[44Apple]

Where has/does money for the GI Bill come from? Just wondering.

[canyonblue]

Originally Posted by ctmurray

The only people truly penalized are those making lots of money with no college savings and who's lifestyle requires spending all they make. And I would not call these people responsible.

Actually the opposite is also true. While we didn't make enough to save for our kids college tuition, my income increased later in life so we were able to pay for two undergraduate degrees. Meanwhile we had a neighbor who didn't make as much but spent every dime on a lifestyle they couldn't afford. They even got divorced and he still lived at the house. Both of their kids had almost their entire tuition paid due to the single spouse income they claimed left them with no money for college. So is that responsible?

[Topspinmo]

Originally Posted by 44Apple

Where has/does money for the GI Bill come from? Just wondering.

Carrot program for servicing you’re country. Some for drafted, some volunteered, and some never came home.

[nick demis]

The one issue that is not being mentioned is that these higher learning institutions are some the wealthiest organizations in the country. Maybe it time for them to provide the financing instead of the government. It will result in lower educational cost and a higher quality of education with less burden on the taxpayers.

[Two Bills]

Half the degrees kids get today are not worth getting into debt over.
No use in future jobs, just an entry on a CV.
50%+ of college age kids would be far better off, even at basic wage, going straight into industry.

[JGVillages]

How about we allow student loans (to be paid back as any other loan), yet pass a law by lawmakers that are primarily lawyers (good luck there) that does not allow Student Loans for Law School. We have more lawyers (1.33 million) per capita than any other country and are the most litigious nation in the world. Quantity of student loans would be cut, fewer lawyers, and fewer unnecessary law suits. Win~win!!! Just a little humor for all you non lawyers.

[Bay Kid]

Originally Posted by 44Apple

Where has/does money for the GI Bill come from? Just wondering.

They earned their education.

[Bay Kid]

Originally Posted by retiredguy123

My solution would be to end the Government student loan program altogether. Let the students pay as they go or borrow money from banks at market rates and terms. College costs would come down enormously, and those who really wanted to get an education would get one. But, this will never happen.

I believe the government took over student loans several years ago. Done to protect the people from those big bad banks?

[dtennent]

A few observations:
1) The tuition/room/board for my freshman year at a private college was $3000. If you landed a summer job in a steel mill, you could earn enough in a summer to pay the bill. Same school now charges $50,000. No way you could earn enough at any summer job even with a 50%scholarship - not to mention that summer jobs at steel mills are much harder to find.
2) My brother went to U of Cincinnati which had an intern program. Took him 6 years to graduate but he worked 50% of the time in a job that was related to his major. Helped him to understand and apply the subject matter of his coursework. Not to mention that he had $$ to pay for his tuition.
3) As a scoutmaster, I would often counsel the boys in planning their education. Not everyone is cut out for college (Thank goodness!) but everyone should plan on how they can profit most from their education. The people at the top of their chosen field will do better/have more options than those who are simply average. The average will do better than those who are below average. So pick your path (trade school, college, etc.) wisely based on your interests and capabilities and always do your best.

My concern is we are now raising (have raised) kids who don't understand the consequences of their decisions and are upset when the reality of paying the bills arrives.

[Stu from NYC]

Originally Posted by JGVillages

How about we allow student loans (to be paid back as any other loan), yet pass a law by lawmakers that are primarily lawyers (good luck there) that does not allow Student Loans for Law School. We have more lawyers (1.33 million) per capita than any other country and are the most litigious nation in the world. Quantity of student loans would be cut, fewer lawyers, and fewer unnecessary law suits. Win~win!!! Just a little humor for all you non lawyers.

Well remember what Hamlet said.

[Bay Kid]

What about the people that worked hard and paid off their student loan? The ones that paid as they go? Shouldn't they be rewarded for being to take care of their expenses?

[dewilson58]

Originally Posted by Bay Kid

What about the people that worked hard and paid off their student loan? The ones that paid as they go? Shouldn't they be rewarded for being to take care of their expenses?

That's what my kids are saying.
Don't hold your breath.


Don't forget the students who worked full-time during college and did not borrow.
Send them a $10,000 bonus.

[Bonnevie]

I got my pharmacy degree from Mass College of Pharmacy in 1980. I don't remember tuition but I was able to pay it with a small loan (that didn't even need to start being paid back for a year after I graduated) and working part-time. I also paid rent, auto, etc. I was able to pay everything off within the first year. this is what it costs now: The annual list price to attend Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences on a full time basis for 2018/2019 is $56,902 for all students regardless of their residency. This fee is comprised of $33,600 for tuition, $17,568 room and board, $1,256 for books and supplies and $1,050 for other fees.

Pharmacy is now a 6 year program. So before someone graduates, if they lived at home, they would have had to pay over $200,000.
If you are an undergraduate student, the maximum amount you can borrow each year in Direct Subsidized Loans and Direct

This is what you can borrow from the govt. at decent rates: Unsubsidized Loans ranges from $5,500 to $12,500 per year, depending on what year you are in school and your dependency status.

If you are a graduate or professional student, you can borrow up to $20,500 each year in Direct Unsubsidized Loans. Direct PLUS Loans can also be used for the remainder of your college costs, as determined by your school, not covered by other financial aid.


so as you can see, students are forced to take private loans and not so great rates.

state schools keep the kids in school now by making programs that used to be able done as undergraduate now graduate requiring students to get their bachelors first because then they can charge much higher tuition. So pharmacy, nursing, physical therapist, etc. cost a ton more to get.

now, I would agree that many students are foolish to chose undergraduate studies at an expensive school that doesn't lead to a job. that is something their parents should have discussed with them. in my own family, a niece wanted to go to an out of state school and thus pay higher tuition and her parents let her do it. her major wasn't anything she couldn't have studied at an in state school. She now regrets it bitterly as that debt is still part of her debt load because she pursued a graduate degree.

I think the loans need to be paid, but I would support re-writing the loans to reduce the interest rate. If we could give financial institutions no interest loans when everything crashed, we should do it for the students. The private loans the kids have to take for graduate work are very predatory. you don't have the year grace period after graduating. Interest starts accruing right away while they are in school.

and as others have stated, the amount charged for tuition needs to be examined. schools have raised it exponentially.

[billethkid]

In today's environment my personal "guess" is that far too many who apply for a student loan have one objective....to get the money. They fully expect that someone/something will bail them out before the loan comes due. That not paying the loan has become the norm.....crying how can one be expected to make these payments when we have all these "other" obligations to live.......or something like that.

They are smart enough to know the obligation that comes with a loan to get that new car....they also know not paying has a consequence....somebody will come and get the car.

Student loan obligations have no threat or consequence.....

All my opinion as one who had to work full time while attending college and paid their loan back over the contracted 10 year period.

Hence....no excuses....no student loan bail out...quit crying....meet the committed obligation.

[Taltarzac725]

Just wanted to put in that I got my entries into about 14 Marquis Who's Who books in the period from 1992-2002 and nominations for about 10 more of these while I was volunteering my experiences, connections, and personal history. I was not earning any money to speak of at this time except for house-sitting/pet sitting/baby sitting/child transport and 2nd hand shop assistant stints. My work had NOTHING to do with these entries into various publications. It was stuff I was doing because I thought someone really needed to do it. This volunteer task of mine was writing or otherwise communicating with thousands of victim/witness providers and asking them what they would want to see in their local libraries to help the people they serve.