Reply #80: Thank you so much for this OP

[WildEyedLiberal]

I'm about to graduate with my BA in History from a fairly prestigious state college, and I am the ONLY one of my group of friends who is graduating without debt (because I had a full tuition scholarship and because my dad has worked overtime for 4 years to help me meet the extra expenses).

The "thriving economy" of which my generation is supposedly going to reap the plentiful fruits is a JOKE! Most of my peers are already eyeball deep in debt, and will be working 20, 30 years just to pay off their student loans. Most of us can barely afford rent in the cities we'll eventually find work in - let alone a HOUSE. A bachelor's degree has become the new high school diploma - it does not guarantee a career or a high wage, and it is becoming the bare minimum level of education required by most employers, even for jobs paying only 20 or 30K a year.

My parents did not go to college and yet were able to buy a house within a few years of graduation, and I honestly doubt I'll ever come close to making what my dad does after his 40 years of employment at a factory - even with the added "benefit" of a college education.