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Sorry I meant Kathryn. "[]Kathryn, a 35-year-old with $118,000 in debt from a degree in museum studies[]." A 1-year masters degree in public policy from an Iv

Sorry I meant Kathryn. "[]Kathryn, a 35-year-old with $118,000 in debt from a degree in museum studies[]." A 1-year masters degree in public policy from an Ivy is a vanity degree. (as indicated by Jen's current situation)

SketchySeaBeast 8y ago
Ok, yeah, Kathryn's seems a bit spurious. >Jen enrolled in a one-year master’s program in public policy at an Ivy League university, where, despite having small scholarships and participating in work-study programs, she accumulated an additional $50,000 in federal loans. But by the time she graduated, the economy still hadn’t recovered, and she struggled to find work. She deferred her loans (meaning she did not have to make payments, and no interest accrued) and when the deferment period ran out, she put them in forbearance (during which payments are suspended, but interest does accrue). In 2010, she found a job — only to be laid off, again, two years later. She managed to find a contract gig that put her to work three days a week, and consolidated her loans into a single loan that would be easier to manage. I don't know how not being able to find a job in 2008 and then finding a job but being laid off and then having a stroke qualifies as her earning a vanity degree.
- pnw_hazor 8y ago
  The stroke came after the poor choice. Jen's case is also a bit spurious -- hers sounds like more of a healthcare/safety net issue than a student debt issue. If the crisis is so dire, why do articles like this highlight victims that few will sympathize with. Maybe the author doesn't know any normal people. Maybe they should highlight people like my daughter who intentionally chose a local state school rather than an expensive out-of-state or private school and selected a pragmatic STEM degree.
  - SketchySeaBeast 8y ago
    > Maybe they should highlight people like my daughter who intentionally chose a local state school rather than an expensive out-of-state or private school and selected a pragmatic STEM degree. Did your daughter pay for her schooling all by herself? And which letter in the acronym? I'd argue that the S and M might not be guaranteed to get you a job either. It's really just "TE" jobs at best.
    - pnw_hazor 8y ago
      Honors college CS major. I am paying but she did not know that I would until after she committed. I told her I expect to be paid back in full -- we will see how that works out. I think with room and board it is costing us around $22K per year.

SketchySeaBeast 8y ago

Ok, yeah, Kathryn's seems a bit spurious. >Jen enrolled in a one-year master’s program in public policy at an Ivy League university, where, despite having small scholarships and participating in work-study programs, she accumulated an additional $50,000 in federal loans. But by the time she graduated, the economy still hadn’t recovered, and she struggled to find work. She deferred her loans (meaning she did not have to make payments, and no interest accrued) and when the deferment period ran out, she put them in forbearance (during which payments are suspended, but interest does accrue). In 2010, she found a job — only to be laid off, again, two years later. She managed to find a contract gig that put her to work three days a week, and consolidated her loans into a single loan that would be easier to manage. I don't know how not being able to find a job in 2008 and then finding a job but being laid off and then having a stroke qualifies as her earning a vanity degree.

pnw_hazor 8y ago
The stroke came after the poor choice. Jen's case is also a bit spurious -- hers sounds like more of a healthcare/safety net issue than a student debt issue. If the crisis is so dire, why do articles like this highlight victims that few will sympathize with. Maybe the author doesn't know any normal people. Maybe they should highlight people like my daughter who intentionally chose a local state school rather than an expensive out-of-state or private school and selected a pragmatic STEM degree.
- SketchySeaBeast 8y ago
  > Maybe they should highlight people like my daughter who intentionally chose a local state school rather than an expensive out-of-state or private school and selected a pragmatic STEM degree. Did your daughter pay for her schooling all by herself? And which letter in the acronym? I'd argue that the S and M might not be guaranteed to get you a job either. It's really just "TE" jobs at best.
  - pnw_hazor 8y ago
    Honors college CS major. I am paying but she did not know that I would until after she committed. I told her I expect to be paid back in full -- we will see how that works out. I think with room and board it is costing us around $22K per year.