2012 conventions 2012 election 2013 session arts arts and culture author ballot measures basketball bomb books boy scouts budget bullying business charlie hales children clackamas climate change coal college courts crime culture culture club democrats drugs economy education environment family film fluoride food gay rights guns handguns health health care health insurance high school history housing immigration internet kitzhaber law legislature lgbt literary arts living marijuana marriage media medicine mental health military minor parties mohamed mohamud movies music native americans news newspaper obama olympics oregon our town parenting pers photography police politcs politics port portland portland business journal president prevention public safety religion republicans rnc romney rural salem sam adams sandy hook schools science shooting sports suicide supreme court taxes technology terrorism theater third parties transportation union university of oregon washington wildfire women

I paid for my bachelor's degree with student loans. Since both of my parents worked, I was not eligible for grants and most scholarships. I also didn't have a job for much of my college career. If I could go back and do it over again, I wouldn't have done it. The bachelor's degree is worth it but the staggering, $65k debt? Not worth it. I have to get my master's degree in order to be able to find a job that will let me pay this debt off sometime before I'm dead.

Parents, please teach your kids about budgeting and spending habits. Students, don't make the same mistake I did and take out the maximum amount of loans your school allows. With debt comes interest and with interest, you'll be paying back far more than you borrowed.

Before too long, we're going to have an entire generation of young adults with college degrees and huge amounts of debt. Where does it stop? I think the cost of higher education needs to stop rising and that there should be more grants, work-study jobs and tuition reimbursement from the government.

posted 4 years, 8 months ago
view in context