Well this is a new one...
Ok can't post links got it.
So someone I know posted a link on facebook for everyone to see about a gofundme they started to pay for their honeymoon/homebuying. They haven't gotten married yet and even have a date you have to contribute by! Obviously I am not. I just was shocked when I saw it.
Re: Gofundme for Honeymoon/home buying
Talking about the site in an ambiguous way (of know of a couple who did this thing...) is fine.
Unless you named your son Saint, your info doesn't need to be all over here.
But it's otherwise gross. We rent our house, which we'd love to buy. Anyone wanna fork over $850,000?
There USED to be an option where you could set your campaign up one of two ways. The first way was just an open ended "give me money and I keep it all" campaign. The second way was to establish a goal amount and it was all or nothing - essentially they were pledges to give money and if you didn't meet the goal then no one had to pay their pledged amount.
I would say it worked that way as of at least 9 months or so ago (which was about the last time I looked it up after someone posted in chitchat about how it appeared as if someone withdrew their pledge from their nephew's leukemia gofundme campaign). However, if you look on gofundme's site now, it appears now that the only option is the open-ended "give me money and I keep it all" campaign is your only option.
Are there any time limits?
Nope. With GoFundMe there are no deadlines or time-limits. Your campaign will remain live until you choose to stop donations or remove the campaign altogether. Most users leave their campaigns live indefinitely as a lasting memory of all the wonderful comments and support they received.
No problem. With GoFundMe, you keep each and every donation you receive. Reaching your goal is not required.
If any of my friends suggested this, I'd send them into on the different repayment options available since Obama reformed it (#thanksObama). Now, people can pay 10% of their discretionary income, with that number increasing with their salary, and are sometimes eligible to get loans forgiven. (My FI & I both have MA degrees - and the loans to go with them - and we both work in nonprofits, so I've done a LOT of research on this lately.)
For your cousin:
https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/repay-loans/understand/plans
I'm sorry. I can't stop. This pisses me off. Sell your belongings if you can't pay your bills. Move back home. Get a roommate or four. Get a third job. But don't panhandle, which is what a gofundme is. Even people who need money to pay their medical bills don't usually set up the gofundme for themselves. Usually it's someone else in the community who sees the need and wants to help. "The Smith Family lost all their belongings in a freak house fire. We, in their community, are collecting clothes and housewares, but they could use some help with rent for a new place and a security deposit. We're hoping to raise $5000 for them by this date to gift to them as they move into their new apartment."
I don't buy the student loan forgiveness thing - particularly when the request is from an expensive private institution. DH and I both went to our state university vs many of our peers that went to more expensive schools. We don't have the same debt that our friends do. Why is student loan forgiveness a thing but not auto loan forgiveness? Spend what you can afford and pick a major that will earn money. I have minimal sympathy that your Art History degree from Expensive U isn't the lucrative option you thought it was. While I'm at it should I help you pay for your old Saab?
I think there are pros and cons of these arguments, but There are reasons loan forgiveness exist. Additionally, you do have to apply and qualify for it (definitely not automatically forgiven) and not all debt can be forgiven.
The entire college application and attendance game is worth a shake up. And we need to stop touting college as the end all and be all. If we don't have people educated in trades then we'll have a lot of people who know Chaucer but who can't fix leaky pipes, problematic boilers or shoddy electrical work.
It makes me sick when people think they deserve to have their loans forgiven because they went to their dream expensive school for their dream program that has no jobs or jobs that don't make enough money to pay back their loans. Pick a major that has decent job prospects and a school you can afford. No one should pay for your choices but you!
I teach at a not so great high school. It seriously pains me hearing from ex students how much money they are spending on classes before they are even able to English 101/ Math 101, then their degree, then most likely take an unpaid internship.
The other part is those facebook memes about "I never learned about student loans or how to do my taxes but I know the mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell/ SOCAHTOA"
At least at my school we DO offer personal finance classes AND votech classes: culinary, cosmetology, auto shop, welding, electrical, nursing, dental hygienist, and plumbing.But since they're not honors or AP guidance counselors won't recommend them to kids. Its so frustrating. Take a personal finance class and the trade schools we offe
Although on the other end of the spectrum I do think if you work at a title 1 (poorest of the poor)schools at a regular teachers salary (peanuts) for 5 years you DO serve to get a certain amount of your loans forgiven- you're doing a service many people cannot or will not do.
NO.
Money doesn't grow on trees people, the government does not generate money. It takes money from other people and redistributes it.
Choice.
And oh yeah, I'd love to see if any of our Great Britain friends here can chime in, because last I knew "free" college failed in England and people are paying tuition.
At some point you run out of other people's money.
University tuition in scotland is still free, it is heavily subsidised by the scottish government.
You do pay a graduation tax of about £2k at the end which you can either add to your student loans or pay in full. England has had fees for a long time (all my English uni friends paid fees at my Scottish university back in 2001), but in the last few years has increased them significantly. I don't know how the US system works, here you can take out loans for your tuition so it's not that it has to be paid up front in every case*.
I'm interested to know if your definition of failed is because the goverment decided university fees was a prime area on which to focus their budget cuts, or that free or subsidised education in and of itself didn't work?
The young in this country are virtually ignored by the government as they don't have the kind of voting power that the older voter has. I'm sure it is similar in the US. My view is that education is a right for all. We increasing live in a world where a degree in literally anything is a bare minimum requirement for a foot in the door. I don't think our younger generation deserve to be crippled with debt just to compete on a playing field for which they did not make the rules. For me it all reeks of a generation that got the benefit of all the best britain had to offer pulling up the ladder behind them. Yes, the money has to come from somewhere, but I think education should be one of the priorities. Our government could choose to cut other things, but university students don't give them the voter turn out they need.
*as always, there are exceptions. I'm the first to admit I'm no expert.
And there needs to be serious reform to how we fund higher education in this country. There is no reason high quality education should be $65,000+ per year.
I don't expect anyone to pay back my loans for me. I knew taking them on what repayment would mean. They are in no way anyone else's responsibility but my own.
I work at a public university and my salary is bound by state budgets. State legislators decide whether or not I get a raise. Given my skills and training I could make 2-3x in private industry but I believe higher education is important to society. Education advances the economy, can bring people out of poverty, and raises women's standing in society so I stay. I would pay back my loans far faster if I went to work for a corporation or as a consultant. And I know a lot of great faculty members who have done that. So should I not take advantage of a program that is available to me (after making payments for ten years), because I chose this career in the first place? Maybe I should.
The system we have created requires 4 year degrees (if not graduate degrees) for many many career fields and yet the pay for these positions in no way matches up. Real wages in this country have remained largely unchanged for decades, while tuition for all university types has grown significantly.
For private universities there is no cap.