By Jim on
Anything Else
Student Loans
Debt
Personal Finance

“The average borrower in the class of 2015 walked the stage $35,000 in the hole. Which makes me wonder, How many current (and incoming) students are making decisions today that will put them in even deeper debt? What is clear is that thousands upon thousands of students need help assessing the largest investment they’ve ever made.”

Discussion

Thu, 01/07/16

You can easily go to college without going into debt. I have paid for two degrees with no assistance, and you can do it. It just requires choices. People need to make choices in what they can afford and they need to sacrifice to get there. I went to Bob Jones and I worked 40+ hours a week while taking a 15-20 credit load each semester. I worked 80+ hours in the summer and I was able to make it. But it took a lot of work and my grades were not necessarily as good as they could have been. My executive MBA was quite a bit more money, but fortunately I had the means at that time to pay for it. Mostly because I learned a hard work ethic during my time as a kid in college.

Fri, 01/08/16

If you want free college, join the military for four years:

  • The Navy paid for my BA while I was in the service
  • Since the service, I’m about 82 credits into an MDiv and the Post 9-11 GI Bill hasn’t quite run out yet

Tyler is a pastor in Olympia, WA and works in State government.

Fri, 01/08/16

and join its ROTC program. I wish it had been in place when I attended.

Hoping to shed more light than heat..

Fri, 01/08/16

…you can do little better than to pay for a portion of your college by working. I’m glad I did. I worked in fast food and was a math and engineering TA, my grandfather was a shepherd and pastry chef. Will grades suffer? Probably a bit, but nobody’s asked me about my GPAs for over 15 years. Knowing how to do a fairly menial job is a great work skill.

I also tried to go military, but for some odd reason, they insisted that an officer candidate ought to be able to breathe, so my history of asthma ruled me out. :^)

Aspiring to be a stick in the mud.