[quote="Section3" post=394874][quote="panther2" post=394842][quote="William T. Cicio" post=393246]I entered the school of pharmacy under the GI Bill in 1956. The then 4 yr. program cost $900.00 per year or $3,600.00 for 4 yrs and the total number of credits 160. That was the biggest bargain in my life for a wonderful Catholic education and an outstanding pharmacy education. I look at today's 6 yr. Doctorate program cost and I shudder. I truly was fortunate.[/quote]
When I decided to return to college as a 34 year old freshman in 1982, the tuition was 3,000.00 a year and stayed around that amount until I graduated in 1986. I also received Pell and TAP grants. I was working after my first semester but did not make that much money.
This means that in the 30 years between 56 and 86, the tuition may have increased fourfold. By 2006, the tuition increased to around 50,000.00 a year. This is more than 15 x what it was in 1986. Is it really worth it? I am not talking about St Johns, but any school.
I majored in Human Service and Counseling, which was part of the School of Education. At that time, there were a lot more males majoring in Education. Now, a young man thinking about getting married and raising a family can't afford to Major in Education or Social Work. Careers in both of these fields require Master's Degrees which means an additional two years of Education.
In my case, once I graduated, I got a good job at Beth Israel Medial Center. After a few years, my employer paid for me to attend Graduate School at NYU. These types of programs no longer exist. Before I returned to college, I worked at the NY Telephone Co., they also had a program where employees could go to school for free.
I guess what I am trying to point out is that the world has changed in regards to how students and employees are viewed over the past 40 - 50 years. Corporate greed has taken over. No longer are employees encouraged and assisted in improving themselves, now it is about the bottom line and showing profits for shareholders.
My wife and I are in our 70's, raising our granddaughter who will be a freshman in high school in September. By the time she is ready for college, tuition will be over $70,000.00 a year. 60% of the country makes less than $50,000.00 a year. Something is very wrong here.
This problem is a lot more complicated than just St Johns or any school, it boils down to the disenfranchisement of most individuals in today's America.[/quote]
Great points Panther and in my opinion - none are worth the price. And, in today’s environment, some corporations may be more liberal in their hiring practices - and not require that a candidate “checked the box”. Further, while $ isn’t everything, some degrees simply guarantee that you’ll never make enough to pay off a loan.
For me, I had one kid, sent her to Penn State (as an out of stater). . .she majored in Public Relations. . .making very little $ and has since gone back to her first love - Broadway and was performing on the Disney Cruise Line until the pandemic.
Fortunately, I sucked it up for 4 years and allowed her to come out with no debt. If I had to do it again - not so sure.
Better off becoming a plumber. Don’t think I’ve met one who isn’t doing well.
[/quote]
Section 3,
About eight years ago I needed some muscle to help with heavy yard work at my home upstate. I found a guy at the local garage where day laborers gathered to find work and he helped me multiple times. I have enough Spanish and he had enough English for me to get his history.
His mom had a green card and lived in New Jersey. She developed Alzheimer's and could not and would never pass the citizenship test. He was out of luck but not for the first time.
He had been a plumber at a bottling plant in the capital of Honduras (I forget if it was coke or pepsi) and the cartels came in to his neighborhood and demanded almost all his income if he wanted to stay alive.
Bottom line, master plumber with no legal status and maybe no longer here.