Thread by @jennthetutor

@balderdashHere4 @DeeSTEM_Teach @RachelLitLady1 @MoniseLSeward Lets reframe away from irresponsible. I went to law school and have significantly more debt than this. Everyone believed giving me at 23 debt that would take 20-25 years to pay off was responsible

People encouraged it. You’ll pay it all back quickly they said

@balderdashHere4 @DeeSTEM_Teach @RachelLitLady1 @MoniseLSeward It’s actually almost impossible to graduate undergrad now with less than 100k yet the colleges throwing students into debt have millions if not billions in endowment and spend millions marketing to students saying it’s worth it.

@balderdashHere4 @DeeSTEM_Teach @RachelLitLady1 @MoniseLSeward All to say we can’t frame these conversations with I know it is perceived that $$$,$$$ is irresponsible and $$,$$$ is not…

I just think we need to move away from any conversation that says I see that but

I can’t see that. All I see is this should all be free

@balderdashHere4 @DeeSTEM_Teach @RachelLitLady1 @MoniseLSeward No person is irresponsible for taking on student debt to advance their career in a system that penalizes those who don’t

@balderdashHere4 @DeeSTEM_Teach @RachelLitLady1 @MoniseLSeward Let me actually walk you through how almost every student in this country ends up in debt

1. Student is told early good grades and high test scores = scholarship

@balderdashHere4 @DeeSTEM_Teach @RachelLitLady1 @MoniseLSeward 2. Student is introduced to college ranking system which is complete bs and has more to do with how rich a school is and how many rich kids they serve

@balderdashHere4 @DeeSTEM_Teach @RachelLitLady1 @MoniseLSeward 3. Student is convinced over time through marketing that certain colleges are BETTER than others
4. Student applies based on their grades to colleges where their grades are in alignment with the GPA
5. Student raises concern about price everyone says “scholarships”

@balderdashHere4 @DeeSTEM_Teach @RachelLitLady1 @MoniseLSeward 6. Top schools promise no merit based money or discount but instead 100% need met. That’s a lie almost all the time but student doesn’t find out until it’s too late consistently
7. Other schools promise scholarships that never arrive

@balderdashHere4 @DeeSTEM_Teach @RachelLitLady1 @MoniseLSeward 8. Student doesn’t realize until APRIL they ain’t getting money
9. Students aren’t informed they could apply rolling to colleges in April
10. High schools have decisions day may 1st and student feels pressured to commit

@balderdashHere4 @DeeSTEM_Teach @RachelLitLady1 @MoniseLSeward 11. Student never realizes that the scholarships were a myth, 100% need met is a false promise, & they should have applied to schools where their GPA is higher than average but not TOO MUCH higher because enrollment
12. Admissions says “this will pay off, you can pay back debt”

@balderdashHere4 @DeeSTEM_Teach @RachelLitLady1 @MoniseLSeward 13. Student whose brain hasn’t even developed commits
14, parents contribute what they can… but when they birthed the child college was what 10k-15k and now it’s 20-35k for the same college
15. Debt trap is set

100k for a 4 year degree is CHEAP now and most have to go to grad

@balderdashHere4 @DeeSTEM_Teach @RachelLitLady1 @MoniseLSeward I have a student who picked a college because they said if your parents make less than 90k it would be free. She BELIEVED THEM

IT IS NOT FREE… this college has A BILLION ENDOWED AND STUDENT EXPENSES COULD BE COVERED

She has to pay for printing, laundry, etc

@balderdashHere4 @DeeSTEM_Teach @RachelLitLady1 @MoniseLSeward Turned down an offer where all those expenses would be covered because that college lied

Colleges LIE… they raise prices when students arrive, they forget to tell you about expenses, they tell you it will be free then ops it’s not

@balderdashHere4 @DeeSTEM_Teach @RachelLitLady1 @MoniseLSeward And transferring is a mess- you lose credits

And community college is now more expensive and not covered by most pell- plus if you do it wrong you’re in a 6 year pathway and if you start working to cover it more

Debt is nearly inescapable. And it’s 100k for round 1

@balderdashHere4 @DeeSTEM_Teach @RachelLitLady1 @MoniseLSeward And you would be LUCKY if you escaped 100k for undergrad. LUCKY

So listen up- “was there a cheaper pathway” I would love for you to tell me how you get a degree for less than 100k because I only know a few pathways but feel free to share with the class