SR Is The Tassle Worth The Hassle

Is The Tassel Worth The
Hassle

Sean Rennspiess

High School Diploma Or College Degree

● Out of the gate a person with a BA has more earning potential.
● When Joe with the High School diploma and Steve with the College diploma

reach the ages of 30 -32 their incomes are very similar.
● When Steve becomes the age 36 his earning potential increases.
● Joe's earning potential might lay flat for a number of years.
● At 60 Steve is averaging around $600,000 a year.
● At 60 Joe is averaging around $500,000 a year.

● How much did Steve pay for the increased learning experience and does it
pay off.

Money Left On The Table

● Connie is looking to attend a State College.
● Year one will cost her $8,000.
● Year one Connie will lose $16,000 in potential wages.
● Year two will cost her $8,500.
● Year two Connie will lose $16,500 in potential wages.
● Year three and four this same pattern takes place.
● In total the four years of college cost Connie $35,000
● Connie also lost out on the opportunity to make $67,000.

College Majors and Employment Rates

● Geological and Geophysical Engineering have the highest rate of
unemployment.

● The medical field has the highest employment rate.
● Only 2% of nursing majors are unemployed.
● Majors related to business engineering and computers earn the highest

wages.

“My Degree Isn't Worth The Debt”

● US news reported a story about a Temple University graduate.
● The graduate got her BA in Psychology and her masters in Health Science.
● She left Temple University $82,000 in debt.
● She has been unable to find work that matches her masters degree level.
● She is doing contract work for $19 an hour.
● She and her husband are unable to secure a mortgage based on their debt to

earning ratio

Level Of Education VS Household Income

● 2003 Median Household Income = $29,943.00
● Person with an elementary school education = $13,523
● Person with a few years of high school = $18,191
● Person with high school diploma = $29,744
● Person with 1-3 years of college = $35,724
● Person with 4 year college degree = $50,549

The Price Tag Of A College Name

● Are students and families searching for that prestigious college or university.
● Do these institutions guarantee a path to success.
● Do their reputations warrant the price tag.
● 2006 - Time Magazine

○ “Ivy league graduates do not dominate the top 50 Fortune 500 Companies”
■ A degree from Harvard or Stanford does not ensure success and financial security.
■ At what price does the name on a diploma seem reasonable if you are walking out of
college with unmanageable debt?

Who Pays The Debt For College?

“There are parents who have traded in their financial security for their children's
dreams”.

● Parents trade in retirement funds to pay for college.
● Parents remortgage their homes to pay for college.
● Even doing these things does not ensure that their student will also inherit

debt.