lowquality.net

I was just alerted to the fact that, in the near future, I will be running out of Federal financial aid money for my “education” at ECPI. After my repeated attempts over the past year at explaining that I have an assload of student loan debt from a previous college, the fin aid department is finally starting to understand my dilemma. Unfortunately, it is at the last minute. I was refused the last time I attempted to borrow more money from Sallie Mae (and who can blame them for refusing me?) and apparently they may have an alternative loan that boasts an insanely high interest rate.

I will say that my experiences at ECPI have not made enough of a positive impression to warrant any additional financial worry. Especially, when I am near-certain that the A.A.S degree ECPI will award me, when I graduate, will be next to worthless. It is going to be a hard decision but I will see what options are available. I know some of you will tell me to finish what I start and I only half-agree with you. I liken my experience at ECPI as similar to a specialized, poorly-managed public school program. I would have never considered dropping out of high school (even though I wanted to), but, I would also have never considered paying thirty grand to attend a public school.

I know that I would be better off with a diploma in the field than nothing at all, but I have made errors in the past with not treating “school money” like real money. It’s amazing the amount of money I owe for something that is completely insubstantial. It staggers the imagination when I think about the stuff I could buy with all of the money I owe for a degree that has proven to be worthless to few people other than myself. I wonder if I will feel similarly when I finish here.

We’ll see what happens.