Tuition Fee

It is not something new to know that the education in the U.S is considered really good compare to most other countries, but to know also the cost of the tuition, sometimes I can hardly understand. It is very very very expensive! Even for a public school. Somehow I feel so blessed that I went to undergraduate school in Indonesia, and in a public school like ITB cos I think it was very cheap. Well I don't know for now though.

I was talking with one of my classmates one day about the printer in school. Lately there had been an announcement email to tell us to be more considerate in using the printer cos it is not cheap (like the inks, papers, etc). So when we talked about that, she (my classmate) told me that our tuition fee is expensive, so why they even bother tells us something so small compare to the tuition fee. Well basically I got scholarship, so I can't complain. But then it triggered me to ask her, if she pays for her school by herself. Cos basically for me, a master program especially in engineering and science should be free. Cos not everybody can do that, or motivated enough to do that.
Long story short, she told me that she didn't get scholarship (she applied to one of the research groups at Mines but did not get accepted), but she was lucky enough that her parents are willing to pay for everything. Even more shocking, she did undergrad twice! So she graduated from Math, didn't like the job for Math graduate and then did another undergrad in Geophysics. Annddd now she is taking master in Geophysics. Can you imagine how much money her parents had spent for her? Wow!

Anyywaay so she was also telling me that it is different case for her boyfriend. He basically took a student loan for paying his undergrad and grad study. He ended up owing the bank about $90K and now that he has graduated, he has to pay around $1000/month for 15 years!!! Crazy, eh? It is almost like paying for mortgage. Tsk tsk. I think that's unbelievable, especially if someone is smart enough, why would they need to pay that amount of money for education?
Anyway again, he is lucky enough that he got hired by an oil company. So at least he would get enough income to pay for that. Well, considering he won't get laid off during this oil price crisis.
But this "student loan" thingy is very common in here. Many people have to do that to be able to get better education and end up having to pay for the loan for the rest of their lives. I remember one time my other classmate was telling me that he once worked as a janitor in some building just to pay for his school. He was even shocked that I was shocked. He asked me, "Sheila, have you not ever had to work to pay for your undergrad school?" Err... no? I kinda feel bad when I realized that I was luckier than most people, I guess.

So I started to think, well, I know also that my tuition is not cheap. Every semester I got my tuition paid by my research group and it is around $18K/semester. It is also that expensive because I am considered as "out-of-state" student. If I were "in-state" student, I would be paying around half of it, I think. And I could get that status if I have Colorado residency. So, that tuition times 4, cos I will be here for 4 semesters, it is around $72K. Although I think on my 4th semester I would be eligible for reduced tuition because by that time I would only need to take research credits, no classes. Well consider it around $60K then. Could be more, actually. And then I get stipend for around $1200/month for 2 years (minus summer time) so it is about 18 months time $1200, it is around $22K. Basically the research group ends up spending money for me almost $100K! Can you imagine if I had to take student loan for that? Wow.

Anyway again, I was thinking about it also because one of my colleague at work was telling me that he wanted to go back to school also but he was worried that he would get pushed to resign and not getting any compensation (retirement plan kind of thing). Cos basically the rumor now is that when I finished school ( I am taking Leave Without Pay now), and go back to Indo, the company I am working at won't welcome me, nor they will fire me and give me compensation. Basically they will just making me high and dry for as long as it can be and I file for resign by myself.

Well I don't know about that colleague of mine, but for me, a $100K of education plus experience and a degree, worth getting fired (without compensation) from the company I'm working at now.