Desert Garage

[Desertbreh]

As I indicated she's in the IB program at her high school, and if she gets that IB diploma that's an automatic year of UC. So three years of UC, which dad has in the tank and more leftover for grad school if you kick ass.
Such a more sensible road than this private school nonsense. Sorry dude, this guy isn't paying circa $300K for an undergrad degree.

I actually have never felt so "excluded" before, LOL If your parents are broke AF, and you kick ass, you go to private school for near free. If your parents are hella rich, and you kick ass, you go to private school for whatever NFG, nothing new there. But if your parents save money for retirement, pay off their home, and generally are not fking insane, and you kick ass, its state school or GTFO. So be it.

As you mentioned before these are first world problems but you are astute as always....... lower upper class gets fucked in the higher education department as does upper middle. My sons girlfriend got a full ride to the same school because of hard work and lower parental income. Meanwhile my son came out with $50k in debt and we paid close to the same amount in cash while he was there.

PS We certainly don't live upper class but the numbers put us there somehow.

Fist bump

[Desertbreh]

Hey one life hack is community college for 2 years and then transfer to a UC if you wanted to save a bit of money also.

I was only in the country for 1.5 years having to learn an entire new language and culture and the graduate in 3 to save money. goes back a long way. I’m sure she can do it too!

You don’t have to go for 4 years that whole thing is a fking lie. If she does summer school at community colleges and take ap tests in high school you get essentially a years worth of credits or more.

A local kid I know did that and graduated from USC. For 1/2 cost, which is good because the whole cost is insane.

[Desertbreh]

Hey one life hack is community college and then transfer to a UC if you wanted to save a bit of money also. I wish I knew this back then. But I was only in the country for 1.5 years having to learn an entire new language and culture and the graduate in 3 to save money.

Yea, this is a common one throughout the country. It's looked down upon by kids wanting the "college experience", but it's really the smart thing to do.

I imagine Desert's brainiac won't settle for poverty college out of high school

To be fair her IB credit would essentially be doing the same thing.

[SAWCE]

Hey one life hack is community college for 2 years and then transfer to a UC if you wanted to save a bit of money also.

I was only in the country for 1.5 years having to learn an entire new language and culture and the graduate in 3 to save money. goes back a long way. I’m sure she can do it too!

You don’t have to go for 4 years that whole thing is a fking lie. If she does summer school at community colleges and take ap tests in high school you get essentially a years worth of credits or more.

A local kid I know did that and graduated from USC. For 1/2 cost, which is good because the whole cost is insane.

Yeah Michelle did USC for her master’s and I doubt she’ll ever pay off that load. Stupid money, onto of having gone to a private school for undergrad.

If she’d stayed with the county as a social worker it would have been forgiven after 10 years of making payments, but that place was soul sucking and not much room for growth.

[wap]

LOL. My daughter could attend my alma mater, the University of Kansas, for in state tuition because of her test scores alone. Total cost: $25K year. That's a lot more room to not know what you are doing that $70K year.

Sometimes it is just SMH at the whole system.

[Desertbreh]

A local kid I know did that and graduated from USC. For 1/2 cost, which is good because the whole cost is insane.

Yeah Michelle did USC for her master’s and I doubt she’ll ever pay off that load. Stupid money, onto of having gone to a private school for undergrad.

If she’d stayed with the county as a social worker it would have been forgiven after 10 years of making payments, but that place was soul sucking and not much room for growth.

So, like what was the plan when taking on all of this debt vs. other alternatives?

[SAWCE]

Yeah Michelle did USC for her master’s and I doubt she’ll ever pay off that load. Stupid money, onto of having gone to a private school for undergrad.

If she’d stayed with the county as a social worker it would have been forgiven after 10 years of making payments, but that place was soul sucking and not much room for growth.

So, like what was the plan when taking on all of this debt vs. other alternatives?

No idea. Before we met, and she now acknowledges that it was stupid, but the money is spent at this point, so she’ll just have that monthly payment forever or until her step dad kicks the can and she gets her inheritance to pay it off with.

She’s getting licensed at her new job, so after that she could go private practice and make real money, but I don’t think she’ll do that until further down the road

[max225]

How much money we talking about ? 50k or 500k.

[D Griff]

Hey one life hack is community college and then transfer to a UC if you wanted to save a bit of money also. I wish I knew this back then. But I was only in the country for 1.5 years having to learn an entire new language and culture and the graduate in 3 to save money.

Yea, this is a common one throughout the country. It's looked down upon by kids wanting the "college experience", but it's really the smart thing to do.

I imagine Desert's brainiac won't settle for poverty college out of high school

I mean, the college experience was pretty fuckin' sweet though, no? Those four years were definitely some of the best.

And I actually was surrounded by really smart people, lived with them, studied with them, played music with them, partied with them. I can also say that connections made through my school/degree program were crucial to my career development and opened up a lot of doors.

That said, had I not received a tuba scholarship, I would've just gone to state school.

Also, $3K/month for an apartment is absurd, just have roommates. I went to school in Miami which is a pretty darn expensive city, you can make it a bit better by splitting a house with 3-5 other people.

[SAWCE]

How much money we talking about ? 50k or 500k.

I think she’s currently a bit over 100k. We haven’t talked about it super in depth.

[D Griff]

How much money we talking about ? 50k or 500k.

I think she’s currently a bit over 100k. We haven’t talked about it super in depth.

Ouch, brutal.

I was lucky to get a tuba blowing scholarshit, worked during to pay a bit, had parental help and only had to borrow $30k. Paid off now.

[max225]

How much money we talking about ? 50k or 500k.

I think she’s currently a bit over 100k. We haven’t talked about it super in depth.

That’s

[ChrisoftheNorth]

Yea, this is a common one throughout the country. It's looked down upon by kids wanting the "college experience", but it's really the smart thing to do.

I imagine Desert's brainiac won't settle for poverty college out of high school

I mean, the college experience was pretty fuckin' sweet though, no? Those four years were definitely some of the best.

And I actually was surrounded by really smart people, lived with them, studied with them, played music with them, partied with them. I can also say that connections made through my school/degree program were crucial to my career development and opened up a lot of doors.

That said, had I not received a tuba scholarship, I would've just gone to state school.

Also, $3K/month for an apartment is absurd, just have roommates. I went to school in Miami which is a pretty darn expensive city, you can make it a bit better by splitting a house with 3-5 other people.

Yea...I dunno. I enjoyed college for sure, but it didn't do much for my career other than the piece of paper. Certainly solid life experience that I value...but with the cost of things these days, I'd really push a kid straight to a 4-year school.

[SAWCE]

I think she’s currently a bit over 100k. We haven’t talked about it super in depth.

That’s

Maybe not for some careers, but as a social worker she essentially gets paid in thoughts and prayers.

[Desertbreh]

I mean, the college experience was pretty fuckin' sweet though, no? Those four years were definitely some of the best.

And I actually was surrounded by really smart people, lived with them, studied with them, played music with them, partied with them. I can also say that connections made through my school/degree program were crucial to my career development and opened up a lot of doors.

That said, had I not received a tuba scholarship, I would've just gone to state school.

Also, $3K/month for an apartment is absurd, just have roommates. I went to school in Miami which is a pretty darn expensive city, you can make it a bit better by splitting a house with 3-5 other people.

Yea...I dunno. I enjoyed college for sure, but it didn't do much for my career other than the piece of paper. Certainly solid life experience that I value...but with the cost of things these days, I'd really push a kid straight to a 4-year school.

But you had to get the piece of paper to get your MBA, and you had to get the MBA to get hired in Detroit. Which is all the fkn marbles. Plus your parents had the whole prepay thing. There are worse things than drinking beer in East Lansing for four years under the auspices of life achievement. Of course you could have gotten a real degree during that time period if you had elected to apply yourself to the same.

[Desertbreh]

That’s

Maybe not for some careers, but as a social worker she essentially gets paid in thoughts and prayers.

Yeah, what's that, a $1000/month albatross?

[Apex]

Maybe not for some careers, but as a social worker she essentially gets paid in thoughts and prayers.

Yeah, what's that, a $1000/month albatross?

That's probably about right, based off my own loans.

[Desertbreh]

Yeah, what's that, a $1000/month albatross?

That's probably about right, based off my own loans.

I have emphasized to my daughter that the first $25,000 you make is the "free" money......untaxed or taxed at a minimum rate.....and this money needs to be going to housing/food, etc., not Sallie Mae, if you can at all avoid it. Nobody told me that and they should have.

In my search so far, the University of Alabama will provide my daughter tuition free education for 4 years.....a $26,000 benefit, based on her test scores and GPA alone. No application, no need to be a minority.
If you finish undergrad early, that scholarship can be used for grad school/law school. (My kid will test out of about a year of school) I understand that U of A is an oblong pigskin sportsball mecca/not the kind of center of reasoned thought MahTroy would approve of, but the result would be the same as my father saying, "Son, you can go to Tuscaloosa for the next six years. All you have to do is maintain a 3.2 GPA, stay out of trouble, and your will graduate law school with zero loans. I will then cut you a check for $50K to start your life." I'd have to think long and hard about that.

There is likely a middle ground between that and paying $300K to some elitist Eastern private university like money grows on trees.

[ChrisoftheNorth]

Yea...I dunno. I enjoyed college for sure, but it didn't do much for my career other than the piece of paper. Certainly solid life experience that I value...but with the cost of things these days, I'd really push a kid straight to a 4-year school.

But you had to get the piece of paper to get your MBA, and you had to get the MBA to get hired in Detroit. Which is all the fkn marbles. Plus your parents had the whole prepay thing. There are worse things than drinking beer in East Lansing for four years under the auspices of life achievement. Of course you could have gotten a real degree during that time period if you had elected to apply yourself to the same.

The papers have gotten me to where I wanted to be...but there are multiple ways to obtain them. The prepay thing for college was epic, and made my circumstance a bit unique in being able to enjoy a 4-year experience ZFG, but I really wish I had spent less time being and more time applying myself. I took zero advantage of on campus activities to build my network and advance toward a career, instead I left with nothing more than a perpetual hangover and a piece of paper. If that's all you want, there's cheaper ways to accomplish it these days. Sometimes I get mad at myself for squandering the opportunities provided to me, but I ended up where I wanted anyway...only with more struggle than would have been necessary if I wasn't a dumbass. Probably made me a better person in the long run

[ChrisoftheNorth]

That's probably about right, based off my own loans.

I have emphasized to my daughter that the first $25,000 you make is the "free" money......untaxed or taxed at a minimum rate.....and this money needs to be going to housing/food, etc., not Sallie Mae, if you can at all avoid it. Nobody told me that and they should have.

In my search so far, the University of Alabama will provide my daughter tuition free education for 4 years.....a $26,000 benefit, based on her test scores and GPA alone. No application, no need to be a minority.
If you finish undergrad early, that scholarship can be used for grad school/law school. (My kid will test out of about a year of school) I understand that U of A is an oblong pigskin sportsball mecca/not the kind of center of reasoned thought MahTroy would approve of, but the result would be the same as my father saying, "Son, you can go to Tuscaloosa for the next six years. All you have to do is maintain a 3.2 GPA, stay out of trouble, and your will graduate law school with zero loans. I will then cut you a check for $50K to start your life." I'd have to think long and hard about that.

There is likely a middle ground between that and paying $300K to some elitist Eastern private university like money grows on trees.

That's the thing...at the end of it, what you make out of your college experience is on you. Could have a shit time at an elitist private school and go nowhere (I know people like this), or could destroy it at a good school for free and be set on a trajectory to stratospheric wealth. Nobody really cares what school you went to after 5 years in the workforce.

[Desertbreh]

I have emphasized to my daughter that the first $25,000 you make is the "free" money......untaxed or taxed at a minimum rate.....and this money needs to be going to housing/food, etc., not Sallie Mae, if you can at all avoid it. Nobody told me that and they should have.

In my search so far, the University of Alabama will provide my daughter tuition free education for 4 years.....a $26,000 benefit, based on her test scores and GPA alone. No application, no need to be a minority.
If you finish undergrad early, that scholarship can be used for grad school/law school. (My kid will test out of about a year of school) I understand that U of A is an oblong pigskin sportsball mecca/not the kind of center of reasoned thought MahTroy would approve of, but the result would be the same as my father saying, "Son, you can go to Tuscaloosa for the next six years. All you have to do is maintain a 3.2 GPA, stay out of trouble, and your will graduate law school with zero loans. I will then cut you a check for $50K to start your life." I'd have to think long and hard about that.

There is likely a middle ground between that and paying $300K to some elitist Eastern private university like money grows on trees.

That's the thing...at the end of it, what you make out of your college experience is on you. Could have a shit time at an elitist private school and go nowhere (I know people like this), or could destroy it at a good school for free and be set on a trajectory to stratospheric wealth. Nobody really cares what school you went to after 5 years in the workforce.

[max225]

I have emphasized to my daughter that the first $25,000 you make is the "free" money......untaxed or taxed at a minimum rate.....and this money needs to be going to housing/food, etc., not Sallie Mae, if you can at all avoid it. Nobody told me that and they should have.

In my search so far, the University of Alabama will provide my daughter tuition free education for 4 years.....a $26,000 benefit, based on her test scores and GPA alone. No application, no need to be a minority.
If you finish undergrad early, that scholarship can be used for grad school/law school. (My kid will test out of about a year of school) I understand that U of A is an oblong pigskin sportsball mecca/not the kind of center of reasoned thought MahTroy would approve of, but the result would be the same as my father saying, "Son, you can go to Tuscaloosa for the next six years. All you have to do is maintain a 3.2 GPA, stay out of trouble, and your will graduate law school with zero loans. I will then cut you a check for $50K to start your life." I'd have to think long and hard about that.

There is likely a middle ground between that and paying $300K to some elitist Eastern private university like money grows on trees.

That's the thing...at the end of it, what you make out of your college experience is on you. Could have a shit time at an elitist private school and go nowhere (I know people like this), or could destroy it at a good school for free and be set on a trajectory to stratospheric wealth. Nobody really cares what school you went to after 5 years in the workforce.

I disagree, elite schools matter. You can obviously prove yourself otherwise (Ala Bill Gates) but in general it certainly helps.

[Desertbreh]

It's actually a $104K benefit. Out of state tuition at UA is $26K/year.

[Apex]

That's probably about right, based off my own loans.

I have emphasized to my daughter that the first $25,000 you make is the "free" money......untaxed or taxed at a minimum rate.....and this money needs to be going to housing/food, etc., not Sallie Mae, if you can at all avoid it. Nobody told me that and they should have.

In my search so far, the University of Alabama will provide my daughter tuition free education for 4 years.....a $26,000 benefit, based on her test scores and GPA alone. No application, no need to be a minority.
If you finish undergrad early, that scholarship can be used for grad school/law school. (My kid will test out of about a year of school) I understand that U of A is an oblong pigskin sportsball mecca/not the kind of center of reasoned thought MahTroy would approve of, but the result would be the same as my father saying, "Son, you can go to Tuscaloosa for the next six years. All you have to do is maintain a 3.2 GPA, stay out of trouble, and your will graduate law school with zero loans. I will then cut you a check for $50K to start your life." I'd have to think long and hard about that.

There is likely a middle ground between that and paying $300K to some elitist Eastern private university like money grows on trees.

You guys will find a solid middle ground for her, I'm sure. I don't know how well respected U of A would be in her career field, so that could change things up a bit.

I would have been salivating at the thought of someone handing me a check for $50k to start my life. Hell, I still would!

[ChrisoftheNorth]

That's the thing...at the end of it, what you make out of your college experience is on you. Could have a shit time at an elitist private school and go nowhere (I know people like this), or could destroy it at a good school for free and be set on a trajectory to stratospheric wealth. Nobody really cares what school you went to after 5 years in the workforce.

I disagree, elite schools matter. You can obviously prove yourself otherwise (Ala Bill Gates) but in general it certainly helps.

It'll help you get started for sure, but once you're rolling it's professional experience that matters more than the school you went to...at least from my experience.