Lilpup Member Username: Lilpup
Post Number: 5102 Registered: 06-2004
| Posted on Sunday, September 07, 2008 - 8:03 am: | |
More and more college graduates, even grad students, unemployed or among the working poor... |
Cambrian Member Username: Cambrian
Post Number: 1977 Registered: 08-2006
| Posted on Sunday, September 07, 2008 - 11:39 am: | |
I know I graduated recently and found what I thought was a decent paying job. Much to my surprise though after I buy gas and groceries and pay the house, car insurance and utility bills I don't have anything left. No surprises no one can afford new cars or save money anymore. I had more disposable income when I was 21 and working retail. |
Chuckjav Member Username: Chuckjav
Post Number: 709 Registered: 09-2007
| Posted on Sunday, September 07, 2008 - 11:45 am: | |
Add me to the eligibility roster. ....Master's Degree (Educational Research) ....Authored (Antioch Press) M.Ed. publication: "Inherit the Count" ....Licensed Comprehensive Social Studies Instructor (grades 7-12) Earning less than 32K annually; currently employed as an "educational paraprofessional", athletic coach and substance abuse counselor. |
Frankg Member Username: Frankg
Post Number: 597 Registered: 08-2007
| Posted on Sunday, September 07, 2008 - 1:50 pm: | |
Count me in among the working poor. BS, MAS, MBA, and a PhD in Business from a major research university. Working part-time as a "Lecturer" at a local public university. Salary = $3,000 per course per semester, no benefits. Same pay for a 4 credit course as for a 3 credit course. If I did this full-time, that would be $36K/year, no benefits. If you subtract what I have to pay in student loans every year that puts me down to $31.8K/year. That works out to be about 60% of the median personal income, which is the threshold for poverty in many industrialized democracies. |
Detroit_stylin Member Username: Detroit_stylin
Post Number: 5909 Registered: 10-2003
| Posted on Sunday, September 07, 2008 - 6:18 pm: | |
Here Here.... |
Sean_of_detroit Member Username: Sean_of_detroit
Post Number: 1743 Registered: 03-2008
| Posted on Sunday, September 07, 2008 - 7:34 pm: | |
It's all attitude. The poor are always poor, and the rich are always rich. |
Frankg Member Username: Frankg
Post Number: 598 Registered: 08-2007
| Posted on Sunday, September 07, 2008 - 9:16 pm: | |
And the rich always exploit the poor... regardless of the attitudes of the poor. |
Docterry Member Username: Docterry
Post Number: 42 Registered: 08-2008
| Posted on Sunday, September 07, 2008 - 9:32 pm: | |
Well, it depends. If I only had me and the minor child, we probably wouldn't qualify. But when you add-in my 22 year old, plus the two I didn't give birth to (38 and 22) who recently "moved home", unemployed, to seek work/school, well, I think I qualify now. |
Lilpup Member Username: Lilpup
Post Number: 5106 Registered: 06-2004
| Posted on Monday, September 08, 2008 - 9:13 am: | |
"It's all attitude." Anyone who believes this has never really been poor. I never thought of myself as being poor before being unemployed. And I certainly wouldn't think of myself as poor if someone tossed a few thou my way right now. |
Gnome Member Username: Gnome
Post Number: 1830 Registered: 08-2007
| Posted on Monday, September 08, 2008 - 10:27 am: | |
lilpup, you're one of the smartest folks around here. Any company would be lucky to have you on their staff. |
Neilr Member Username: Neilr
Post Number: 798 Registered: 06-2005
| Posted on Monday, September 08, 2008 - 1:47 pm: | |
There's a world of difference between generational poverty and situational poverty. |
1st_sgt Member Username: 1st_sgt
Post Number: 191 Registered: 11-2006
| Posted on Monday, September 08, 2008 - 2:29 pm: | |
You might be in the wrong fields, I've heard plumming and electrical work pays well. |
Lilpup Member Username: Lilpup
Post Number: 5108 Registered: 06-2004
| Posted on Monday, September 08, 2008 - 3:33 pm: | |
Thank you, Gnome. I hope at least one interviewer agrees. "There's a world of difference between generational poverty and situational poverty." There doesn't seem to be when shaping public policy. |
_sj_ Member Username: _sj_
Post Number: 2524 Registered: 12-2003
| Posted on Monday, September 08, 2008 - 3:59 pm: | |
It should be poor/unemployed/under-employed . |
Evelyn Member Username: Evelyn
Post Number: 336 Registered: 02-2005
| Posted on Tuesday, September 09, 2008 - 1:23 am: | |
Here, here... still putting my student loans in deferment, four years after I got the degree. |
Frankg Member Username: Frankg
Post Number: 604 Registered: 08-2007
| Posted on Wednesday, September 10, 2008 - 12:41 pm: | |
Yeah, I hear the student loan thing. I will be paying on them until I am 73 years old! |
Detroit_stylin Member Username: Detroit_stylin
Post Number: 5911 Registered: 10-2003
| Posted on Thursday, September 11, 2008 - 2:23 pm: | |
I know right...it seems like I will have a negative impact on my credit rating before i even have a chance to pay my loans back..... |
Ray1936 Member Username: Ray1936
Post Number: 3641 Registered: 01-2005
| Posted on Thursday, September 11, 2008 - 7:33 pm: | |
I was reading about a guy who went to dental school and ran up $500,000 in student loans. Does that sound right or is the guy grandstanding? Whatever, it sure makes me glad to be retired and having my working days behind me. I really feel for you guys with these anchors around your necks. |
Frankg Member Username: Frankg
Post Number: 606 Registered: 08-2007
| Posted on Thursday, September 11, 2008 - 8:15 pm: | |
I always thought there was a limit of something like $140K for student loans. And that is for certain professional programs. I think regular graduate school and undergraduates is less. But I haven't looked this up either. |
Frankg Member Username: Frankg
Post Number: 607 Registered: 08-2007
| Posted on Thursday, September 11, 2008 - 8:22 pm: | |
OK, I looked it up. For Stafford Loans, a lifetime limit of: $57.5K undergraduate $138.5K graduate or professional $224K medical student I suppose it is remotely possible that someone racked up $500K in student loans, if they have had a medical student loan, deferred payment, and haven't paid the interest down and/or took out private student loans too. |
Lilpup Member Username: Lilpup
Post Number: 5142 Registered: 06-2004
| Posted on Friday, September 12, 2008 - 12:45 am: | |
For dental school he might have included some of the equipment/set up costs of a practice right out of school to hit $500,000 - technically not student loans but might as well be since it's right out of the gate. |
Mike Member Username: Mike
Post Number: 1488 Registered: 11-2003
| Posted on Friday, September 12, 2008 - 9:02 pm: | |
pharmacy school put me back $102,000 |