Vet School Debt Swamps the Degree's Earning Power
These complaints highlight the significant financial burden and stress experienced by students pursuing higher education. Many express gratitude for scholarships but find themselves grappling with unexpected costs, debt, and the pressure of maintaining a facade of financial stability despite facing economic hardship. The system often feels unfair and overwhelming, leaving students feeling exhausted and unsupported.
SOURCES (60)
“I was never able to really get an entry level role in or out of my major after college. Worked a warehouse job for a bit then quit. Paid 40k, roughly, in a vhcol lol. I wouldn't have survived on it on my own. We…”
“I'm going to preface this by saying that I am incredibly privileged and grateful to even have this dilemma. I am from Massachusetts, which has pretty good public universities as far as I'm aware. I got into UMass Amherst and Lowell and I expressed more interest in going to one of those schools to my parents because of the lower tuition. I was also accepted to Virginia Tech (the school I am currently going to) and my parents insisted that I attend because of their good engineering program”
Here's the context, I am an international applicant with weak finances, so I need aid. Most colleges are need-aware, so my chances to get in are pretty low. So I've decided to…
“Hello! Not looking for advice, just very proud as a 23 yr supporting-student who’s trying to graduate debt free. At 18 I moved across the country to attend school all for my “full tuition” scholarship, long story short I had to take out loans and then take a gap year to get instate tuition and recover from mental health issues. I then bought a van to have no car payment or rent but the engine went so I got a replacement knowing I could sell it and make a profit since it was paid off. I just sold”
“I have a question. Lets say I use $5,000 in student loans for the whole time I'm in college, and for interest I pay a total of $6,000. If i applied to as many scholarships as possible, completed the essays, and ended up with $20,000 in scholarships to pay off the $6,000, what happens to the other $14,000? Can I use it for whatever I'd like, like buying a PS5? Or is the 14k only limited to buying school things? My finance teacher said its "money in your pocket, you can do whatever&qu”
“I have a question. Lets say I use $5,000 in student loans for the whole time I'm in college, and for interest I pay a total of $6,000. If i applied to as many scholarships as possible, did the essays, and ended up with $20,000 in scholarships to pay off the $6,000, what happens to the other $14,000? Can I use it for whatever I'd like, like buying a PS5? Or is the 14k only limited to buying school things? My finance teacher said its "money in your pocket, you can do whatever" bu”
“How are your grades? There are a fair number of good schools that cover all costs over what you can pay (where what you can pay is based on something called the FAFSA). Many of these schools offer need-based scholarships, not loans. Some more offer loans in the mix. If you can get accepted to one of these schools, it is likely cheaper than community college. https://www.collegeessayguy.com/blog/colleges-that-offer-complete-financial-aid”
“I’m in my senior year of highschool. After I graduate, I hopefully would do premed to become a doctor. I will live with my parents in college but I will not get financial aid because they make 300k+ and they do not plan on helping with costs. I pay for everything I own and consequently don’t own many things. I can’t get a job because for that I need a car and for a car I need a job. Because I’m a minor, mandatory driving ed and testing will be 700$. I’m struggling to see how I can even progress”
“The financial aid for middle class families is pretty fucked up. Even at the most prestigious institutions—such as the ivies—they only provide financial aid for people who earn less than 200k a year, and basically nothing for households who are upper middle class. And look, I recognize that 200k is a crazy amount of money to earn in this economy, but it’s realistically a pretty big portion of America. If both of your parents work regular officer jobs and invest well, 200k is not entirely hard to”
“Is that I have $40k in student debt. The main exit targets for me are Toronto and the London, which I'll be applying for work in after I finish my MS in analytics this December. I'm pretty confident I could find decent work/money in NYC, but I am really sick of American culture and American politics. Yes, I know I'm lucky to be able to live in a cosmopolitan city, but I don't expect this to be a walk in the park either. All three cities are extremely competitive. I'll be real”
“It's very much real, I've knocked out 33 college credits and they all count towards my degree.”
“Real advice: No Associates Degree costs $40k No Associates Degree is going to get you FIRE. Professional careers that pay six figures requires a Bachelors and often a Masters. Independent wealth requires owning your own business. a Business based on an Associates degree is in the Trades. Electrician, Plumber, etc. if you have family money, you can buy houses, fix them up, and resell them.”
“i just needed to vent about this, im an upcomming senior and i plan on being a PA, not gonna go to a ivy league or very expensive or prestigeous school. i have a gpa of 3.6 - 3.7 and honestly im so stressed i have no idea why, im taking a colleve prep class along with my senior year classes to help but NONE of the places i applied to volunteet at accepted me, which is fine whatever but its making me mad since i feel like i wont get accepted into the PA schools i want to. i havent taken the SAT e”
“I'm going to lose over 40k in scholarships if I don't figure out a career path!!! I've been researching associate's programs (not interested in any bachelor's programs) but can't find one that interests me. The main criteria is that I want a role that I can transition into freelance consulting or even build up enough experience to buy and operate a small business. It would be okay if the job paid mid to high six figures too, since that would give me enough to invest to FI”
“While it's always possible this specific letter is a scam, the Ohio AG does indeed collect payment for debts owed to Ohio colleges. This isn't as bad as it sounds. They're not going to sue you. Call and discuss payment options. They'll offset your state tax return and probably garnish your wages (they have to file for a court order for that) but talking to them and setting up a payment plan should avoid all that.”
“If you can pay as you go, I would do that and then you won’t be worried about the bill. If it’s going to be very tight or crack into a nest egg you might need post graduation, it might make sense to take the loan. In theory the money in an HYSA could earn interest, but it sounds like pretty low amounts of money so the interest earned would be minimal”
“Hey so if I’m middle class (but with assets) and will get like 1k per yr aid max from privates is it even worth saying that I need fin aid or is it better to just say no for need aware places? submitted by /u/Loose-Pudding-67 [link] [comments]”
“i'm a junior and basically i've been helping with my parents at their restaurant all my life. we don't have any other workers besides us so i'm usually there every day which limits my time to do activites. i didn't have transportation and there was a lot of time conflicts. another problem is that my school is super small and uncompetitive which means that we don't offer anything. literally all we have is sports and a few random clubs with limited opportunities within them”
“I just wish I got to do things part of the “college experience”. I wish I got to study abroad. But couldn’t cause money. I wish I got to go to Miami or somewhere nice for spring break just once. Couldn’t cause guess what? Money. I wish I dated more. Part of it was I thought I had to be productive 24-7 but another part of it… you fill in the blanks. And my low income status affected how I worked and my networking, or lack thereof, and how I feel like I squandered my opportunity even if not inhere”
“I want to lay out some numbers, because I think the way we talk about student debt hides the part that actually matters. I did the responsible version of the plan. Community college first to save money — two associate degrees. Then a state university for a bachelor's in business. Then an MBA at night while working full time. I never switched majors, never took a semester off, worked through nearly all of it. Here's what the schooling cost, at the schools' published in-state rates for”
“When people talk about going back to school, I often hear that they would love to do it but cannot picture how it would actually work. Money comes up a lot, understandably. Time can be just as difficult to figure out when you already have work, kids, or a busy schedule. Some people also worry that they are too old or that too much time has passed. Is it mostly cost, time, and logistics, or is the bigger hurdle starting something new after being away from school for a while? For those who eventua”
“bro my college so expensive i could buy alot of lamborginis with this money man and will i even make these money back... fym 50K USD a semester holy. also I early decision here so i gotta go here what do i do guys. submitted by /u/Criticalstrikeisdead [link] [comments]”
“Im a south Asian student who's family earns less than 10k usd yearly, my sister was married off and im the only son. My grades aren't that impressive as ive never had the money to even buy suplementary books or go to tuitions so I've mostly relied on books and YouTube videos, luckily I've gotten a 1520 sat on my first try and im predicted to get 85-90/100 marks in my final year. I've volunteered plenty as it was the only free extra circular around me with 200 hours, and my sc”
“Hey y'all. So I'm preparing for college, I'm wondering if there's any sources and advice available for students that are middle class and parents that are retiring. For context, I don't have savings ready for university and am in the range of middle class, my parents are also close to retirement age. I'm planning to apply for scholarships and financial aid. But I feel like financial aid might be off the grid for me, and applying for the university's scholarship is com”
“You could have spent the same $150K on a Masters in Chemical Engineering and be making 3-4 times what you do now. You made a poor decision in choosing a field where you can't support yourself. You have no right to a certain salary, you must prove your worth. The market in your area seems to be saying that you're worth $50K/year. Try a different market or a different field if you don't like it.”
“My sister has the same job as you and masters degree. She didn’t get into $150,000 debt for a $50,000 a year job. She went to the local college and finished her bachelors at the local university. She did her masters at Lamar university online. She had very few school loans and paid them off quickly.”
“Yes, unfortunately education has never paid much in many cases, despite how important it is for society. Spending $150K on an education career just does not make financial sense.”
“Not everyone’s parents will pay. Mine wouldn’t cooperate to apply for financial aid since they lied about marriage. So I had to wait until I was married to apply.”
“Depends on what, but yeah, I'd rather have a degree and unemployment than just unemployment”
“Hey all - dad of three in college last year, oldest graduated in May so down to 2. All three went to private institutions but public all thru HS. Financial burden was moderate as we’d saved from birth. Background- dad was a professor at CUNY but old school so his take it or leave it offer was tuition only at NY public school. I was a reasonably smart kid so had t50 options but couldn’t go. That kinda burned me and as a result, started 529s within a month of all 3 kids births. Planning was basica”
“NYU is my dream school due to its prestigious business program but the posts I’ve seen of people receiving horrible financial aid packages are lowkey scaring me. I’m low class and live in NYC and with the NPC, my estimated tuition is $4,000 but after I take off housing, it goes down to the negatives. I’m still worried that yk I’ll get a bad financial aid package, what do you guys think? I plan on applying early decision. submitted by /u/sajidtrades [link] [comments]”
“Asking because both my sister and I got way less need-based aid from our state school than the private schools we're going to. I'm going to be a senior in college and my sister is starting her first year, so this isn't a super recent thing either. Our relatives make fun of us for being pretentious but genuinely I don't know how people are making public schools work. It might just be the state we're in, but Rutgers's in-state tuition, including room and board, was about $4”
“Nope. Tax dependency and FAFSA dependency are two different things. You child can only qualify as "independent" for financial aid purposes if she: will be 24-years old or older by January 1 of the school year for which she's applying for financial aid. is married will be enrolled in graduate school. (Masters or Doctorate) is currently serving on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces for purposes other than training. will be a veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces after serving at least o”
“Thank you!! I currently have a student loan already through the government, but it only covers the exact price of my schools tuition and nothing else unfortunately. The loan also goes directly to my school and I don't get the money myself.”
“I’m hoping you all might have some insight. I am doing grad school in a pricey city. I was fortunate to receive a full ride and a stipend that covers most of my expenses. However, it does not cover all. I am trying to get about 20k (10k/year). I tried to do a budget adjustment and it was denied. I cannot take out ANY loans because of this, private or federal. I’m really unsure how to navigate this without grad plus? What do I do? I have a 401k and a small Roth I’d prefer not to just dive into fo”
“Hi everyone, for the past 4 years I've been paying my own tuition every semester with my part-time jobs like I thought everyone else was doing. My parents can't afford to help me with my tuition but they don't make me pay rent living with them, so I'm really grateful for that. But I recently had a conversation with my colleagues the other day, and I mentioned that I pay for my own tuition out of my pocket, and they basically laughed and told me I could have saved all that money a”
“I go to a super cheap undergrad school. Like full time for the full year ( including summer) at full cost would only be 11k. I also could get a scholarship but I don’t need it. Some months I’ve spent less then $60. I have a part time job that temporarily isn’t hiring me; however during the school year I’m employed. Why would someone think I have debt? Food wise i sometimes eat peanut butter and crackers for lunch. I’m already gaurrunted a 20% discount for one of my masters degree options and may”
“I am a non-traditional student. I've had a rough upbringing and become a single mother in high school. My family did not support or understand my desire for higher education, but worse, have turned me into the black sheep for going to school. As much as I try to quiet the voices of my critics, it's hard to turn off the voice inside my head that is constantly asking if I'm truly capable of this. Today, that voice is screaming. I recently learned I won a highly competitive fellowship t”
“Private schools will always be happy to guarantee people a spot and take their money for the privelege. It's predatory and a scam.”
“I'm writing this just so that i can get it out of my head. My dad graduated from a liberal arts college where he got full scholarships and since i was little he always talk good things about it, basically how great liberal arts education is in general. So it has always been my dream to go to one of those colleges. This year I was accepted to few of them and there are 2 that offered me merit scholarships. One is 15k another is 33k. After touring all schools I truly like the college that offer”
“plz be nice im gna try to keep this brief but basically i come from a rlly low income background and i dont have money to toss around on applications. im very open to both MD and DO but dont want to spend $3k on MD apps if i rlly dont have that much of a shot. my college counselor basically told me to only apply DO, but anyway my cGPA/sGPA are 3.39/3.38, MCAT is 512. i have ~3000 clinical hours as a med assistant, 1700 research hours with 1 pub, 1 pre print & 4 posters and 320 volunteer hour”
“Hey, guys. I have received $ 2,000 in financial aid from Polygence. However, they still want $ 1,350 more. I can't pay like this. I need your help. I'm not able to attend any offline extracurriculars; my family can't afford any. I need prestigious, free remote programs. 💔 submitted by /u/Silverreach-23 [link] [comments]”
“Why? In all seriousness you’re about to sign up you and your family to an insanely expensive experience. So many on this board are chasing degrees that are literally being decimated with new hires being cut each year, and therefore employers are becoming more selective! You think it’s tough to get into finance or big tech today? Imagine how selective people will be 4 years from now People don’t want to believe me on this board- so let’s look at facts. Study the unemployment chart here for 22-27”
“Hello! Like the title says I’m in dire need of scholarships I could apply to so I can cover my freshman year of college. After some scholarships, federal aid and a federal loan, I have about 4000$ I need to pay each semester. However, sophomore, junior and senior year I am not required to have a housing and meal plan, and I plan on living in an apartment and buying my own groceries with 4 people, which will be substantially cheaper and I can pay for with my own job. So really the issue is coveri”
“So I was supposed to transfer into a UT this coming fall. The thing is, my FAFSA wasn’t processed at my new uni because they are missing tax return forms. My dad, as an undocumented immigrant decided to stop doing his taxes out of fear and anger towards the current administration. He had previously completed them up until now. I feel angry at him and find it hypocritical, but it’s outside my control. Anyways, I’ve decided to take a gap semester/year in order to figure out what to do. I am applyi”
“I think I sound selfish writing this, but I wanted to see if I’m in the wrong here. It‘s August now and I’m about to start my freshman year of college. I never thought I’d be able to attend an elite private university, and I’m so grateful that I’m here. However, it was a lot of work to try and afford it. My parents are divorced. My dad and stepmom make slightly more than $300k, and my mom makes a little less than $300k. According to my mom, my dad confirmed two years ago that he was “able and wi”
“So I'm currently trying to pay for college. I'm a sophmore, and my father covered the first two semesters, which I'm greatful for, but now its on me to cover college for myself. Ive already gotten all I can out of financial aid, and still owe about 7kUSD. My question is, who do I get a loan from? I have no standing credit, but my father has pretty good credit, although I dont know if that counts as a co-signer. I'm kinda lost right now. I've already tried with my bank/credit”
“paid tutoring or a real internship, not some “passive income” course nonsense”
“3 questions: 1) are the “if you family makes under xyz amount, full ride” slogans true? or is there some fine print to it? is it grant money or loans? 2) is “100% demonstrated need met” true? would that mean aid is more negotiable at that college? 3) would colleges take into account financially irresponsible parents and where could i list that? my custodial parent doesnt believe in savings, and now has a 40k loan w an 8% interest rate for my brother‘s undergrad education and he now has to transf”
“A lot of people were telling me going to community college would be cheaper, but my community college doesn’t have my major, and even if I did go just for my gen eds I would still need to go to a 4 year college anyways. I also really want to get away from here. This major is the only thing that I’m actually good at, and I don’t know what else I would even be capable of doing with my life. I think I might just give up at this point. I’m about to start my senior year, and I don’t have motivation b”
“For anyone trying to get out of poverty, please at least do the FAFSA to see what your options are. If you are low enough income, you likely will qualify for college completely free. Apply to community college. They will generally offer classes asynchronous. This means you dont have to attend with anyone at the same time, it is all go at your own pace as long as you turn in assignments on time. May take some rearranging of your schedule but nothing egregious. I did this then transferred to a che”