Support NeoGAF

Jakoo · Jan 20, 2016

The average borrower owes $28,000, though some owe much more than that. Many former students, trapped between low wages and the high cost of education, can barely afford to keep up with interest payments, let alone start paying off the principal.

Some people are put in so desperate a spot they have attempted to bail on their loans by fleeing the country and hiding out from the banks and collection agencies that will inevitably start looking for them.

I for one got incredibly frustrated by this article, in all facets: Frustrated at the high cost of education. Frustrated by the student loan mechanisms that just "plop" a potentially larger-then-necessary lump sum of money in your account without giving guidance on how best to budget it. And actually, kind of frustrated at the mindsets of the students that took out the loans and actively decided to default on them, which looking at it from a macro sense would put some burden on those that do pay them.

The saddest thing is that clearly the system as it stands today has made it such that fleeing the country, an option typically reserved for actual criminals, is apparently a viable option that some people have been caught up in the student loan debt spiral.

Has anyone here been so crippled by student loans in the US that they considered just up and leaving?

Team Alucard · Jan 20, 2016

I have contemplated doing this.

I don't know how you would find success in Europe though. Their youth unemployment numbers make the job market in America look good in comparison. At least in Asia you would have decent job security teaching english.

HStallion · Jan 20, 2016

Don't a lot of these loan companies start coming after your family and such for the cash even if you don't pay?

entremet · Jan 20, 2016

Team Alucard said:
I have contemplated doing this.

I don't know how you would find success in Europe though. Their youth unemployment numbers make the job market in America look good in comparison. At least in Asia you would have decent job security teaching english.

Hah. I was waiting for you and there you are with the first post lol.

HStallion said:
Don't a lot of these loan companies start coming after your family and such for the cash even if you don't pay?

Only if there were stupid to cosign your loans.

Legally they can't go after anyone but the borrower and any cosigners, if cosigners were used.

Team Alucard · Jan 20, 2016

HStallion said:
Don't a lot of these loan companies start coming after your family and such for the cash even if you don't pay?

Only if they co-signed. If they didn't then they're not liable for anything.

Persona7 · Jan 20, 2016

I probably won't ever finish college because the last two years will cost me an assload and it's only going to increase.

Dot-N-Run · Jan 20, 2016

Team Alucard said:
I have contemplated doing this.

I don't know how you would find success in Europe though. Their youth unemployment numbers make the job market in America look good in comparison. At least in Asia you would have decent job security teaching english.

There was another thread fairly recently with someone contemplating something similar (but they were already living outside the US). Makes me wonder how common it really is.

Finaj · Jan 20, 2016

I don't think I could abandon my country and family over debt. Then again, I don't think I'd ever accumulate enough debt to make the trip worth it.

Jakoo · Jan 20, 2016

Team Alucard said:
I have contemplated doing this.

I don't know how you would find success in Europe though. Their youth unemployment numbers make the job market in America look good in comparison. At least in Asia you would have decent job security teaching english.

Yeah it seems totally risky. For example, if you find in a job in a European country and start paying European taxes, wouldn't you need a work visa of some kind? It seems like you'd have to be living completely off the radar in terms of a immigration perspective which, given the job situation in Europe, would make it awful hard to find steady work.

HStallion said:
Don't a lot of these loan companies start coming after your family and such for the cash even if you don't pay?

I think it depends on who cosigns the loan. My loan was signed off by my Mom, but was paid off by me. I know there are also instances where parents and students cosign the loan.

I am not sure how often you could get a student loan just in your name as a graduating high school senior, because if you default on the loan, I don't know think there is a legal obligation for parents to bail you out of it if their names aren't also included. With a cosigned loan though, they could go after that sweet parental loot.

Team Alucard · Jan 20, 2016

Jakoo said:
Yeah it seems totally risky. For example, if you find in a job in a European country and start paying European taxes, wouldn't you need a work visa of some kind? It seems like you'd have to be living completely off the radar in terms of a immigration perspective which, given the job situation in Europe, would make it awful hard to find steady work.

Exactly. Its very easy to get a visa and find a job teaching English in Asia, but I don't see how someone who can't find a job in America is going to find one in Europe where the economy is way worse and they have no connections whatsoever.

Visualante2 · Jan 20, 2016

Believe this is something kiwis have been doing also.

MindofKB · Jan 20, 2016

A lot of this is chalked up to terrible planning.

Take that Vanessa lady for example:

1) Went to a community college for 2 years (great idea to save money)

2) Transferred to a private school (red flag financially) that didn't accept all of her credits (red flag financially) and she had to pay $35,000/year in tuition (VERY red flag financially).

3) Moved to Berlin the DAY OF GRADUATION (Huh? You didn't even try to find a job in the U.S. after graduation?)

4) "A year ago, I was working in a fancy restaurant in Berlin making good money with tips" (So at 28, you were a waitress in Berlin and you were happy. Why did you even go to college? You could have taken German in high school, skipped college, and moved to Germany. Hell, you could have just been a waitress at a nice restaurant in the U.S.)

Piss poor planning ruined this woman. She only has herself to blame and simply fleeing to another country isn't a great solution.

lastplayed · Jan 20, 2016

Visualante2 said:
Believe this is something kiwis have been doing also.

I was a bit naughty and just moved to the UK and didn't tell the government. A few years later I got a phone call at like 7am and there was this kiwi girl on the other end from Inland Revenue. I have no fucking idea how they found me, but we worked out some payments. I'm back in NZ now and dutifully paying off my loan, somewhat belatedly.

Voysa Reezun · Jan 20, 2016

Many other first world countries have free higher education systems that are superior to our system which forces most students to pay.

The market forces people to get degrees to acquire jobs that didn't need degrees before (for example, why the fuck is there, at many schools, an A.A. for being an administrative assistant, i.e. a secretary)?

The representatives of the government continue to cut funding and force higher tuition payments on students

The schools are run by administrations more concerned about business than education. Admin sends out reports on student retention and student sign-ups solely to indicate from quarter to quarter or semester to semester how many customers they have. Admin uses phrases like "customer service" when dictating to their instructors how to approach student relations, and students often think they are customers too, just paying to be here and be handed a degree after two or four years.

So until this gets fixed, I say anyone who skips out on their debts (and I know a guy who did that and lives in South East Asia with his wife) doesn't really have a moral or ethical obligation to pay them back anyway.

ZackieChan · Jan 20, 2016

None of these people, nor the author or "Student Loan Lawyer," mention IBR or PAYE programs. Are they not eligible?

Guileless · Jan 20, 2016

When I was in high school my roommate had a book about top colleges that listed tuition and room/board for each. We would laugh and laugh about how much the private schools in the northeast cost. His dad had agreed to pay his college costs in his parents' divorce, and he joked about telling his dad he had decided to go to Middlebury, which was the most expensive in 1995 when that book was published.

Deleted member 1235 · Jan 20, 2016

Team Alucard said:
I have contemplated doing this.

I don't know how you would find success in Europe though. Their youth unemployment numbers make the job market in America look good in comparison. At least in Asia you would have decent job security teaching english.

i went on europe with 28000 nzd debt and paid it all back with euros in 3 years. i could have defaulted on it probably, but you can never go back. imagine crossing customs to see family and getting a 'right this way sir'. saying 'fuck government!' is a cooler story than it is a reality.

Jakoo · Jan 20, 2016

One thing that drew me to this piece was the combined set of pity and annoyance I felt for the people that they interviewed. This was one line that encapsulated the mood of the piece for me:

I think at this point I owe about $40,000. I really, truly, honestly don't want to pay it back. Sure, I realize the responsibility I took on when I signed the papers and agreed to take out the loans, but I should have never had to do it in the first place. I feel some sort of civic duty not to pay them back, as if my small protest will make any kind of difference.

I understand the fact that a lot of people believe that college should be completely subsidized. However, this sentiment (which is echoed by others in the article), isn't a reality today. As of today, college isn't free. If I bought a car, with the hopes that the political climate would swing in such a way to make cars free, people would think I am absolutely crazy for then refusing to pay for the car.

Student loan interest rates are high enough as it is, and it's frustrating to hear the people defaulting on them almost proud of defaulting on them as other people struggle to pay them. Ultimately, if the loans are on the macro-level considered riskier, it might raise the interest rates of them even more so, putting more burden on those who pay the loans

It's tough though, because, having been in the guys situation, I also sympathize with his sentiments. Graduating high school, you feel like you need to go to not just any college, but the best college, and it's difficult to think of the ramifications what loans you need to take out to make that happen.

Looking back, I don't think there was ever effective enough messaging from my education system saying that going to community college for a couple years and then going to a state school was a good choice for people that that can't afford tuition with straight cash--it was more shoot for the best, take out the loans, and the financials will "work themselves out".

It's like the emotional center of my brain and the rational center of my brains are at odds with one another.

Visualante2 · Jan 20, 2016

lastplayed said:
I was a bit naughty and just moved to the UK and didn't tell the government. A few years later I got a phone call at like 7am and there was this kiwi girl on the other end from Inland Revenue. I have no fucking idea how they found me, but we worked out some payments. I'm back in NZ now and dutifully paying off my loan, somewhat belatedly.

The impression I got was that it was entirely voluntary. They can have no way to work out what you're earning while abroad...

Phantast2k · Jan 20, 2016

I wonder why so few Americans come to Europe to study here.
Newsflash everyone: it's practically free in most places. Even in Germany's top unis you'll pay no more than ~ 300 per semester.
So overall, if you can complete your BA in 3 years, you'll pay 1800 for top class education, especially when it comes stuff like engineering. Those fees also net you a public transportation pass in the area you study in. A lot of the times this pass extends to the whole state. Everything is cheap as fuck for students. Subsidized housing, food in the cafeteria.
All you have to do is prove some basic ass proficiency in German.
And then you'll notice that a lot of courses are held in English anyways, often the professors are foreign too.

Stop getting in student loan debt, you dumbasses.

(or get in less student debt to study in Europe)

Ferrio · Jan 20, 2016

MindofKB said:
Piss poor planning ruined this woman. She only has herself to blame and simply fleeing to another country isn't a great solution.

Yes it was terrible planning, but what do you expect when our country expects mere children to make probably the biggest financial decision in their life? Any other bad decisions they can declare bankruptcy, learn from their fuck up and build their life up again.

segasonic · Jan 20, 2016

Jakoo said:
Link From Vice

I for one got incredibly frustrated by this article, in all facets: Frustrated at the high cost of education. Frustrated by the student loan mechanisms that just "plop" a potentially larger-then-necessary lump sum of money in your account without giving guidance on how best to budget it. And actually, kind of frustrated at the mindsets of the students that took out the loans and actively decided to default on them, which looking at it from a macro sense would put some burden on those that do pay them.

The saddest thing is that clearly the system as it stands today has made it such that fleeing the country, an option typically reserved for actual criminals, is apparently a viable option that some people have been caught up in the student loan debt spiral.

Has anyone here been so crippled by student loans in the US that they considered just up and leaving?

Should have studied in Europe instead. German university is free. Get a Masters degree for 0.

Somnid · Jan 20, 2016

Everyone should at least attempt college. But I think that's the problem, many do and then have nothing to show for it but undefaultable debt. It's very easy to change course in life, especially at a young age and not really understand where it's leading or that the things people tell you don't actually matter to you, or that it doesn't work out like you thought it would. This is why getting locked in is so damaging. You can't allocate 10 years of your life to repaying a mistake, you need the ability to move on.

ANDS · Jan 20, 2016

Where was the career planning? Why didn't you take advantage of the transition from community to state college/University? Why didn't you weigh cost with prestige?

Questions that never seem to get asked in this kinds of articles?

And seriously 25K? You ran because of 25K? Are you nuts?

Ferrio said:
Yes it was terrible planning, but what do you expect when our country expects mere children to make probably the biggest financial decision in their life? Any other bad decisions they can declare bankruptcy, learn from their fuck up and build their life up again.

Many (at least more than a few in that article) do not make this decision in a vacuum. Maybe you have this excuse before the internet became a thing on your phone (I remember talking to counselors and local financial aid officers near my school), but not now.

RS4- · Jan 20, 2016

There are plenty of people that do that here, rack up the debt, then bail back to China or HK after school.

injurai · Jan 20, 2016

Phantast2k said:
I wonder why so few Americans come to Europe to study here.
Newsflash everyone: it's practically free in most places. Even in Germany's top unis you'll pay no more than ~ 300 per semester.
So overall, if you can complete your BA in 3 years, you'll pay 1800 for top class education, especially when it comes stuff like engineering. Those fees also net you a public transportation pass in the area you study in. A lot of the times this pass extends to the whole state. Everything is cheap as fuck for students. Subsidized housing, food in the cafeteria.
All you have to do is prove some basic ass proficiency in German.
And then you'll notice that a lot of courses are held in English anyways, often the professors are foreign too.

Stop getting in student loan debt, you dumbasses.

(or get in less student debt to study in Europe)

Wait, Americans can get the rates that are offered to the citizens in European countries? I'm so used to people being charged out the ass just for getting an education in a state that they aren't a permanent resident in.

lastplayed · Jan 20, 2016

Visualante2 said:
The impression I got was that it was entirely voluntary. They can have no way to work out what you're earning while abroad...

Yeah they couldn't really do anything if I chose not to. But I did want to go back to NZ at some point and didn't want to find myself in any more trouble. The reason they called was about some amnesty thing where they lopped off some interest if you started making payments.

Team Alucard · Jan 20, 2016

ANDS said:
Where was the career planning? Why didn't you take advantage of the transition from community to state college/University? Why didn't you weigh cost with prestige?

It still costs a ton.

Let's just look at my state for example. The cheapest community college is about 3k a semester, or 6k a year. The State University I currently go to is 10k a year at minimum (its 11k if you're a business or engineering major, and 12k if you're a junior/senior business or engineering major).

Assuming you go the cheapest route, and are also working full-time and able to cover all your living expenses, you're still looking at 32-to-36,000 in tuition alone, and that's not even factoring in textbooks, which are a racket in-and-of themselves.

Jakoo said:
It's tough though, because, having been in the guys situation, I also sympathize with his sentiments. Graduating high school, you feel like you need to go to not just any college, but the best college, and it's difficult to think of the ramifications what loans you need to take out to make that happen.

Looking back, I don't think there was ever effective enough messaging from my education system saying that going to community college for a couple years and then going to a state school was a good choice for people that that can't afford tuition with straight cash--it was more shoot for the best, take out the loans, and the financials will "work themselves out".

Here's the thing though, while the education you receive from a cheaper public school may be the same as the one you get from an elite private one, the networking opportunities (which are what actually matter when it comes to the job search) absolutely are not. So while telling someone to go to a shit school may save them money, it will handicap their chances of actually finding gainful employment.

Familienoberhauptvogel · Jan 20, 2016

Immigration because of financial reasons is much more common than of fear prosecution.

just saiyan

To be on the safe side prosecution not persecution

segasonic · Jan 20, 2016

injurai said:
Wait, Americans can get the rates that are offered to the citizens in European countries? I'm so used to people being charged out the ass just for getting an education in a state that they aren't a permanent resident in.

Citizens of planet earth get the rate... I believe that includes Americans.

MindofKB · Jan 20, 2016

Ferrio said:
Yes it was terrible planning, but what do you expect when our country expects mere children to make probably the biggest financial decision in their life? Any other bad decisions they can declare bankruptcy, learn from their fuck up and build their life up again.

Yeah it's really rough for people to have to decide what they want to do at such a young age, but she could have still stayed in the same major and gone to a state school. She also could have at least TRIED to find a job in the U.S. and ATTEMPT to pay her loans. She fled the country before she even knew what her first payment would be. That kind of attitude towards adversity is pure cowardice. Yeah, paying off debt sucks, I owe $30,000 in student loans and it scares me too, but I'm going to give it my best shot.

Jakoo · Jan 20, 2016

Voysa Reezun said:
So until this gets fixed, I say anyone who skips out on their debts (and I know a guy who did that and lives in South East Asia with his wife) doesn't really have a moral or ethical obligation to pay them back anyway.

I can't say I agree with this sentiment--if you are going to say "fuck the system" but still reap all of the benefits of the system, I think it in the long run puts the burden on those who decide to deal with the system lumps and all.

I know a handful of people that decided to forgo college and self taught themselves things like programming using free online resources and now work for major software companies. Obviously this isn't an option for all people, but I personally think there is something ethically wrong with signing a contract, knowing that you are going to renege on it down the line.

Obviously though, ethics vary from person to person, so I doubt we would do a good job of convincing one another of each others opinions on this matter

.

SecretMoblin · Jan 20, 2016

MindofKB said:
A lot of this is chalked up to terrible planning.

Take that Vanessa lady for example:

1) Went to a community college for 2 years (great idea to save money)

2) Transferred to a private school (red flag financially) that didn't accept all of her credits (red flag financially) and she had to pay $35,000/year in tuition (VERY red flag financially).

3) Moved to Berlin the DAY OF GRADUATION (Huh? You didn't even try to find a job in the U.S. after graduation?)

4) "A year ago, I was working in a fancy restaurant in Berlin making good money with tips" (So at 28, you were a waitress in Berlin and you were happy. Why did you even go to college? You could have taken German in high school, skipped college, and moved to Germany. Hell, you could have just been a waitress at a nice restaurant in the U.S.)

Piss poor planning ruined this woman. She only has herself to blame and simply fleeing to another country isn't a great solution.

I agree somewhat. There are a lot of legitimate gripes with the way the entire system operates but there are also plenty of self-limiting, destructive choices made by college students. Lack of financial education in high school and cultural pressure to attend a four-year and pay for it through loans is obnoxious, but so is the mindset that you can delay adulthood for four more years after high school while you accrue massive debt, party a ton, and figure your life out.

Those things are fine! They just also have consequences. And pooh-poohing the consequences as the exclusive fault of society isn't going to help these guys and gals grow, learn, and educate the next generation of fuckups.

gatti-man · Jan 20, 2016

I know our college structure sucks that being said:

If you're going to take out the loans you should pay it back. You're an adult making an adult decision to take out a ton of money. You are investing in your future and if you don't want to take out loans you work your ass off or do both.

I worked full time during college. Yes it sucked. And I took out loans. Graduated with 25k plus debt. Then worked 6-7 days a week the first year I got out to pay it all off. Why? Because I chose to take out that money. No one held a gun to my head. I could have gone in the military. I could have gone to a cheaper college. I could have taken it more seriously and got done in 4 years not 5. I could have lived cheaper. But I didn't.

If you don't like the hand you're given then make choices. Don't take the money then run. It's disgusting to me that people do this.

Phantast2k · Jan 20, 2016

injurai said:
Wait, Americans can get the rates that are offered to the citizens in European countries? I'm so used to people being charged out the ass just for getting an education in a state that they aren't a permanent resident in.

You pay NADA except for the fees I listed. At my home cities' (Dortmund) uni it's 262.57 per semster:
http://www.aaa.tu-dortmund.de/cms/e...y_Life/Financial_support/Financing/index.html

Atomic Playboy · Jan 20, 2016

Jakoo said:
One thing that drew me to this piece was the combined set of pity and annoyance I felt for the people that they interviewed. This was one line that encapsulated the mood of the piece for me:

I think at this point I owe about $40,000. I really, truly, honestly don't want to pay it back. Sure, I realize the responsibility I took on when I signed the papers and agreed to take out the loans, but I should have never had to do it in the first place. I feel some sort of civic duty not to pay them back, as if my small protest will make any kind of difference.

Click to expand...

That might be the most entitled drivel I've ever read. What a complete jackass.

Phantast2k said:
I wonder why so few Americans come to Europe to study here.
Newsflash everyone: it's practically free in most places. Even in Germany's top unis you'll pay no more than ~ 300 per semester.
All you have to do is prove some basic ass proficiency in German.

Q: Someone who speaks two languages is bilingual, and someone who speaks three languages is trilingual... so what do they call someone who only speaks one language?
A: American.

Beyond the obvious language barrier, it's not as simple as "school is cheap here;" it removes the infrastructure that everyone is familiar with in their lives. The vast majority of college attendees stay near enough to home that they can still rely on family for support, and moving overseas is significantly more involved than moving 100 miles down the freeway. That, and don't European education institutions favor domestic students? That's certainly the case with American institutions, which offer tremendous tuition incentives for local students.

Voror · Jan 20, 2016

I'm still trying to pay through the interest of my loans and on part time jobs I don't make enough to make much of a dent as the interest just accumulates. Anything with a decent wage and full time would probably let me actually make some leeway, but I honestly don't see this getting paid off until I'm in my thirties. Maybe even later.

Never thought of something like this and wouldn't anyway. Just seems a bad idea all around. I'll just deal with it.

injurai · Jan 20, 2016

Phantast2k said:
You pay NADA except for the fees I listed. At my home cities' (Dortmund) uni it's € 262.57 per semster:
http://www.aaa.tu-dortmund.de/cms/e...y_Life/Financial_support/Financing/index.html

This looks really enticing for grad programs. Thanks for letting me know about this.

gatti-man · Jan 20, 2016

Ferrio said:
Yes it was terrible planning, but what do you expect when our country expects mere children to make probably the biggest financial decision in their life? Any other bad decisions they can declare bankruptcy, learn from their fuck up and build their life up again.

Part of being an adult is owning up to your mistakes. Chucking and running is not being an adult.

Jakoo · Jan 20, 2016

SecretMoblin said:
I agree somewhat. There are a lot of legitimate gripes with the way the entire system operates but there are also plenty of self-limiting, destructive choices made by college students. Lack of financial education in high school and cultural pressure to attend a four-year and pay for it through loans is obnoxious, but so is the mindset that you can delay adulthood for four more years after high school while you accrue massive debt, party a ton, and figure your life out.

Those things are fine! They just also have consequences. And pooh-poohing the consequences as the exclusive fault of society isn't going to help these guys and gals grow, learn, and educate the next generation of fuckups.

I do think that student loan debt, to this extent, will live and die with this generation. When I become a parent, I think I will be much better equipped to advise my kids on college planning then my parents were, and will be able to set realistic bounds of what is affordable vs not. I think the vision a lot of Baby Boomers had as parents was that "college = stable career" and that they didn't need to do that much long term planning to justify the risk of the loans. Clearly for a lot of people nowadays, the risk hasn't paid off.

Ferrio · Jan 20, 2016

MindofKB said:
Yeah it's really rough for people to have to decide what they want to do at such a young age, but she could have still stayed in the same major and gone to a state school. She also could have at least TRIED to find a job in the U.S. and ATTEMPT to pay her loans. She fled the country before she even knew what her first payment would be. That kind of attitude towards adversity is pure cowardice. Yeah, paying off debt sucks, I owe $30,000 in student loans and it scares me too, but I'm going to give it my best shot.

Granted, she should of atleast stuck around for a bit, but I'm still not going to fault people for fleeing. We can bitch about student loans all day, but they're never going to care unless they start losing money on the deal.

gatti-man said:
Part of being an adult is owning up to your mistakes. Chucking and running is not being an adult.

Right but the initial agreements weren't made as an adult. Yes you may graduate as an adult (arguable), but by then it's too late.

MindofKB · Jan 20, 2016

SecretMoblin said:
I agree somewhat. There are a lot of legitimate gripes with the way the entire system operates but there are also plenty of self-limiting, destructive choices made by college students. Lack of financial education in high school and cultural pressure to attend a four-year and pay for it through loans is obnoxious, but so is the mindset that you can delay adulthood for four more years after high school while you accrue massive debt, party a ton, and figure your life out.

Those things are fine! They just also have consequences. And pooh-poohing the consequences as the exclusive fault of society isn't going to help these guys and gals grow, learn, and educate the next generation of fuckups.

I see your point, I just have no respect for someone who won't even take a shot at handling their responsibilities.

If she had said,"I graduated, got a job, and couldn't manage the monthly payment. I wasn't making enough to pay it and pay rent, so I left" I'd have so much more respect for her. Remember, you get 6 months to 1 year after graduation before your first payment is due. She fled the country the day she graduated. That's the action of someone who had known for quite some time that they weren't even going to try to pay a dime back.

CopperPuppy · Jan 20, 2016

ZackieChan said:
None of these people, nor the author or "Student Loan Lawyer," mention IBR or PAYE programs. Are they not eligible?

It's odd that it wasn't mentioned, but it's also worth noting that debt forgiven under those programs is taxed as income to the extent of one's solvency. For MDs and JDs with student loan debt in the $100k-$200k range, this is a serious threat and discourages natural accumulation of assets, as illiquid assets like a house or retirement account may have to be liquidated to satisfy a tax bill that accounts for your forgiven student loan debt to the extent of those assets.

Ziltoidia 9 · Jan 20, 2016

I could understand if it was like 200k or something...but 40k or so isn't worth leaving the country over.

Alucrid · Jan 20, 2016

as someone currently paying off their student loans these are the least sympathetic stories about the plight of people taking on student loans

old · Jan 20, 2016

I don't blame them. America sold them out. They sold out America. Get what you give. Education should be fully funded by taxes.

ClosingADoor · Jan 20, 2016

Phantast2k said:
You pay NADA except for the fees I listed. At my home cities' (Dortmund) uni it's 262.57 per semster:
http://www.aaa.tu-dortmund.de/cms/e...y_Life/Financial_support/Financing/index.html

I'm guessing lessons are in German right? That's a major obstacle for a lot of studies out you aren't fluent.

Wonder if Americans would be cheaper off in the UK or Canada then. Can you transfer those degrees no problem and have them recognized in the US?

Drensch · Jan 20, 2016

Jakoo said:
One thing that drew me to this piece was the combined set of pity and annoyance I felt for the people that they interviewed.

My pity dried up real quick. A lot of them sound like deadbeats that planned on fucking everyone else and trying to live it up in Europe. Film school? Private NY university?

Call the whambulance. There are actual families and students struggling and working multiple jobs, going to state universities and the like. Is there a problem with funding college and predatory lending? Yes. But these people don't get my sympathy.

ANDS · Jan 20, 2016

Team Alucard said:
It still costs a ton.

Let's just look at my state for example. The cheapest community college is about 3k a semester, or 6k a year. The State University I currently go to is 10k a year at minimum (its 11k if you're a business or engineering major, and 12k if you're a junior/senior business or engineering major).

Then you people are the exception not the rule. If in-state tuition is THAT much, you should have revolted years ago.

Here's the thing though, while the education you receive from a cheaper public school may be the same as the one you get from an elite private one, the networking opportunities (which are what actually matter when it comes to the job search) absolutely are not. So while telling someone to go to a shit school may save them money, it will handicap their chances of actually finding gainful employment.

If you're interested in a career where networking is vital to future success, then you should be ready and willing to suffer some pain financially if you want to get into a "top tier" school.

I also reject this idea that community colleges are "shit schools"; this is why we have the problem we do, because you folks default to this idea that an effective planner can not get an excellent education with an excellent future at anything other than some over monied school.

MindofKB · Jan 20, 2016

Alucrid said:
as someone currently paying off their student loans these are the least sympathetic stories about the plight of people taking on student loans

Exactly.

- One person fled the day of graduation without even attempting a single payment.
- One person had a full ride scholarship, fucked it up by getting a "D" then had to take out loans and eventually fled
- One person went to film school, realized he didn't like the loan system and then fled
- One person just decided not to pay and fled, even though he has friends he went to school with who have successfully paid off their loans, so he knows it's doable. Still won't do it.

Support NeoGAF

VICE: Meet the Americans Who Moved to Europe and Went AWOL on Their Student Debt

Member

Banned

Now what's the next step in your master plan?

Member

Banned

Banned

Member

Member

Member

Banned

Member

Member

Member

Banned

Member

Temp Banned for Remedial Purposes

Deleted member 1235

Unconfirmed Member

Member

Member

Member

Banned

Member

Member

Banned

Member

Banned

Member

Banned

Banned

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Banned

Member

Member

Banned

Member

Member

Member

Banned

Member

Member

Member

Banned

Member

Similar threads