Ever wonder why those kids are SO keen on free college?

I came across this on my Facebook feed this morning, and it's too precious not to share:
Got an email from my professor, asking why I didn't turn in last night's assignment:
My answer, "I have been in school since 2008, have a bachelor's degree, and now 5 AA's, and have been taking classes because I cannot afford to pay the loans, and no, I do not qualify for loan forgiveness.
I felt that my current work with the class has been correct according to the book, and my grades reflect that, so I decided to get some sleep because I am sick instead of turning in the non-graded exercise" 
Her reply: "Your work is excellent, I hope you feel better and I look forward to reading your next assignment."
Leaving aside how proud she is of what is (in essence) writing an excuse the professor bought, what struck me here is that we have someone who decided around 2012 to avoid paying back a debt she owed by racking up even more debt.  Given that, I think it's safe to say none of her degrees are in Economics.

I mean, how foolish can one be?  She's not just managed to turn 4 years of debt into 9, but she's also really hurt her own employability by showing no professional work experience for the past decade.

6 comments:

Grim said...

My guess is that she was hoping to pay none of those 9 years of debt, thanks to Bernie Sanders (or at least Hillary Clinton), which might make the proposition more attractive. Then she's continuing to gain educational accomplishments for free, financially, while also supporting her lifestyle on the same student loans she won't have to pay back. The only cost is the opportunity cost you mention, that of gaining educational credentials instead of professional work experience.

Which means that she must be pretty bummed about Clinton's loss.

MikeD said...

Well, obviously. But how does one become a functioning adult and say "well, if I keep borrowing money, eventually someone will just let me not ever pay it back"?

Grim said...

I'm not sure, but it seems to be common -- and not just among students!

WTP said...

how does one become a functioning adult and say "well, if I keep borrowing money, eventually someone will just let me not ever pay it back"?

Many, many adults, perhaps even this person's parents, borrow money without paying it back. On a conservative/Christian news station i was listening to on the way home from work last week, one of the financial expert hosts stated that if you have never declared bankruptcy, you were either born with a silver spoon in your mouth or not trying hard enough.

Grim said...

I'm not sure I even know anyone, personally, who has ever declared bankruptcy. If I did, they'd keep quiet about it out of a sense of shame. But that's the old mountain pride I keep hearing is an enemy of, or at least an obstacle for, progress.

Christopher B said...

I would draw a distinction between personal bankruptcy due to consumption debt and business bankruptcy, acknowledging that there is a gray area if you were self-employed. At least I hope the discussion K RW heard was in that context.