Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
Evangelical
“I kind of ruined my life by going to college.” College, Debt, and Administrative Bloat

“I kind of ruined my life by going to college.” College, Debt, and Administrative Bloat

Last updated on: July 7, 2016 at 2:21 pm by John Mark N. Reynolds

“I kind of ruined my life by going to college.” College, Debt, and Administrative Bloat 2016-07-07T14:21:20-04:00 John Mark N. Reynolds

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Do not let this be you.

Look at the cover of Consumer Reports and consider whether you should sign that loan document at State U. Every year tuition goes up, but the quality does not increase while student debt skyrockets.

Why?

Schools are wasting your money on vanity administrative projects, bloated administrative salaries, and programs most students do not use (sports, recreation, party planning). Worst of all, hundreds of thousands of dollars that the students borrow and come from parent’s savings go to consultants who study issues like . . . how to cut the cost of school.

Before you go to X University, Google the 990 of the school you wish to attend. See what the President and the highest paid people on campus make. You might be shocked to discover that at many schools none of those people will teach your classes.

We don’t need schools run by people who are professional administrators, but not teachers, scholars, or intellectuals. Never go to a school where the President makes more than every faculty member in your department where you will major combined. The 990 will tell. (Make sure you add up salary and related compensation lines, by the way.)

Ask the school what the average professor makes and you will discover the administration, people not teaching or doing research, are making many times the amount of professors or teachers. College is costing you more because at more than a few schools, all academic programs may get as little as 1/3 of the budget.

Many schools face declining enrollments as the world of education changes. Despite fewer students, higher education administration keeps growing as does the cost of college. Ask what percentage of what they want you to borrow is going to salaries for administrators.

Remember: debt is not “financial aid” except to the aides who multiply around administrators. You have to pay debt back with interest for years after the administrators whose salaries took up all your tuition have retired.

There are alternatives and Consumer Reports lists them. One solution is to say: “No” and head to any school that does not ask you to borrow money. The King’s College is helping The Saint Constantine School provide one answer to debt . . . only teachers and professors, no full-time administrators, but there are others.

My basic rule when talking to students is never borrow more than twenty-thousand dollars total over four years . . . even for a high quality school.

Here are five options (not named The Saint Constantine School!) to avoid borrowing money to pay for college:

Join the Armed Forces.

Serve your country and save for college. The experience will prepare you for school and the money you save will give you more options.

Go to community college and transfer credits debt free.

Don’t go to a community college if your dream school offers you full time professors in the “general education” or “core” programs. Torrey Honors Institute at Biola University can do this, so can your school. Don’t pay full price for part-time teachers for half your education.

If you cannot find (or get into) a school with full time teachers for every class (or almost every class), then go to a junior or community college and transfer into your dream school for the major.

This drives the some schools wild because you have taken all the “profit” out of their “non-profit” education, but you can avoid borrowing money.

Find schools whose academic reputation justifies the cost. By no means go to any school where your major has fewer professors than the school has Vice-Presidents.

If you go to Rice University in Texas, you will get an education that justifies the cost. There are other good options, some small and unknown: find them. Just don’t borrow a lot of money: ever unless you are going to a world class university in a major that leads to a job.

You can get the liberal arts debt-free if you look around.

Pay as you go.

Work and save money. Pay as you go. Don’t be afraid to drop out and start again. If they try to take your “package” from you for taking a year off, do not return. They will often restore your package if you are not coming back otherwise.

Pay cash and avoid debt. Borrowing money feels free . . . paying out last year’s savings . . . not so much.

Get a job at the dream school.

Most schools heavily discount employee tuition. Get a job (cut the grass!) at your dream school. Work. Soon you can take classes for free or nearly free!

This advice has saved some former students of mine thousands of dollars . . . and they had job experience when they quit as they worked their way up the ranks!

Debt is bad generally. Do not do it, because you do not have to do it! Get a good education at a good school and avoid saying: “I kind of ruined my life by going to college.”

Education

Previous Post

July 6, 2016

Not Even for the Pastor's Kid: Equality Under the Law

Next Post

July 8, 2016 We Cannot Lose: A Thought Based on an Artificial Parrot

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Apologetics Art Culture Education On Books On Education Philosophy Politics Pop Culture Spiritual Reflections Uncategorized

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 July 2025 June 2025 September 2024 July 2024 June 2024 December 2023 June 2023 September 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What was the role of the "scribe" against whom Jesus often taught?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Interpreter of the law Temple guard Soldier Tax collector

Books by This Author John Mark Reynolds

See All Titles »