The state of ohio paid about $14k a yr to keep me in a state university, and my room +board was $2k for the yr, and tuition was roughly $6k after academic scholarships. Thankfully my mom paid for my first three years, and I worked in the summers and during my senior year so I paid cash for my senior yr. It's been a big boost to my savings and life style not having student loan debt.
I
ironman02
Posts: 4,989
Mar 31, 2017 10:25pm
Started out with close to a full ride at a private school with a great pharmacy program. Struggled with some of the more difficult science classes (Organic Chemistry, etc.), which dropped my GPA and caused me to lose a lot of my scholarship money. Stuck with it because I had never failed at anything and I also would be making over $100K/year once I was done. Eventually realized that I hated working in a pharmacy, and continued to struggle with some of the upper level classes in my program, so I finally decided to get out after being stubborn and waiting entirely too long. Stayed at the same school since I only had one year left to finish out a different program, so I ended up with about $119K in debt overall. Currently down to about $54K, but it has been miserable. Paying close to $1,000 every month, but I have a pretty decent job so I'm better off than most with that kind of debt coming out of college. Obviously should have done things differently, but can't change it now.
BRF's avatar
BRF
Posts: 8,748
Mar 31, 2017 11:21pm
I went to the College of Wooster from 1971-1975. The tuition for my first three years was $3600. My senior year, the tuition was raised to $4500. So I got my degree for about $15,000.

Today, the tuition there is around $50,000 per year.
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gut
Posts: 15,058
Apr 1, 2017 3:04am
My high school tuition is obscene now (although it has probably increased in line with college tuition).

In 15 years, my MBA tuition has more than doubled (while the ROI, arguably, has been halved - but it's not about ROI it's about relative value). I can't imagine leaving the workforce to go full-time now (which, traditionally, was the path toward a significant career change).

For anyone with loans - I hope you've looked at consolidated agreements and alternatives. Payback periods of, say, 10 years vs. 20 are not easy decisions but should be considered.
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gut
Posts: 15,058
Apr 1, 2017 3:09am
What should really piss everyone off is that IVY colleges with YUGE endowments received over $26B in federal funding and grants over the past 6 years.
salto's avatar
salto
Posts: 2,611
Apr 1, 2017 5:33am
SportsAndLady;1844880 wrote:About 90k. Have 70k left. Lay about $700/mo. Fucking sucks.
lol And your career is advising people about their money.

Fucking hilarious.
S
slingshot4ever
Posts: 4,085
Apr 1, 2017 7:40am
I had 10k after undergrad and another 10k after Masters. Once my car was paid off I started throwing all of that monthly money to getting rid of the debt....only took a few years (was paid off when when I was around 32) and now only debt is house
iclfan2's avatar
iclfan2
Posts: 6,360
Apr 1, 2017 7:43am
I also got the white privilege scholarship. I went for free to YSU for 2 years (academic full ride), and then my parents paid my out of state tuition at CofC in SC for 2 years, and then my in-state grad school tuition for my masters. My wife also had her pharmacy tuition paid for. I can't imagine paying for a house, car, etc, and having loans looming over your head. So kudos for y'all that have to.
I do plan on paying it forward to my own (future) kids, so in reality I guess I'll be paying for college, just not at 25 when trying to start a life.


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Spock's avatar
Spock
Posts: 2,853
Apr 1, 2017 4:43pm
$15k in debt after 6 years of college. I had a athletic scholarship for the first 2 years and borrowed a little as I went.

I bought a house and had $28k in equity after college instead of renting. It was a $50k fixer upper. Put $3,000 down on it with my brother and commuted back and forth instead of paying rent.

Paid the loans off in 11 years at the lowest payment possible.
Pick6's avatar
Pick6
Posts: 14,946
Apr 1, 2017 5:57pm
I can't remember the exact number, but I graduated with approx 55k in student loan debt. My payments were close to $700 a month starting out, IIRC. Started out by refinancing my high interest (10.5%) private student loan down to 6% variable (which I don't think variable is a good option in hindsight, as its at 6.41% now). Saved $100/month in payments right there. Then paid off my lower balance/higher interest rate fed loans first to increase cash flow even more. Now I pay the minimum for the rest of the federal loans (3.5-4.5%) and put about half of my left over disposable income into the private student loan every month. Have about 20k left and hope to have my private loan ($6,500 remaining) paid off in full by the beginning of August. After that I will pay the minimum on Fed Loans as I should be able to put money elsewhere and get greater than the 4% return.

May be already known by most, but if it helps one person then its worth it. If you even think you might be eligible for PSLF (work for government or non-profit, which includes most hospitals), its more than worth looking into. Girlfriend works at Cle Clinic and her original payment should be $330 a month. Luckily while she was in deferment, we found out that because the Clinic is technically a non-profit, she qualifies for it. So, we changed her repayment to Income based repayment and she will be paying I think $25 a month and after 120 payments the payments will be forgiven and it will not have to be claimed as income.
GOONx19's avatar
GOONx19
Posts: 7,147
Apr 1, 2017 7:39pm
Except the first PSLF students hit the 10 year mark this year and many found out they were retroactively deemed ineligible.
Pick6's avatar
Pick6
Posts: 14,946
Apr 1, 2017 8:31pm
GOONx19;1845115 wrote:Except the first PSLF students hit the 10 year mark this year and many found out they were retroactively deemed ineligible.
I saw that but admittedly haven't done a ton of reading on it yet. Seems like you really want to make sure you really look over the paperwork so you don't screw yourself.
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superman
Posts: 3,582
Apr 2, 2017 12:09am
Zero debt. Parents paid for school in return for me not going to West Point.
ernest_t_bass's avatar
ernest_t_bass
Posts: 24,984
Apr 2, 2017 9:30am
Graduate BGSU with around $30k, I think. Honestly no idea how much my parents actually chipped in. I know that I had to work every summer and fork over whatever I made to pops.
sleeper's avatar
sleeper
Posts: 27,879
Apr 3, 2017 11:25am
SportsAndLady;1844880 wrote:About 90k. Have 70k left. Lay about $700/mo. Fucking sucks.
All that just to get a job selling Rutgers tickets.
W
wkfan
Posts: 1,641
Apr 3, 2017 11:56am
ernest_t_bass;1844980 wrote:I honestly really like this approach. Gives more value to their education. Couple things I will push:

- Don't go to college for a shit ass degree
- Only go to college if you want to work in a field that requires a degree
- Don't discount a 2-year school for an associates before pursuing further degrees
- Don't, I repeat, DO NOT go into education.
??

Reasoning?
G
gut
Posts: 15,058
Apr 3, 2017 12:22pm
I'm not sure, but I'm going to guess transition activities always include conversations with domestic AND foreign entities. It's not technically legal, and mostly makes sense as a policy, but I'm sure stuff like what Flynn did happens with every incoming administration.

You're not supposed to unmask those US citizens, period. If some concern (which the left was very capable of working itself into, not unlike birthergate) about Trump and his team weighed on that choice to unmask, that only further heightens the problem into a political one.

It's all sounding more and more like you're typical community organizer "Rules for Radicals" - you lost your election and your legacy is going to be dismantled, all you can do is hope to undermine and invalidate the agenda any way you can.
Fab4Runner's avatar
Fab4Runner
Posts: 6,196
Apr 3, 2017 12:24pm
gut;1845414 wrote:I'm not sure, but I'm going to guess transition activities always include conversations with domestic AND foreign entities. It's not technically legal, and mostly makes sense as a policy, but I'm sure stuff like what Flynn did happens with every incoming administration.

You're not supposed to unmask those US citizens, period. If some concern (which the left was very capable of working itself into, not unlike birthergate) about Trump and his team weighed on that choice to unmask, that only further heightens the problem into a political one.

It's all sounding more and more like you're typical community organizer "Rules for Radicals" - you lost your election and your legacy is going to be dismantled, all you can do is hope to undermine and invalidate the agenda any way you can.
But how much college debt do you have?
G
gut
Posts: 15,058
Apr 3, 2017 12:25pm
Fab4Runner;1845416 wrote:But how much college debt do you have?
Obviously I posted in the wrong forum and deleted
ernest_t_bass's avatar
ernest_t_bass
Posts: 24,984
Apr 3, 2017 12:30pm
wkfan;1845406 wrote:??

Reasoning?
B/c it is my own personal opinion. It's a waste of money.