Reply to Some college degrees in Virginia never pay off. Others provide an immediate return.

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Not everyone wants the steady (boring) life that comes with being basic economic security. As the child of immigrants, I understand the desire my parents have for me to be be a little higher up the ladder from them. But they just didn't know enough about American society or culture to know what to encourage beside doctor, lawyer, engineer, pharmacist. They knew to want me to go to an elite college, but they had no idea what doors that opened.

I want my DC to pursue a life and career with meaning and purpose.  Every field -- including art history and English -- has people who earn more than a comfortable living and enjoy things that most techies couldn't imagine. Telling my child they have to pick a major with a high average starting salary is the same as telling them I want them to have an average life. I want them to have an extraordinary life and to choose a field where they will commit and perform at extraordinary levels. No one is great at something they don't really care about. That's the difference between mediocrity and excellence![/quote]

Great plan!

However, should your DC come out only making $35K/year, don't expect me to help pay off their $100K in loans.

Choose a school so they can afford their loans.  And great if they make more than that.  Life isn't all about what you make, but if your kid has a variety of interests, there is nothing wrong with making them aware of the different paths in life.  If my kids likes math and science and art history, then I will encourage them to double major and then pick a path they so desire.  If they really only want to major in art history, awesome.  But I would be doing them a disservice to not make them aware of the types of jobs art history majors typically get and the salary range that is current for that.  If I need them to take loans, I'd make them aware of what the monthly payments would be for various amounts so they can decide if its worth it or not.  But in reality, most 18yo do not understand what it means to pay $1500/month to student loans (ie more than their apartment will be typically ) and to need to do that for 10+ years.

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FWIW, a lot of people on this board do not worry about student loans because we don't need them. And I have no problem with my DC earning far less than what I'll pay in annual college tuition when she starts out. The whole point of being young is to explore and take risks and see if you can rise above the ordinary.  It would be great if she has to share a fifth floor walk-up in a neighborhood I wouldn't choose. My guess it that it'll make her more frugal and less materialistic and maybe even more motivated to succeed on her own terms. Or to be an elitist about it, do what you need to do to set your kid up to be at the bottom of the UMC. I'll encourage whatever she wants to do to reach the very top of her chosen path.  [/quote]

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