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The Heidepriem campaign sends out a press release on a bothersome statistic about our higher education system: according to 2009 data from the Project on Student Debt, South Dakota has the highest reported percentage of students graduating from college in debt. 78% of our 2009 grads carried student loan debt. The only other states with more than 70% of their college grads carrying debt are Iowa (74%), Minnesota and West Virginia (73%), New Hampshire and Pennsylvania (72%), and North Dakota (71%).
The states with the most students graduating free and clear are Nevada, Utah, Delaware, Arizona, and New Mexico. Even dreaded California manages to issue just over half of its baccalaureate degrees without letters from the bank stapled to the diplomas.
South Dakota isn't quite so bad off when we count actual average debt. By that metric, we rank 17th out of the reporting states (Hawaii and Idaho aren't talking), with the average student owing $23,581 at graduation. The highest average student debt is in the District of Columbia, $30,033. The lowest average student debt load is in Utah, just $12,860.
Within our borders, a whopping 92% of Dakota State University students graduate with debt. That's the highest percentage of any reporting school in the state, even higher than at South Dakota's private colleges. Consider that at Augustana College, tuition and fees are four times higher than at DSU, but 76% graduate with debt. An Augie grad's average debt in 2009 was $29,531 compared to $21,189 at DSU.
And for you SDSU-USD partisans, note that Jackrabbits have a lower proportion of students in debt than Coyotes and the average Jackrabbit debt is lower.
Why would low-tuition South Dakota have such a high proportion of students going into debt to pay for their undergraduate education? Scott Heidepriem contends that Pierre is saddling our valuable students with debt while cutting higher education and throwing money at tax breaks for TransCanada, state planes, no-bid contracts, and the other fiscal malfeasance of the Rounds-Daugaard administration. TransCanada's $10.5-million handout could have knocked $5000 off 2100 graduates' debt. An extra $5000 in spending power in the hands of 2100 new graduates could translate into a lot of down payments on new cars and houses. It could even keep a few more valuable workers in South Dakota, as more college grads could pay off their student loans on South Dakota wages.
Let me venture that our low wages may also contribute to our bad student debt numbers. Even with our relatively low in-state tuition, students have a hard time finding part-time or summer jobs that pay enough to cover their college bills. Thus, more students have to turn to loans and start their careers in the red.
The Project for Student Debt does a good job of explaining how they get their data and the limitations of their study. The information they use is voluntarily reported by the colleges surveyed, so there is a chance that colleges underreport the amount of student debt. But PSD's numbers are the only ones on the table, and they indicate South Dakota's policies are leaving college graduates in a financial lurch that drags down our economy and makes it harder to keep high-value graduates.
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2 days ago
I have six kids, 5 w/college degrees. 2 w/postgrad degrees. 1 back in school for post grad work, 1 a jr. Only one graduated w/some debt. She left school after 2 yrs, worked a few years returned to school and borrowed what her smart grant did not cover to finish her senior year, and worked a job.
ReplyDeleteThey began saving money when they were 10-12 yrs old w/ a college calf they cared for, they all worked through HS, drove old clunkers (we live 12 miles from town), and lived in dumps. They worked through college,they took time off if they fell behind and worked and saved. We helped when we could. #5 was a national merit scholar so she had all four years covered, including dorm/housing, she still worked all four years. She is the only one that finished in 4 yrs. The rest took from 4.5 yrs to 7 yrs.
They value their education highly at least in part because of the sweat it took to get it. Their work experiences were at least as valuable as their college degrees. Some of those jobs were doozies.
We really encouraged them to avoid debt if possible so they could be free to pursue work or further education and not have that obligation hanging over them. #4 graduated, worked a year, went to S. Korea for a year to teach and thought about what to do next. She came home and applied to grad schools, while she worked. She was accepted and had to make a choice between her dream school w/little financial help or second best with tuition, insurance and a small salary. She chose the latter and it turned out wonderfully. Once again she could consider her options after graduation w/o worrying about how to pay for loans.
This has nothing to do with me, i honor their hard work and dedication. It was not easy, but it is doable.
All parents worry about their kids, no matter how old they are. But it is a comfort knowing they can and will do any kind of honest work to make a living.
For example #5 just finished house sitting for someone who had about a dozen dogs, cattle and sheep. She dealt w/chores after her regular job, #3 could be found painting the top of the dinkydome at the U of MN and working with developmentally disabled men, #4 taught drivers ed.
I look forward to being the least educated member of my family and i am just about there.
Joelie
It is possible that the current generation is not working as hard to avoid debt. Our consumer culture has certainly depended on destigmatizing debt in order to drive more spending. But a cultural shift like that wouldn't explain why a higher percentage of SD students acquire debt than do students elsewhere. That's why I'm inclined to believe there are some state policy issues making it harder for SD students to avoid debt.
ReplyDeleteOne thing we discovered is that while the initial tuition cost is low, students are nickled and dimed for every little thing. it adds up!
ReplyDeleteJoelie