The cost of college

Undergrad + Dental school is looking like a cool 400k for me and that’s about as cheap as it will viably be in my case
You’re in dental school? You’ll do great! A good dentist is very hard to find. I’ve had my same dentist since I was in high school. He’s so good, that the thought of ever having to go to anyone else is traumatizing. He literally feels like family to me.
 
I took care of those loans, but they were quite small compared with the debt that kids take on these days.

It is our intention for our daughter to do this as well.

BUT, this line of thinking, along with many, many of the posts here where people intend on their GRANDKIDS to go to college (no matter what they might excel at) are the primary contributors, along with no-limit student loans, as to why college is so expensive today.

Most parents just write the check, no matter the amount, no questions, no calls to the school, no nothing. Just pay the bill. This is a HUGE mistake. Just think how much less indoctrination there would be, how many fewer fees, how low the credit hour cost would be if 200 parents a week would call the college and not complain, but ask questions. Create "work" for the people answering the phones, the administrators, the Deans, etc.

If they had to answer questions to 200 different parents a week per semester about costs and political views spewing from instructors, THERE WOULD BE SIGNIFICANT CHANGE. I assure you. These people aren't wired to handle that kind of questioning, that kind of interference and that kind of phone traffic. And if you think 200 unique calls per week per semester is a lot, you might need some remedial math. That's nothing. A semester is about 11 weeks long. That's 2200 people. That's nothing at most colleges. Not even 10% at many.

But no one has time. No one has 45 seconds to call a number and tell someone on the other end of the phone they have a question about a parking fee. About a "school" fee. About why the instructor for sociology has demanded the students watch ___________ slanted video on Netflix and write an essay on this topic. I could go on, but I'm sure everyone is tired of reading this.

Trust me..... these easy days of colleges are about to end. And it's not going to be pretty. Those of you who had sympathy for GM and Chrysler in 2008, I don't want to hear your BS about colleges soon.
 
Why the need for a 4 year RT degree ?

Most (95%) Ive met are only 2 year degrees.

RT can make very good money as a traveler working on contracts. Some folks that are single enjoy traveling the country.

Because she's done her research and the hospital(s) / areas she wants to work in require a Bachelor's at a minimum. What is "good money"? Seriously, I hear that phrase a lot. What is it?

Can you show me where the travel RTs can make "good money" (please give a figure) with 1 year of experience and an associates degree in RT?

If a Bachelor's is not well thought of or not desired, why do they only let 25 students in the program my daughter is in per year? She was also told that even with the 3.4 GPA, she would be cutting it close to make it into the program. Must be a reason why there's so few students chosen....
 
Because she's done her research and the hospital(s) / areas she wants to work in require a Bachelor's at a minimum. What is "good money"? Seriously, I hear that phrase a lot. What is it?

Can you show me where the travel RTs can make "good money" (please give a figure) with 1 year of experience and an associates degree in RT?

If a Bachelor's is not well thought of or not desired, why do they only let 25 students in the program my daughter is in per year? She was also told that even with the 3.4 GPA, she would be cutting it close to make it into the program. Must be a reason why there's so few students chosen....
I have a traveling nurse friend, she makes a good salary ($80k+) but being a contractor she has very poor healthcare and retirement benefits.
 
I have a hard time getting a lot of appointments with my dentist because he got called up to active duty in the Air Force. He's really good so I'm really patient and I wait for him. He was home for a few days a couple months ago and called me in on a Saturday and we did my crown replacement but the other dentist started with the temporary replacement. I had a dentist long time ago in Wichita that let me come in on a Sunday because I cracked my filling and it was causing a lot of pain and swelling in my mouth. Yeah a good dentist is very hard to find but when you do don't let them go
 
It is our intention for our daughter to do this as well.

BUT, this line of thinking, along with many, many of the posts here where people intend on their GRANDKIDS to go to college (no matter what they might excel at) are the primary contributors, along with no-limit student loans, as to why college is so expensive today.

Most parents just write the check, no matter the amount, no questions, no calls to the school, no nothing. Just pay the bill.
^^^ Spot on ^^^
Bottom line, if people will pay the price the price will be charged. Not sure I can even fault the colleges, its the people that pay them.
 
Hillbilly,

I was asking a question, not a jam on your daughter. 4 year degree is needed for management in a hospital. Most RT I’ve met over the last 35 years in healthcare had an associates degree from community college.

Here in Florida traveling RT were making $155 - $173 an hour during 2020-2021 Covid waves, obviously that rate has gone down. I can find out what the current rate is for a traveler here in Florida.

RT can make as much as an RN because they are very specialized and work in NICU, PICU, ICU, CVICU, Trauma, Burn, etc…, they also respond to all Codes and Rapid Responses in a hospital. They are just as important as nurses even though many RT feel they are under appreciated by hospital administration.

For the record:
I was once a biomed technician that repaired, tested, calibrated, PM‘ed ventilators of various manufacturers and met many RTs over the years. I no longer work on equipment but I’m still in the know cause I speak to Directors of Respiratory / Cardiopulmonary.
 
Last edited:
I’m here in Canada.

My undergrad in business commerce cost me $40,000 which includes 8 semesters + supplies.

Then, I completed my MBA at a top tier Uni here in Canada, that cost me roughly $110,000.

So all together, $150,000 all in. The return on investment has been well worth it. Schooling in Canada isn’t cheap either when you include tuition, living on residence and many other things. It adds up quick and throws many people into debt.

In Quebec, if you’re a resident, post secondary tuition is subsidized by their provincial government.

In our economy today, with recession looming things will be tough for new grads coming out. Then you have degrees that don’t lead to any real career paths but throw kids into debt into the tens if not hundreds of thousands of dollars.
 
I have a hard time getting a lot of appointments with my dentist because he got called up to active duty in the Air Force. He's really good so I'm really patient and I wait for him. He was home for a few days a couple months ago and called me in on a Saturday and we did my crown replacement but the other dentist started with the temporary replacement. I had a dentist long time ago in Wichita that let me come in on a Sunday because I cracked my filling and it was causing a lot of pain and swelling in my mouth. Yeah a good dentist is very hard to find but when you do don't let them go
There office I work for has an emergency phone number for just such occasions.

You’re in dental school? You’ll do great! A good dentist is very hard to find. I’ve had my same dentist since I was in high school. He’s so good, that the thought of ever having to go to anyone else is traumatizing. He literally feels like family to me.
I appreciate it! It’s hard finding good ones
 
Hillbilly,

I was asking a question, not a jam on your daughter. 4 year degree is needed for management in a hospital. Most RT I’ve met over the last 35 years in healthcare had an associates degree from community college.

Here in Florida traveling RT were making $155 - $173 an hour during 2020-2021 Covid waves, obviously that rate has gone down. I can find out what the current rate is for a traveler here in Florida.

RT can make as much as an RN because they are very specialized and work in NICU, PICU, ICU, CVICU, Trauma, Burn, etc…, they also respond to all Codes and Rapid Responses in a hospital. They are just as important as nurses even though many RT feel they are under appreciated by hospital administration.

For the record:
I was once a biomed technician that repaired, tested, calibrated, PM‘ed ventilators of various manufacturers and met many RTs over the years. I no longer work on equipment but I’m still in the know cause I speak to Directors of Respiratory / Cardiopulmonary.

I'd say that most RTs today, under 40 years old, have Bachelor's degrees or even Master's.

My daughter wants to work either in Trauma or at a Children's Hospital. I'd rather she not do either because either one is going to be in a major urban area and I don't care what anyone thinks, urban areas are nasty, crime-ridden places and not safe for anyone. We will cross that bridge when it comes.

She's also talked about doing travel work once she has a year of experience; she says that most agencies require that.



Jeepman, if your nurse friend only makes $80k/year doing travel work, she isn't interested in working very much. That's about 1/2 of what a travel nurse makes working about four 12 hour shifts a week in most areas. Or she's in the wrong area(s), working for the wrong people.
 
I'd say that most RTs today, under 40 years old, have Bachelor's degrees or even Master's.

My daughter wants to work either in Trauma or at a Children's Hospital. I'd rather she not do either because either one is going to be in a major urban area and I don't care what anyone thinks, urban areas are nasty, crime-ridden places and not safe for anyone. We will cross that bridge when it comes.

She's also talked about doing travel work once she has a year of experience; she says that most agencies require that.



Jeepman, if your nurse friend only makes $80k/year doing travel work, she isn't interested in working very much. That's about 1/2 of what a travel nurse makes working about four 12 hour shifts a week in most areas. Or she's in the wrong area(s), working for the wrong people.
From what I hear, she is working for the wrong people. She is also here on a green card though (she's German), and she has been applying to many different jobs.
 
From people I know who went to private universities and public universities, what I can tell is it really depends on what you want out of it.

Coming from the mouth of someone who went to Oxford for MBA and then investment bank, realizing that it is not what he wanted to just be a glorified salesman, he ended up joining the police and use what he learned on the street instead of the education he learned in Oxford for his own investment.

There's also another coworker who went to MIT for undergrad in engineering and MBA in Harvard, and then decided it is not what he wanted and just become a boring typical engineer like me, whereas another coworker from San Jose State who only has an undergrad decided he wants to climb his career and becomes our boss.

It really depends on what you can afford and where you want to aim. I think today high cost private university you are just paying for the networking opportunities if you are legacy and have a business you want to pass down to your next generation, hoping they will learn to carry on with other people in similar situation. It will not be a good return on investment per dollar spent but it is really not the point if you want to groom your heir.

For typical middle class family who wants their children to earn a living through a skill they can only get from higher education (engineering, medical, nursing, science, etc), state school has a better value and you will come out ahead after all the cost is factored in. Sure a name brand school will start your career a bit ahead but the cost of loans will weight you down enough this advantage will be eroded over time (say you buy your home later because you have to pay off your debt).
 
I told my son exactly what my father told me. If you want to go to college then get that GI Bill. It'll give you a lot of experience and responsibilities and you'll be more mature and not want to party so much when you get done with your military service.
 
Another thing is that a trade from a trade school oftentimes makes more than white collar jobs.
Had a friend of mine back about 22 years ago got a job part-time at an auto body shop just being the runner and ringing up orders and such. 22 years later he owns his own auto body shop and drives a mid-90s Lamborghini. I had a chance to go to work with him and I just didn't have the interesting cars when I was 16. I'm most certainly knowing that he loves what he does. That's the best job anybody can have is one they're not eager to go home. I think the CEO of Samuel Adams brewery had the same mentality.
 
Hillbilly,

I spoke to a Director at a large HCA hospital and they roll out the red carpet for RT with an associates degree, they prefer a bachelors but won’t hesitate to hire folks with associates degree. OTJ training is very important and they will get it at a large, crazy busy hospital.


Panda,

I agree with you when you said….. “high cost private university you are just paying for the networking opportunities”
In most career fields it helps to know people that can open doors for you.
 
Last edited:
I’m here in Canada.

My undergrad in business commerce cost me $40,000 which includes 8 semesters + supplies.

Then, I completed my MBA at a top tier Uni here in Canada, that cost me roughly $110,000.
That's interesting. I'm currently getting my MBA from UMass Amherst and all-in depending on specialization, it's ~$35K-$40K. An undergraduate business degree at the same school will cost you $130K. Now half of that is room and board but the MBA is a deal.
 
Back
Top