Should go to college where they can afford. With the debt load she is acquiring and the salary a good physical therapist will receive she will take most of her working career to pay off debt. Other institutions have excellent physical therapy programs that are less expensive and just as practical.

There is absolutely no substitution for a good quality education. Unfortunately, that costs a fair amount of money.

Although I am not familiar with PT schools, I completely disagree with anonymous saying about attending a cheaper school. The quality of education, experience and ultimately the jobs you get can vary massively depending on the school you attend. I would not argue that the cost is small, however, if you know what your getting to and are well educated about the total costs and future pay before you go into a program, that is all anyone can ask.

Take note of how much the "administrators" of these colleges and universities get paid to play golf, finely dine, and live in luxury, all under the guise of "courting potential donors"...money which inexplicably comes in large amounts, yet still somehow fails to help students in tuition.

I would agree with anonymous because I have researched the profession and possible schools. A person at the VA hospital in Salt Lake told me that they have PT students come do internships there from all over the country including Duke and Creighton, which are 2 of the best PT schools in the country. They said it's not the quality of the school that matters, but the quality of the student. They have seen GREAT students from lesser known schools, and horrible students from "top" schools.
They gave me the advice to go where it is the cheapest, because for the amount of school required (3 yrs of graduate school) physical therapy is one of the lowest paid professions.
Now if she is one of the top students at a top school, then that will definitely give her opportunities that she can't get at a normal school. This girl may very well achieve that, but if she doesn't then the "top" education she got will not be worth the amount it cost.

No offense meant, but gotta check your data source. Perhaps the VA clinic is the pinnacle of the career (no maliciousness meant here), but at best your data is anecdotal.

Without knowing anything about the best PT jobs, I can only imagine that working in PT for the Utah Jazz or a nice private clinic will likely have much higher pay. I can only speculate that they might be a little more elitest when picking their interns.

Quality schools at worst put you at no disadvantage. I can tell you for a FACT that the top business schools unequivcable are critical factor in the top jobs in business.

Do your research, but go to the best school you can.

To: Re:
That is the point. You go to the best school you can. This girl cannot afford to go to the best school she was accepted to. If she wasn't working for a few years to put away more money, and if her mother cannot help and if she has no other resources, and if the loans/grants/scholarships are not enough, then she has to realistic to say that she cannot go there.
One of the problems with the youth of today, is that they believe they can have anything they want and that it should be handed to them. This girl might be of that nature, but it's a common belief system. She should go to a "lesser" school for a year to get the basic coursework done, while continuing to work full-time, then she should be able to afford the loans/grants, etc. That is the way millions have done it for years before her.

The age of the four-year college degree is slowly going the way of the four-year auto loan. Now days, you almost need to stretch the college days to a six year program, much like the auto loans do, in order to afford either of them.

You have to work full-time in order to pay for your schooling, room and board, which cuts into the time you have to learn. It's sad, but the cost of everything is increasing and getting harder for many people to keep up.

I agree with itsjustme that the four-year degree is not the same as it used to be, but for a different reason. With grade inflation and the ever increasing number of college graduates, the value of a four-year degree is gradually being watered down. Today's undergrad degree is yesterday's high school diploma; it is the minimum requirement for a decent job, but no longer sufficient.

My advice: go to the best undergrad you can AFFORD, then go to the best grad school PERIOD. No one cares about your undergrad. I went to the U of U debt free for engineering, then Stanford for my JD and MBA with $120k of debt. It is an awesome investment.

I agree that sometimes the school at where you get your education doesn't matter, a lot of it depends on the student and how hard they are willing to work at becoming "good." If this girl wants to work hard and go to a top school then she should, she may just want to gain that experience of going to Boston and working hard for something she really wants, I don't think she expects it to be handed to her, she seems willing to work

It depends on what career you are going into as to whether or not an expensive school is worth it. For JD, a top school is required to get a decent starting salary. For PT? I have no idea.

Some fields don't care where you went, some do. Do your research about which fields need top schools, and don't be afraid to take longer than four years to graduate (or to live on campus longer than most other students - it's often cheaper). It's more fiscally responsible to take longer and have no debt, than to push to finish in four years, and then be paying off debt for the next 10 years.

bergstro is right.

The problem with the youth of today? The problem with the youth of today is that they expect to go to college? That would seem to be a symptom of success, not selfishness. Please explain to me how getting into a good school (which you have to work and compete for) and trying to find ways to fund it is "just expecting it to be handed to her."

The problem with the youth of today, isn't that they're selfish, it is that paying for college is so difficult. Who can honestly afford to pay for college by themselves with less than a college education. You say she should work full time and save up the money for it. How long will it take somebody to save 20K, 30K, 40K, while earning only slightly better than minimum wage?

There is no way anybody can save up that much money on the kind of job they'll get wihout a degree. Loans are the only way to do it for most people. I have education debt, I'm "the youth of today." Most of us only ask for a loan, not a handout. Mary, you're looking at a contemporary problem with an outdated outlook.

I started school when my son started kindergarten. I studied physics at the University of Kansas. That was in 1992. After 11 years 11 years of school I got my doctorate. I still am at KU, doing research. I have seen a lot of good undergraduates go on to grad schools at Cal Tech, MIT, Yale and so on. Grad school was always paid for, either by a scholarship or a teaching assistantship. My advise to my children was to go to a reasonable (in-state) school to get their undergraduate degree, do their best, and then find the best grad school possible to finish up. Oh, and by the way, there is no better tuition than BYU's.

The reason many of the schools are as expensive as they are is because so many are willing to go into deep student debt. The cost will always be what the market will bare. Often it seems status and competition are the driving force, more than an education.

I thought it would be financially difficult to send my three sons to college on a teacher's salary, but they cost me very little beyond the tax credits now given by the government. Of course they each had full military ROTC scholarships, worked part time, and had summer jobs. They didn't have time or money to go to Europe or exotic vacations, but they have no school debt. By the way ROTC scholarships are easy to get, and you don't have to look for a job when you graduate. Having served 5 years in the navy as a pilot, I wasn't afraid to have my sons in the military.

The University of Utah, USU, BYU and other Utah schools are excellent, and each offer ROTC. I think being free of school debt is much more of a status symbol than an ivy league, or expensive school diploma.

PT's are high demand and there is 100% placement and a healthy demand in all states. When I need a PT I could care less where they have gone to school as long as it is accredited. Supply and demand drive the salary rage. In Utah they start for about 50-65K, in Nevada it's almost double. Rural PT's often make more than even the most prestigious opportunities in the city. Getting into a school, any school is the key. If you go expensive but graduate a year or two earlier, it can pay its way.

What bothers me is what you get for your money. I know schools are supposed to encourage kids to think outside the box, but why are they over 70% liberal in terms of faculty and all they publish? Instructors, in most majors, teach a couple classes a term. Then there is tenur and your are stuck with them.

Even taking on debt, she should be able to more than make a good living and still be able to pay off student loans with the career she has chosen. The math doesn't always add up for all majors and good homework before deciding on a school is key. She is earning part of the money now, people do better in school when they are responsible for part of the tab.

The schools with how they offer core classes pretty much make you have to do an extra semester to graduate for most majors. extra $$$ from you. Some more private schools offer more incentives and tuition reductions the first few years and they dwindle and it's too late. You then have to spend 2 years at another institution to qualify for a degree there or stay and pay higher tuition.

I was tempted to say it depends on the career but in today's world, most of the best jobs are asking mba's, or at least, mba preferred. This is not the 60's or the 70's when high school graduate was enough, neither the 80 when a 4 year degree was the best. Technology is what makes the work market so aggresive and demanding. I read once in a business magazine that by 2010, 55% of job ads will require a college degree.

On the other hand however, starting professional life with a debt is pretty much like sailing to mainland with your hands only.

The college name helps you just as a start. Same way as your gpa when you graduate high school. After the first job, it's all about you and only you. Work experience is what weight the most in resumes.

To Navy Veteran: My daughter has an AFROTC scholarship for this fall at the University of Utah. My husband works with many retired AF officers and according to them, ROTC scholarships are harder to get than an appointment to the Academy. This year just for the AF scholarships, they had over 17,000 apply for about 3500 scholarships. So if your kids went through school on this kind of scholarship, they should be very proud! For those of you who don't know, once a ROTC scholarship is awarded, it pays tuition, books and a stipend at any college or university that has an ROTC program. My husband who is now an aerospace engineer with an MBA went through college on an Army ROTC scholarship with no debt at all. And at least in the aerospace industry, they do look more at where the MBA came from and less at the school where you received your undergraduate degree. They just want you to have that degree in hand.

get a loan.

I would suggest that everyone with college-bound jr. high students to get their kids into AP classes when they hit high school. This saves money for the undergrad degree. Some students avoid AP and honors courses and go for a high GPA. That's a mistake! So many kids loose scholarships because they can't handle the rigor of college.

Colleges and universities all over the country offer great undergrad programs. So I would go for the best money value.

If they go for a professional/graduate degree, then go for the best value for your return possible.

ROI - you say "get a loan." But student loans have been slashed dramatically in the past few years. A new freshman used to be able to get a student loan to at least cover tuition at a state school; this is no longer the case.

The maximum amount a typical college freshman can borrow is $3500 per year. In state college tuition exceeds that at nearly any four-year institution.

well I might as well come out in the open, I've been reading the comments and decided that I would like to say a few more things...as far as a PT's salary, they're not all that great I've been told by some PT's to just become a doctor for the amount of schooling. PT is no longer a master's, it's a doctorate, and man I am excited that I could choose a profession that's a doctorate, I want to go to school in Boston, I want to work hard to get the best education I can, yeah it's expensive but it's an experience I want and I know tons of people who have paid off their loans by working, I know I can do this because I really want it, I'm glad this article was written to show just how hard it is for people to pay for an education...it was needed, I just hope it somehow gets to the right people and just maybe something can be done about it, so thanks for the input, I know I have a lot to think about and a lot of work, but boy am I excited

If you don't like the pay, maybe you should rethink the school choice.

What you need to do is figure out what your salary will be after you graduate and your expenses housing, car, medical - if you have to pay yourself or if you will be able to get through a spouse or employer, loan payment and decide if you can afford to pay off the loan. And then decide how many years you are going to have to work to pay it off. Also consider any time you may want to take off to care for young children. Is it something that has flexible hours where you could reduce your schedule for a few years and spend more time at home while making your bills? Perhaps you can work a few years living at home to help pay down your debt before you move out on your own or marry?

I think you are on the right track, working now to pay off some expenses now and doing loans for the rest. Good luck.

I'm a PT with a masters degree.(More power to Mary).A PT's job is one of service and is very rewarding. Many of the young, newly graduated PT's that work in the hospital w/ me have a bachelors degree, so a bachelors degree is STILL a viable choice! A couple of my bacelor degreed co-workers are getting their masters degree paid for,at least partially, by our hospital.There are some PT's that are MD's and others have a Phd, but they are the EXCEPTION, not the rule,and they are NOT the trend or future of PT.(at least where I work)Just like nursing, there are a varity of educational levels on the PT world.