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"Working your way through college was actually possible, if difficult. Not anymore."

That didn't seem right to me - I wanted some numbers with that, so I looked 'em up.

Portland State charges $136.80 per credit hour. So if you're a part-time student, working your way through college and taking 8 credits a term for all four terms every year, that's $4,377 per year. Add 10% for the "Technology Fee" stuff they always tack on, and maybe a couple of textbooks off Amazon, and you're at about $4,850 per year.

If you're making $10/hour and working full time, that's $20,000 a year before any taxes - maybe, what $15k, after?

Get a roommate, and you're good to go, right? What part of that is flat-out impossible? What part of that proves that these kids aren't spoiled and pampered? They're probably not earning that $10/hour working in a non-OSHA factory, like their parents were...

I worked my way through college part-time, the 8-year program, at a higher cost than that. No help and no debt afterward. Plus, I spent $50 a week on marijuana, so figure that in. I don't think I could have afforded Portland rent on top of all that, but just go to school somewhere where it snows and you're all set.

Reymont, you are smoking crack if you think textbooks cost that little. This last term alone my textbooks cost about $500 (it would have been more if I'd purchased them at school).

That being said, I generally agree, I think it's more "difficult" than "impossible" to do.

Yeah, textbooks are easily $100/class (more if there's a lab) and hard to get used because they update editions so often. So tack on another $1,000 per year onto that.

So of your $15k takehome, $6000 goes to education; if you can find a place to rent for $400/month, there's another $4800. Figure maybe another $1200/year for bills (water, electric, garbage, cheap phone). That leaves you with $250 a month for food and any other expenses. So forget having a car, for one thing. Or ever going out.

I hope that full-time job is near campus.

I didn't buy ANY textbooks when I got my first BA, my first postbacc BA, or my first Master's. They just weren't necessary at PSU, no matter what the teachers said. They're in the library, too, if you want to go visit them...but I never did.

I'm now 65% through a BS in Physics, just for fun, and I've treated myself to a $26 old edition from Amazon. But that's it so far, and I didn't really need to buy it.

It's totally possible to pay $5k for textbooks - but you sure don't have to. And I think you're kind of foolish, if you do.

We're paying $5000 per term for 18 credit hours plus books (easy $500 per term). PSU, engineering. Don't forget the mandatory fees for the gym, the heath insurance, the bank account you have to open to use to pay everything.. more that I can't think of.

That said, we're paying cash because we can't get loans (husband refused to sign up for the draft in the early 80s). I net $700 a week and we put $350 into savings each time, so half my salary. It's tight, but we make it.

THAT said, it's obviously more expensive than when we first went to school in the 80s. As already mentioned, it's difficult but not impossible. Still, there are assholes in every age group.. not all of us old folks treat young folks like lazy-ass whatever-he-said.

@Reymont: Granted, I graduated 10 years ago and used Computer Science books probably weren't as prevalent then as they are now, for that matter. Things have probably changed for the better in that regard but I tried my hardest to be frugal about buying books. That was booze money! However, there was no getting around the fact that there were going to be $50 lab booklets and books that were $80 used (or twice that new). I ordered a lot of books online when I could but Amazon wasn't quite the juggernaut it is now.

There may have been classes where the books weren't necessary but I learn better by reading. I would usually skip the lectures (usually only good for enhancing my doodling skills) and just read the texts so for me they were fairly important.

Also -- working half or part-time and going to school full time can be exhausting, depending on your job and area of study. My wife is finishing up a science degree at PSU, and we decided to have her quit her job so she could focus on the final year. Her additional income really did help us but I think her studies have improved. She wouldn't have been able to quit unless I was employed and paying our way, a luxury not available to every student.

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