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> Was the government going around saying how much money you could earn from a humanities degree? Obama 2015: "the single most important way to get ahead is no

> Was the government going around saying how much money you could earn from a humanities degree? Obama 2015: "the single most important way to get ahead is not just to get a high school education, you’ve got to get some higher education. That’s why all of you are here." "But you’re also here, now more than ever, because a college degree is the surest ticket to the middle class. It is the key to getting a good job that pays a good income -- and to provide you the security where even if you don't have the same job for 30 years, you're so adaptable and you have a skill set and the capacity to learn new skills, it ensures you're always employable." https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2015/01/09/remarks-president-americas-college-promise https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2015/0...

gruez 4y ago
Isn't this mostly true? The net present value of a college degree is estimated to be around half a million dollars. He also stops short of saying that you get the aforementioned benefits with any degree.
- TigeriusKirk 4y ago
  > The net present value of a college degree is estimated to be around half a million dollars. Then why do people with college degrees need bailing out?
  - woodruffw 4y ago
    Because net and annual are different measurements. It's entirely possible to have an added net production of half a million dollars from a college degree and be swimming in immediately due debt from that degree.
    - TigeriusKirk 4y ago
      Then restructure the debt. There's no need to provide further subsidies to citizens who are already half a million dollars ahead of other Americans.
      - faeriechangling 4y ago
        It’s not the ones with crushing long term debt that are half a million dollars ahead. Further the creditors are much wealthier than the debtors. Disadvantaging middle-upper class people in their fight against the upper class isn’t necessarily going to mean equality. Just allow the debt to be discharged conditionally. That’s in my mind the cleanest and fairest way to deal with this issue.
        OrangeMonkey 4y ago
        The creditors is the American public via the may's. No, it is not clean and fair to allow someone who spent 4 years getting a degree that will put them ahead of the non-degree-citizens and then force the non-degree-citizens to subsidize it. It is nothing more than theft.
- rs999gti 4y ago
  He should have said, "caveat, if you major in STEM." Which would eliminate about 93% of his audience https://hbr.org/2019/10/americans-need-to-get-over-their-fear-of-math#:~:text=Approximately%2093%25%20of%20Americans%20report%20experiencing%20some%20level%20of%20it https://hbr.org/2019/10/americans-need-to-get-over-their-fea....

gruez 4y ago

Isn't this mostly true? The net present value of a college degree is estimated to be around half a million dollars. He also stops short of saying that you get the aforementioned benefits with any degree.

TigeriusKirk 4y ago
> The net present value of a college degree is estimated to be around half a million dollars. Then why do people with college degrees need bailing out?
- woodruffw 4y ago
  Because net and annual are different measurements. It's entirely possible to have an added net production of half a million dollars from a college degree and be swimming in immediately due debt from that degree.
  - TigeriusKirk 4y ago
    Then restructure the debt. There's no need to provide further subsidies to citizens who are already half a million dollars ahead of other Americans.
    - faeriechangling 4y ago
      It’s not the ones with crushing long term debt that are half a million dollars ahead. Further the creditors are much wealthier than the debtors. Disadvantaging middle-upper class people in their fight against the upper class isn’t necessarily going to mean equality. Just allow the debt to be discharged conditionally. That’s in my mind the cleanest and fairest way to deal with this issue.
      - OrangeMonkey 4y ago
        The creditors is the American public via the may's. No, it is not clean and fair to allow someone who spent 4 years getting a degree that will put them ahead of the non-degree-citizens and then force the non-degree-citizens to subsidize it. It is nothing more than theft.
rs999gti 4y ago
He should have said, "caveat, if you major in STEM." Which would eliminate about 93% of his audience https://hbr.org/2019/10/americans-need-to-get-over-their-fear-of-math#:~:text=Approximately%2093%25%20of%20Americans%20report%20experiencing%20some%20level%20of%20it https://hbr.org/2019/10/americans-need-to-get-over-their-fea....