Review of "The not-rich kid's guide to graduation from college with almost no debt"

Alex T. Williams a Ph.D student of communications at University of Pennsylvania tells his college journey in his essay “The not-rich kid’s guide to graduation from college with almost no debt.” Williams tells the reader how he ended up receiving his four-year degree when he had originally dropped out of high school and got a GED instead. Williams couples his personal story with eight tips he wants to pass on to college students. 

1. Take as many community college courses as possible
2. Resist the draw of the “prestigious” college
3. Take placement exams seriously
4. Research your professors
5. Find a mentor
6. Learn how to apply for financial aid and scholarships
7. Buy old textbooks
8. Work throughout college*

* Williams points out in his essay though he considered taking part-time school and full time work he instead worked part-time and went to school full-time because he didn't want to spend a longer time in school than was necessary.

Separating Education from the Degree: Is that the solution for student loan debt in America?

Today I was reading online and found this article "How to fix the Student Debt Crisis in One Easy Step" by Brett Arenda.  I was intrigued, what could the one step be to cure our country of student debt?

The Problem

Student loan debt is a huge problem for graduating students. The number of active borrowers has gone down since 2010 yet Americans owe 1.2 trillion in student loans_1. 

Brett gives a recap  of  Fox Business network host Neil Cavuto dialogue with Keely Mullen a student protest organizer on the country's student debt crisis should be handled and who who should pay to resolve the issue.

Whose Solution is Best?

Mullen's position is complete forgiveness of all student loans and that public universities give degrees free.

Cavulto argues that Mullen's solution would only result in financial stress on taxpayers.

Brett has a completely different idea-- separate education from the awarding of degrees, With this solution people could pursue education in many different forms, one-on-one instruction, self-study, maybe even professor led co-ops. However, an individual chooses to learn they would have to take the exam to receive their degree from a third party.

Final Thoughts

I find this solution fascinating. I feel that students pursuing a degree would be more engaged in their education because they would need to exercise effort to prepare themselves, find educational materials and resources, and educational communities. Too often students coast through college at exorbitant costs. This solution would help the student loan debt dilemma and produce driven educated employees for today's job market. 

Footnote₁ From Debt.org

Why You Can No Longer Work While in College

Recently, a pal of mine sent me this article: You Can't Work Your Way Through College Anymore. This article confirmed what I have come to believe while in college: working in college is not enough. I have long been interested in issues surrounding college affordability and essential financial skills for college students. 


When I began college, I felt strongly against taking out student loans and was sure that working through college would be sufficient. My uncle did it. Working through college took him seven years. However, it seemed worth it since he did not have any debt. As a senior in college, I can tell you that planning for your part-time job to fund your college tuition and expenses is not feasible. My entire paycheck goes to bills and living expenses. I live with roommates, rarely eat out and spend most of my free time at home. I am a devoted listener to Dave Ramsey a radio personality who does not advocate living in debt.

This year I had to take out a loan. From my parents. I struggled even taking a loan out for my tuition. Borrowing from family seemed shameful—what with my three siblings needing help and my dad’s frequent exclamations that “He can’t wait to retire.” Nevertheless, after doing some more research I found out that taking help from my parents would enable me to keep a better GPA and focus on finishing my credit hours. After all, the point of going to college is to graduate with marketable skills for the workplace. The sooner I could get a “real” job the quicker I could pay my parents back and would be less likely to need their help. The longer I stay in college trying to work my way through the greater financial burden I put on myself. College is getting more and more expensive and I cannot afford to be in school for seven years.

I still think that students should be wise about taking out loans. Taking out loans for a private university could be hard to pay back. Yet, for those of you who think that you would never borrow money for college, I would encourage you to never say never, but be smart and analyze what the best option is for you.