Outrageous College Tuition

As I browsed the internet today, this headline caught my eyes, "The $550,000 Student-Loan Burden". It is about a 41-year-old family practitioner in Columbus, Ohio, finished medical school in 2003, her student-loan debt amounted to roughly $250,000. Since then, it has ballooned to $555,000. And she didn't know how to pay for it. When I calculated the amount to Philippine Peso, it amounted to 24,750.000.00! Oh my God! That’s a lot of money!

Well, actually, this problem is common here. My Filipina friend Rowena is taking up a 6-month course this spring and the tuition is more than $10,000.00; take note that is for 6 months only, how much more for 2 year- or 4-year course? You bet. This is definitely a reason mostly of the people here are High School graduate only or if not, mostly are college undergraduate.

I have a workmate here, she went to College for a year, and she was a Softball player and half-scholar so she paid only half of the tuition. But she just can't afford for another year no more so she quit schooling. Recently, she told me that she has to pay $150.00 per month starting July for the loan she owed so she thought to find a second job for her to pay all her bills.

Like any other parents, I dream for my children to finish a degree and I cannot fulfill that dream if they will stay here. I am so glad that I sent them back to the Philippines to continue their college education there or else they will be a high school graduate forever. And I am happy that my husband supported my decision even if it was hard for us to send them back being thousand miles away from them.

If they will finish their chosen degree in God's time, they will be definitely debt-free. By that time, they could start their career or life without burden.