(The Anon Guy) – An interesting post about a college student finding herself and family with $100K in student loans (for a BA in English, no less). While most people are telling her to stop whining about it because it was her own doing, and her woe-is-me lament can be annoying, the thing that caught my eye was when she said she avoided her local college despite having a financial aid package “which would have basically paid (her) to go there.”
That school was UNLV.
It begs the question of how bad must a school be that a student would rather acquire a six-figure debt and go somewhere else, in this case Tulane, than attend? In fact, one of the more sympathetic comments was from a UNLV graduate who agrees with her decision and is, himself, ditching a full-ride offer from their law school to go elsewhere.
Of course, that’s just two people and I’m sure there are many UNLV grads who will be more than willing to go on the record saying their school is the greatest thing since sliced bread. So you take that for what it’s worth. But, according to the U.S. News and Reports, UNLV is a Tier 4 school — the bottom quarter.
What makes the story interesting, though, is the current battle over budget cuts and Nevada’s universities.
I could see this student’s plight being used by both sides. Those against cuts would say, “See, we are losing students because our schools rank so low and need more funding to be competitive,” while the other side will counter, “See, we’ve already spent money for decades and we are still in the bottom rankings. Even students with full-rides prefer to go elsewhere.”
(The Anon Guy writes the Dullard Mush blog in Nevada)
Going that deep in debt is really dumb and then that student will default on the debt
Obviously math wasn’t one of her better subjects. Either that or the story is bull because they don’t want the school getting any cuts. Got news for you people UNLV is not the only school in america that is getting cuts!!!
What I find interesting is that UNLV is a Tier 4 school AND the K-12 is ranked at the bottom also. Who are the people for us to hold accountable for this dismal failure? To keep throwing money at it is not the solution. Kids received a better education in a one-room schoolhouse with only a slate a piece of chalk. Not much money involved there. I guess 100 years ago being a Teacher meant that you actually did some “teaching”.
Transparency and Accountability are the two main ingredients missing from our school system.
Tim,
Here’s the original story over at The Huffington Post — College Debt: $100,000 Deep (Video).
Budget cuts at UNLV or any other school wasn’t a factor in her story. It was basically someone, in her own words and video, who is apparently clueless about money and debt. The UNLV part was my take when she had casually mentioned she didn’t want to attend the school despite a great financial aid package. A decision I bet she, and her mom, greatly regret at this point.
I attended UNLV for 2 years. After being forced to drop math classes 4 semesters in a row because they were all being taught by graduate teacher assistants that had absolutely no clue how to teach I left. The numerous times I went to chemistry, literature and biology teachers for ‘during officer hours’ help and being immediately told to hire a tutor just added to my realization that UNLV professors, not all of them just a damn lot of them, were just not interested in teaching or couldn’t be bothered to. I have talked to many students since then that have had the exact same experience. Far to many for it to just be coincidence.
The fact that a Nevada student would avoid undergraduate courses at UNLV like the plague doesn’t surprise me at all. The fact that she racked up $100K debt at Tulane just reaffirms much of the research I’ve done on education which states that most of America is having issues of one type or another. I don’t think attacking her intelligence for unforeseeable massive yearly tuition increases, which Nevada is starting to implement itself, is exactly the wisest agenda to pursue.
I attended two Junior Colleges, California State University Sacramento and then UNLV. I am down to my last 12 classes to complete a Social Science degree. I grew up close to Stanford University and spent time there meeting the faculty. I chose UNLV and have no regrets. My Federal Student Loan stands are about $70,000 but I am about to graduate and feel a job market will work out for me, even if I need to work internationally.
UNLV is a leading University. In my opinion, if you want to stretch out your money while attending a low cost University that is likely at the level of Columbia University, Cal Berkeley, Stanford University and Yale, you might consider UNLV. Billionaires vacation in Las Vegas and spend money like its nothing. The job market in vegas is a little tight and the home foreclosure rate at a leading one so don’t stay in Vegas, just go there for the education. Other leading Universities will set you back a huge amount. UNLV has low cost housing and you can eat a huge Buffet that can hold you over a few days if you want to Penny pinch at a Casino. Private universities such as Stanford will set you way back; especially if you fail a single class.
I attended two Junior Colleges, California State University Sacramento and then UNLV. I am down to my last 12 classes to complete a Social Science degree. I grew up close to Stanford University and spent time there meeting the faculty. I chose UNLV and have no regrets. My Federal Student Loan stands at about $70,000 but I am about to graduate and feel a job market will work out for me, even if I need to work internationally.
UNLV is a leading University. In my opinion, if you want to stretch out your money while attending a low cost University that is likely at the level of Columbia University, Cal Berkeley, Stanford University and Yale, you might consider UNLV. Billionaires vacation in Las Vegas and spend money like its nothing. The job market in vegas is a little tight and the home foreclosure rate at a leading one so don’t stay in Vegas, just go there for the education. Other leading Universities will set you back a huge amount. UNLV has low cost housing and you can eat a huge Buffet that can hold you over a few days if you want to Penny pinch at a Casino. Private universities such as Stanford will set you way back; especially if you fail a single class.