Unemployed law student wants money back
A Boston College law student unhappy with his
job prospects has made the prestigious university
an offer: return his money and he'll forfeit his
degree.
The proposition was made in an open letter
written by the student anonymously, identified
only as a third-year law school student, and
posted last week on the law school's independent
student-run website, Eagleionline.
The letter, addressed to the school's Interim
Dean George Brown, explains how the student is
unable to support his wife and the baby they're
expecting and is in "an enormous amount of
debt" from his time at Boston College.
"With fatherhood impending, I go to bed every
night terrified of the thought of trying to
provide for my child AND paying off my J.D,
and resentful at the thought that I was
convinced to go to law school by empty promises
of a fulfilling and remunerative career," the
student, who says he's set to graduate in 2011,
writes.
In the letter the student criticizes the
university's career services department saying
that he and his peers have received "little help"
to cope with their "financial disasters."
One year at Boston College Law School, including
tuition and housing, costs about $60,000,
according to the school's website.
"I'd like to propose a solution to this problem: I
am willing to leave law school, without a degree,
at the end of this semester," writes the student.
"In return, I would like a full refund of the
tuition I've paid over the last two and a half
years."
Repeated requests by ABC News to interview the
student were declined. Brown was also not made
available for an interview, but a spokesman for
the law school issued a written statement.
"As a Jesuit law school, we are deeply concerned
about the job prospects and general well-being
of our students and our recent graduates,"
said Nate Kenyon, the director of
communications at Boston College. "The job
market in the legal profession and beyond has
been severely affected by the current economic
downturn, which has resulted in one of the most
difficult employment climates in the past 70
years, not only for BC Law, but for all schools
across the nation."
Boston College Law School Student Wants His
Money Back
The most recent Labor Department statistics show
the unemployment rate in the United States at
9.6 percent. The jobless rate has now topped 9.5
percent for 14 straight months, the longest
stretch since the 1930s.
The unemployment problem, though, is not
something a college education can promise to
overcome, wrote Kenyon.
"But no institution of higher education can
make a guarantee of a job after graduation,"
said Kenyon. "What we can do is provide the
best education possible, and work together to
provide as many career opportunities as
possible."
Kenyon also disputes the student's claim that
the school's career services are inadequate,
writing in the statement that the office is
committed to working with each student "for as
long as necessary to help them find
employment."
The letter has garnered a mix of responses
online, where comments have ranged from
supportive to mean.
Some argue that the student should not have
lived outside his means while other say he is
right, and the job market for lawyers is
"saturated beyond belief."
Others are less kind, writing, "WOW. I feel sorry
for your wife, as come April she will have two
crying babies in her house."
The student also uses the letter to explain to the
university's adminstration why refunding his
tuition would actually benefit the law school as
well, writing, "On the one hand, I will be free to
return to the teaching career I left to come
here. I'll be able to provide for my family
without the crushing weight of my law school
loans."
"On the other hand, this will help BC Law go up
in the rankings, since you will not have to report
my unemployment at graduation to US News," he
wrote.
U.S. News and World Report releases rankings of
universities and also data on the debt students
have acquired by the time they graduate.
According to the report, the average
indebtedness of 2009 graduates from Boston
College was $96,806, with 83 percent of the
graduating class in debt.
The student suggests in his letter that if his
tuition is returned the institution will get
"better US News rankings" that will help the
school "far more than having yet another
disgruntled and unemployed alumnus."
It is not yet known whether the university is
willing to compromise with the student on any of
his requests, but in a section on the school's
website addressing tuition refunds, the policy
reads, "No tuition will be refunded after the
fifth week of classes."
abcnews.go.com/Business/unemployed-boston-college-law-student-tuition-back/story?id=11937494#.TtbUN2OVpkY
If the situation was that bad in 2009 how worse is it now
Posted from TSR Mobile
job prospects has made the prestigious university
an offer: return his money and he'll forfeit his
degree.
The proposition was made in an open letter
written by the student anonymously, identified
only as a third-year law school student, and
posted last week on the law school's independent
student-run website, Eagleionline.
The letter, addressed to the school's Interim
Dean George Brown, explains how the student is
unable to support his wife and the baby they're
expecting and is in "an enormous amount of
debt" from his time at Boston College.
"With fatherhood impending, I go to bed every
night terrified of the thought of trying to
provide for my child AND paying off my J.D,
and resentful at the thought that I was
convinced to go to law school by empty promises
of a fulfilling and remunerative career," the
student, who says he's set to graduate in 2011,
writes.
In the letter the student criticizes the
university's career services department saying
that he and his peers have received "little help"
to cope with their "financial disasters."
One year at Boston College Law School, including
tuition and housing, costs about $60,000,
according to the school's website.
"I'd like to propose a solution to this problem: I
am willing to leave law school, without a degree,
at the end of this semester," writes the student.
"In return, I would like a full refund of the
tuition I've paid over the last two and a half
years."
Repeated requests by ABC News to interview the
student were declined. Brown was also not made
available for an interview, but a spokesman for
the law school issued a written statement.
"As a Jesuit law school, we are deeply concerned
about the job prospects and general well-being
of our students and our recent graduates,"
said Nate Kenyon, the director of
communications at Boston College. "The job
market in the legal profession and beyond has
been severely affected by the current economic
downturn, which has resulted in one of the most
difficult employment climates in the past 70
years, not only for BC Law, but for all schools
across the nation."
Boston College Law School Student Wants His
Money Back
The most recent Labor Department statistics show
the unemployment rate in the United States at
9.6 percent. The jobless rate has now topped 9.5
percent for 14 straight months, the longest
stretch since the 1930s.
The unemployment problem, though, is not
something a college education can promise to
overcome, wrote Kenyon.
"But no institution of higher education can
make a guarantee of a job after graduation,"
said Kenyon. "What we can do is provide the
best education possible, and work together to
provide as many career opportunities as
possible."
Kenyon also disputes the student's claim that
the school's career services are inadequate,
writing in the statement that the office is
committed to working with each student "for as
long as necessary to help them find
employment."
The letter has garnered a mix of responses
online, where comments have ranged from
supportive to mean.
Some argue that the student should not have
lived outside his means while other say he is
right, and the job market for lawyers is
"saturated beyond belief."
Others are less kind, writing, "WOW. I feel sorry
for your wife, as come April she will have two
crying babies in her house."
The student also uses the letter to explain to the
university's adminstration why refunding his
tuition would actually benefit the law school as
well, writing, "On the one hand, I will be free to
return to the teaching career I left to come
here. I'll be able to provide for my family
without the crushing weight of my law school
loans."
"On the other hand, this will help BC Law go up
in the rankings, since you will not have to report
my unemployment at graduation to US News," he
wrote.
U.S. News and World Report releases rankings of
universities and also data on the debt students
have acquired by the time they graduate.
According to the report, the average
indebtedness of 2009 graduates from Boston
College was $96,806, with 83 percent of the
graduating class in debt.
The student suggests in his letter that if his
tuition is returned the institution will get
"better US News rankings" that will help the
school "far more than having yet another
disgruntled and unemployed alumnus."
It is not yet known whether the university is
willing to compromise with the student on any of
his requests, but in a section on the school's
website addressing tuition refunds, the policy
reads, "No tuition will be refunded after the
fifth week of classes."
abcnews.go.com/Business/unemployed-boston-college-law-student-tuition-back/story?id=11937494#.TtbUN2OVpkY
If the situation was that bad in 2009 how worse is it now
Posted from TSR Mobile
The guy had a teaching career and a family to support so he chose to take on a massive debt and become a student again? Sounds like the problem is his priorities are messed up.
Anyway, it's from 2009. The job market was a basket case then. It's improved somewhat.
Anyway, it's from 2009. The job market was a basket case then. It's improved somewhat.
It's things like this that made me glad I'm going to be a UK university student and not a US one
" this will help BC Law go up in the rankings, since you will not have to report my unemployment at graduation to US News,"
LOL one student isn't going to change BC Law's ranking positions much
I very much doubt he's getting his $60k back, especially if his mates are all getting jobs.
I wonder if Aston Martin will give me my £100k back as I haven't pulled one girl since I've been driving it
LOL one student isn't going to change BC Law's ranking positions much
I very much doubt he's getting his $60k back, especially if his mates are all getting jobs.
I wonder if Aston Martin will give me my £100k back as I haven't pulled one girl since I've been driving it
Original post by MagicNMedicine
I wonder if Aston Martin will give me my £100k back as I haven't pulled one girl since I've been driving it
I wonder if Aston Martin will give me my £100k back as I haven't pulled one girl since I've been driving it
Lol how did that happen ? Jesus u are a distaster.
Posted from TSR Mobile
Original post by AsandaLFC
Lol how did that happen ? Jesus u are a distaster.
Kidding, I'm not that much of a loser.
I haven't pulled any girls but I drive a Ford Fiesta so at least I can blame the car.
Original post by Quantex
The guy had a teaching career and a family to support so he chose to take on a massive debt and become a student again? Sounds like the problem is his priorities are messed up.
Anyway, it's from 2009. The job market was a basket case then. It's improved somewhat.
Anyway, it's from 2009. The job market was a basket case then. It's improved somewhat.
Its perfectly reasonable, most would have assumed that a law degree would provide a good salary especially at the time he entered law school before the recession. He just got incredibly unlucky, lawyers are in huge demand this year was a record hiring year for MBAs and JDs in the US.
He probably has a job by now and a decent paying one at that. Boston College is not a bad law school either.
Original post by Okorange
Its perfectly reasonable, most would have assumed that a law degree would provide a good salary especially at the time he entered law school before the recession. He just got incredibly unlucky, lawyers are in huge demand this year was a record hiring year for MBAs and JDs in the US.
He probably has a job by now and a decent paying one at that. Boston College is not a bad law school either.
He probably has a job by now and a decent paying one at that. Boston College is not a bad law school either.
What do u mean lawyers are in demand ? As far as I know the legal market is saturated with inexperienced law graduates
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Never heard of Boston college in my life
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Posted from TSR Mobile
Original post by MagicNMedicine
I wonder if Aston Martin will give me my £100k back as I haven't pulled one girl since I've been driving it
I wonder if Aston Martin will give me my £100k back as I haven't pulled one girl since I've been driving it
Lmao great analogy.
Original post by AsandaLFC
What do u mean lawyers are in demand ? As far as I know the legal market is saturated with inexperienced law graduates
Posted from TSR Mobile
Posted from TSR Mobile
Compared to previous years i mean, its still oversaturated. I was referring to the US, but yes its saturated in both the US and UK but this year has been a lot better than previous years.
Original post by Okorange
Compared to previous years i mean, its still oversaturated. I was referring to the US, but yes its saturated in both the US and UK but this year has been a lot better than previous years.
Law will always be saturated unless universities do something about entry requirements. Make it hard like med
Posted from TSR Mobile
Original post by AsandaLFC
Law will always be saturated unless universities do something about entry requirements. Make it hard like med
Posted from TSR Mobile
Posted from TSR Mobile
Yes I agree, the Us has been opening law schools like no tomorrow which is why lawyers can't find jobs and anyone can just study law if they can afford it.
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