http://finance.yahoo.com/college-education/article/109081/in-hard-times-lured-into-trade-school-and-debt full article

Quote :

"One fast–growing American industry has become a conspicuous beneficiary of the recession: for–profit colleges and trade schools. At institutions that train students for careers in areas like health care, computers and food service, enrollments are soaring as people anxious about weak job prospects borrow aggressively to pay tuition that can exceed $30,000 a year. But the profits have come at substantial taxpayer expense while often delivering dubious benefits to students, according to academics and advocates for greater oversight of financial aid. Critics say many schools exaggerate the value of their degree programs, selling young people on dreams of middle–class wages while setting them up for default on untenable debts, low–wage work and a struggle to avoid poverty. And the schools are harvesting growing federal student aid dollars, including Pell grants awarded to low–income students. "If these programs keep growing, you're going to wind up with more and more students who are graduating and can't find meaningful employment," said Rafael I. Pardo, a professor at Seattle University School of Law and an expert on educational finance. "They can't generate income needed to pay back their loans, and they're going to end up in financial distress.""

I know one person who has gone to a school like this and come out doing well, at least after a year or two. Everybody else I know has dropped out or complained about student loan burdens.

[Edited on March 16, 2010 at 2:11 PM. Reason : .]

3/16/2010 2:10:20 PM

Quote :

"I know one person who has gone to a school like this and come out doing well, at least after a year or two. Everybody else I know has dropped out or complained about student loan burdens."

sounds like every other college to me....

3/16/2010 2:23:06 PM

hah. maybe you're right.

3/16/2010 2:25:52 PM

Quote :

"Critics say many schools exaggerate the value of their degree programs, selling young people on dreams of middle–class wages while setting them up for default on untenable debts, low–wage work and a struggle to avoid poverty. And the schools are harvesting growing federal student aid dollars, including Pell grants awarded to low–income students. "If these programs keep growing, you're going to wind up with more and more students who are graduating and can't find meaningful employment," said Rafael I. Pardo, a professor at Seattle University School of Law and an expert on educational finance. "They can't generate income needed to pay back their loans, and they're going to end up in financial distress."""

Clearly the answer is to go to Seattle University School of Law...

And yeah, like KeB said, sounds like every college out there.

Incidentally, Seattle U tuition: $29,340
http://www.seattleu.edu/admission/undergraduate/Inner.aspx?id=36996

[Edited on March 16, 2010 at 2:29 PM. Reason : almost 30k per year]

3/16/2010 2:28:00 PM

Quote :

"They can't generate income needed to pay back their loans, and they're going to end up in financial distress."

haha its the american dream to live outside your means and in debt!

3/16/2010 2:29:48 PM

these people are bringing down the value of my ncsu bachelor's degree!

3/16/2010 2:45:56 PM

I don't understand why anyone would go to a private crappy community college when you can go to somewhere like Wake Tech and get the same or better education. A friend of mine went to Wake Tech to get certification in medical laboratory something or other and now makes six figures

3/16/2010 7:56:47 PM

For example ... ECPI has a 2.5 year Bachelors program ... so you save 1.5 years of school which = 1.5 years of income you would not have had if you were attending a real 4 year school.

For some people, who are not making ANYTHING ... that 1.5 years is a huge motivation.

Plus, for some degrees, its probably just as good of a quality education as wake tech ... for others its not.

My father has a masters in computer something or another, and teaches at ECPI. Most of these students have families, and this is their first intro into computers and networking. The students who apply themselves will most often come out with great gigs ... but at the end of the day, its all about the individual student. You put that student into any of 4 or 5 local IT related programs, and they would probably come out with just as much success as the others... because they 1) have an interest; 2) are willing to work hard to be successful; 3) make good life decisions where this time in school will not be a waste for them. For the rest, the guy from seattle is probably right .. but thats because some of those students get entitled education and expect entitled income ... at the end of the day, they realize they can get both ... as long as they dont actually work.

3/16/2010 10:18:50 PM