Guest blog
My Daughter Ashley,
My father,Anthony Eller ,has relentlessly been working on raising awareness of the growing student loan debt for the past 5 years . He has dedicated himself to finding solutions to protect future generations seeking higher education, that will allow them to grow and prosper, without having to fear the consequences of debt before there lives have truly begun.
My dad has asked me many times to write a guest entry for his blog projecttuitionreimbursement.com , and I had been hesitant ... Not because I'm ashamed, too busy, or any other excuses... But because financials have always seemed like such a private matter... However, I now see that my input is more appropriate than ever.
It's been 5 years since I have graduated, and I've been employed by a great company for 4 years now. In my current role, my primary responsibility is recruiting, training , and development. On a weekly basis I'm interviewing many new graduates who, much like myself at the time, are green and ready to take on the world !
Upon graduation from college, It's become apparent that all new graduates leave with the same ideals... "Ok, schools behind me, I have a new degree, I'll be a valuable asset to any company, and I should start off making 50k "... Well, this is something that most recent grads, with their bachelors degree, have experienced to be completely incorrect.
Let me start by saying that I (in no way, shape, or form) regret the decision to attend college. It would be completely irresponsible of me to say that I could have achieved such success, especially so early on in my career, without the tools and over all experience that my college experience provided for me. I attended a 4 year university, which was out of state, even though I had qualified for 'TOPS', a tuition assistant program for academically qualifying Louisiana high school students ( however it only applies to colleges and universities in Louisiana ).
I was lucky enough to receive an out of state tuition scholarship ( which waved the out of state fees -that are close to double the cost of instate tuition ).
At that time, it seemed like a "win"! Like most college freshmen, I signed the dotted line for financial aid ... Not once thinking about any challenges post graduation that I may have making these payments, after all I was going to have a degree .... Which meant I would have a well paying job anyways ...
Fast forward 4.5 years ( my degree required a minor that extended my program another semester) and I have my bachelors of science with a minor in marketing, and $40,000 of debt to various financial institutions.
I , like most, immediately started job seeking ... Waiting tables in the mean time. After my 3 month grace period post graduation I started receiving my student loan bills, they averaged out to $480 a month . I paid on time every month, as I still do , and will continue to do for the next 15 + years .
It was 8 months after I graduated that I accepted a position with my current employer . And i would be lying if I said I was not disappointed with my initial salary ... However, I knew my work ethic, drive, and dedication and knew that this would be a temporary set back. I continued to live at home with my family, and commuted close to 2 hours each way daily for the next year and a half . Over this period of time I did push myself in my career, and I was promoted twice, which finally allowed me the financial independence to move out and find a place of my own in the city.
I am one of the lucky ones, i not only graduated, but I also found a career within my field of study. I love my job, and I'm now compensated very well. As I stated earlier, I believe that my college education played a critical roll in my ability to advance so early on . Yet, part of me still feels dissatisfaction with the set backs due to repayment of these student loans ... In 5 years that's 60 months of $480 payments ... That's $28,800 ... And the sad part is that a majority of that $28,800 has not gone towards my principle balance . Today, I still owe close to $30,000 in student loans.
The focus of this blog is not to bash, belittle, or even suggest that higher education is not worth it -as I have clearly stated, I greatly value my college education and would not trade it for the world .
But I think it's clear that when we look at the numbers ... It just does not add up ... There has got to be a change. We need to reevaluate the way in which student loans are handled, to insure future generations have a fare chance at success .
Ashley
New Orleans, Louisiana
My dad has asked me many times to write a guest entry for his blog projecttuitionreimbursement.com , and I had been hesitant ... Not because I'm ashamed, too busy, or any other excuses... But because financials have always seemed like such a private matter... However, I now see that my input is more appropriate than ever.
It's been 5 years since I have graduated, and I've been employed by a great company for 4 years now. In my current role, my primary responsibility is recruiting, training , and development. On a weekly basis I'm interviewing many new graduates who, much like myself at the time, are green and ready to take on the world !
Upon graduation from college, It's become apparent that all new graduates leave with the same ideals... "Ok, schools behind me, I have a new degree, I'll be a valuable asset to any company, and I should start off making 50k "... Well, this is something that most recent grads, with their bachelors degree, have experienced to be completely incorrect.
Let me start by saying that I (in no way, shape, or form) regret the decision to attend college. It would be completely irresponsible of me to say that I could have achieved such success, especially so early on in my career, without the tools and over all experience that my college experience provided for me. I attended a 4 year university, which was out of state, even though I had qualified for 'TOPS', a tuition assistant program for academically qualifying Louisiana high school students ( however it only applies to colleges and universities in Louisiana ).
I was lucky enough to receive an out of state tuition scholarship ( which waved the out of state fees -that are close to double the cost of instate tuition ).
At that time, it seemed like a "win"! Like most college freshmen, I signed the dotted line for financial aid ... Not once thinking about any challenges post graduation that I may have making these payments, after all I was going to have a degree .... Which meant I would have a well paying job anyways ...
Fast forward 4.5 years ( my degree required a minor that extended my program another semester) and I have my bachelors of science with a minor in marketing, and $40,000 of debt to various financial institutions.
I , like most, immediately started job seeking ... Waiting tables in the mean time. After my 3 month grace period post graduation I started receiving my student loan bills, they averaged out to $480 a month . I paid on time every month, as I still do , and will continue to do for the next 15 + years .
It was 8 months after I graduated that I accepted a position with my current employer . And i would be lying if I said I was not disappointed with my initial salary ... However, I knew my work ethic, drive, and dedication and knew that this would be a temporary set back. I continued to live at home with my family, and commuted close to 2 hours each way daily for the next year and a half . Over this period of time I did push myself in my career, and I was promoted twice, which finally allowed me the financial independence to move out and find a place of my own in the city.
I am one of the lucky ones, i not only graduated, but I also found a career within my field of study. I love my job, and I'm now compensated very well. As I stated earlier, I believe that my college education played a critical roll in my ability to advance so early on . Yet, part of me still feels dissatisfaction with the set backs due to repayment of these student loans ... In 5 years that's 60 months of $480 payments ... That's $28,800 ... And the sad part is that a majority of that $28,800 has not gone towards my principle balance . Today, I still owe close to $30,000 in student loans.
The focus of this blog is not to bash, belittle, or even suggest that higher education is not worth it -as I have clearly stated, I greatly value my college education and would not trade it for the world .
But I think it's clear that when we look at the numbers ... It just does not add up ... There has got to be a change. We need to reevaluate the way in which student loans are handled, to insure future generations have a fare chance at success .
Ashley
New Orleans, Louisiana
Thank you Ashley
I am a very proud father to have daughter that is so grounded into today's world.If I had to chose my daughter it would be Ashley!
Your father,
Tony Eller
Your father,
Tony Eller
