Even Shaq has a doctoral degree, so don't think you're special.
Caroline tried to get food stamps and found out her student debt doesn’t qualify as part of her financial need, and faced lots of grief from internet commenters; Karina was considering out-loud whether to get food stamps and faced some grief from a Nasty Nosey Nelly sitting nearby. Just get a job already, right?? Turns out even the most over-educated people in the country are turning to food stamps too. The Chronicle of Higher Education reported the number of people with Ph.Ds on food stamps has more than tripled in the past few years. Does this make you feel better or worse about your own financial situation.
C’mon guys, just get a job taking orders at the drive-through philosophy joint, amirite?
Here’s the whole chart, where ou can see master’s degree holders are also doing worse:
Not to discredit liberal arts degrees (seeing as I have a MFA in creative writing myself) but you have to realize that when you’re getting an PhD in Women’s Studies or Romance Languages and the like, you’re setting yourself up to either be a teacher or…hmmm, not sure what else you can be with that degree. It sucks, but it’s our current reality.
And no, college debt doesn’t count as financial hardship according to the HRA because, as they explain it, attending an expensive college or university is a luxury, not a necessity. Sad but true!