Sick of the upper class bashing

[Tyler's Dad]

Not if your parents make to much money but refuse to give you any towards education. Then your S.O.L.

Kristine

That is what happened to me. My parents made so much money (ie they were middle class) that I had to go 100% on loans. Now to top that off, it also disqualified me for most federal loan programs. To those that don't know, that means none of those nice loan rates. I still see the value in the grants though. My wife is from a small farm town in North Dakota. She graduated top of her class and wanted to get a good education. Hew dad farms and her mom taught part time at the high school, because that was all the hours they could give her. My wife qualified and received pell grants and because of that was able to go to a nice private college in Minnesota, rather than a community college. She graduated and went straight into the workforce. That is how the program should work.

Now the problem with parents not helping their kids with school is kind of blurry. Like I said my parents didn't help. I have friends who say the same thing, but their parents gave them $20,000 for downpayments on houses as graduation presents.

 

[hydster]

So, you couldn't afford college and dropped out. But there's no reason that people shouldn't be able to afford college?

I don't think making everyone wait until they're in their 30s and can "afford it" is realistic, practical, or even wise.

Amen!

 

[fabshelly]

My late grandmother had a great saying:

"Class is not how much money you have, but how well you treat other people."

 

[Tyler's Dad]

Not everybody subscribes to the idea that people are successful only because they were blessed by God or got lucky. People like myself believe that people get where they do based on the amount of work they are willing to put in and that we make their own luck.

While that is true, more times than not, money comes from money. If your parents have money, it gives you advantages in life. I would argue there are a lot of people who grow up with no knowledge of what hard work is, since their parents or grandparents did it for them.

 

[cardaway]

While that is true, more times than not, money comes from money. If your parents have money, it gives you advantages in life. I would argue there are a lot of people who grow up with no knowledge of what hard work is, since their parents or grandparents did it for them.

But for that to be an issue that would allow somebody not to work hard, it would have to be a very, very large sum of money. Even in many of those cases where there is a large fortune to start with, it doesn't prevent the children from having to work just as hard as the rest to keep the fortune in place. Many very wealthy children work just as hard, of not harder, than those in the middle class.

Of course there are exceptions. Some have nothing to do but look silly on TV and make sex tapes.

 

[ducklite]

If you can't manage to save up any money, how on earth can you move? You have to may a down payment on anyplace that you go. Unless you move in with friends or relatives.

I found a place that allowed me to pay the security deposit by credit card. Then I paid the credit card off two weeks later when I got the security deposit back from my previous rental.

I also downgraded to a smaller place due to rents being more than double where I was moving from. But it was a calculated risk, going from a place with a bad economy to a place with a good economy. Frankly I'd do it again if it meant the difference between working at a crappy job and having the opportunity to find a good job with the possibility for advancement.

 

[ducklite]

So, you couldn't afford college and dropped out. But there's no reason that people shouldn't be able to afford college?

I don't think making everyone wait until they're in their 30s and can "afford it" is realistic, practical, or even wise.

Who said I was in my 30's? A lot of people seem to be making a lot of assumptions about me.

 

[PrincessTiff]

Which is exactly why the way that they currently run FASFA is absurd.

I agree.

 

[Aisling]

Again you are missing the point. People should take care of themselves before turning to the government for help.

Ducklite, I agree with you on this. I see this in my own extended family. My BIL complains about having to work in a factory, when he could have gone to the local community college for a degree in any number of things which would give him the chance of a better job. Or he could go to a trade school. Or he could look for another job. Or he could move to an area that has more opportunities. He could also start saving some money, but he'd rather use his salary at the bar after work to drown his sorrows. Any this guy is single, 26 years old. But he bashes the government for not giving him food stamps because he's $10 over the limit.

People can either try or not try. You seem to be a person that doesn't sit on your **** and whine. You fall into a hole, you claw your way out. It's a state of mind that many people don't have.

I don't care if you brag or not. I can see you worked for what you have, and if you live in a Mcmansion, so what? Maybe you like it, and you don't care that it's cookie-cut. It's your home.

I don't want to be the president of your fan club...all I'm saying is that you seem to be someone who seeks opportunity, and not wait for it to maybe or maybe not come to you.

 

[cteddiesgirl]

But for people who are able to work--we need to get them off public assistance and into jobs, rather than continuing the cycle of pvoerty. That's all I'm saying.

Anne

But, there has to be jobs available to them.
It took me 6 months to find a job the last time. I looked online, posted my resume on 2 websites, tried temp agencies, etc. All to no avail.
Finally my resume got me a lousy $8phr job with no benefits at all. And my job experience and references are very good.

Finding a good job is not so easy.

 

[Tyler's Dad]

But for that to be an issue that would allow somebody not to work hard, it would have to be a very, very large sum of money. Even in many of those cases where there is a large fortune to start with, it doesn't prevent the children from having to work just as hard as the rest to keep the fortune in place. Many very wealthy children work just as hard, of not harder, than those in the middle class.

Of course there are exceptions. Some have nothing to do but look silly on TV and make sex tapes.

It doesn't take a large fortune to give kids advantages. Things liek down payments on houses, cars, paying cash for college, or connections to jobs. Those are luxuries that most people don't get. Sure you may work as hard in your job, but for most people these things are a struggle in themselves.

 

[Aisling]

Getting back to the OPs original question, I saw a post here that listed the incomes and what class those incomes correspond to. If someone said, wow according to that, I'm lower class, or I'm middle class. But I think if some one posted I'm upperclass, someone would say, "so what, why do we have to know, why are you bragging, etc."

 

[CheshireVal]

Who said I was in my 30's? A lot of people seem to be making a lot of assumptions about me.

I didn't say *you* were in your 30s when you went back to college (if you did.)

I was thinking about your solution to affording college "on your own" with no grants. How many 20 somethings with no college degrees are going to be able to get this wonderful job that will allow them to save enough to eventually go back to school and pay tuition out of pocket?

I can't think of many people who could ever do that. And, as someone said earlier, by the time you're older you have a lot of other responsibilities in life that make college tough.

It's just an unreasonable idea, really.

 

[ducklite]

It doesn't take a large fortune to give kids advantages. Things liek down payments on houses, cars, paying cash for college, or connections to jobs. Those are luxuries that most people don't get. Sure you may work as hard in your job, but for most people these things are a struggle in themselves.

I know very few people who have gotten any of that--except some help with college tuition for about half of them. I'd say that 98% of my friends never got any help with any of those other things.

I have one friend with very wealthy parents who has had a lot of opportunities in life, but he's also worked very hard to be his own man, and I believe would have been successful with or without his parents help.

I have another friend with wealthy parents who at 40-something is still mooching off of them. I find it actually very sad that she lives in a house her father bought and pays the taxes on, she drives a car that daddy bought her, etc. In all honesty it's damaged her mentally, she has very little self-confidence, and I think it's because she's never had to struggle and make it on her own.

 

[ducklite]

I didn't say *you* were in your 30s when you went back to college (if you did.)

I was thinking about your solution to affording college "on your own" with no grants. How many 20 somethings with no college degrees are going to be able to get this wonderful job that will allow them to save enough to pay tuition out of pocket?

I can't think of many people who could ever do that. And, as someone said earlier, by the time you're older you have a lot of other responsibilities in life that make college tough.

It's just an unreasonable idea, really.

What is keeping them from taking student loans? Stafford Loans are available to everyone regardless of financial ability or credit worthiness. I'm not suggesting that everyone take time off and wait until they are their 30's to attend college by any means. I'm just saying that there are loans available that combined with work/study programs will be enough to pay tuition for an undergraduate degree at most public colleges--provided that community college is used as the first step.

 

[Toby'sFriend]

What is keeping them from taking student loans? Stafford Loans are available to everyone regardless of financial ability or credit worthiness. I'm not suggesting that everyone take time off and wait until they are their 30's to attend college by any means. I'm just saying that there are loans available that combined with work/study programs will be enough to pay tuition for an undergraduate degree at most public colleges--provided that community college is used as the first step.

Common Sense?

 

[Galahad]

I think it's fascinating. I've never heard the most ardent opponent of welfare ever stand up against Pell Grants or try to argue that Pell Grants were welfare or even a little bit wrong.

 

[Pin Wizard]

Actually, I find just the opposite to be true. Those living paycheck-to-paycheck (or worse) seem to be ragged on the most.

I have to agree. The one that comes to mind is the thread where someone thought people on welfare didn't deserve to take a vacation.

 

[DISUNC]

Actually, I find just the opposite to be true. Those living paycheck-to-paycheck (or worse) seem to be ragged on the most.

Aint that the truth!

All the problems of Society are blamed (on the Disboards) on the poor...as if Poor people choose to be that. Or People are only poor because they are lazy and/or stupid!

And the amount of BRAGGING by some posters on how much they make, and how easy they have it and how much $ they spend on crappolla is beyond comphrension. What ever happened to modesty?

 

[ducklite]

I have to agree. The one that comes to mind is the thread where someone thought people on welfare didn't deserve to take a vacation.

IMHO if THEY are paying for it, then no, they shouldn't be collecting welfare--or at least have the benefit reduced, because they are obviously getting more than they need for basic substenance. Welfare is supposed to be a stop gap so people don't end up on the street or standing in line at soup kitchens, not the road to a middle income lifestyle paid for by taxpayers.