Sign of the Times: Unemployed College Grad Sues College for Tuition

Um … I didn’t know colleges guaranteed you jobs. I thought they just promised to educate you, but, hey, if you can get a lawyer to file the papers you can sue. What’s next? An online school graduate suing because they didn’t get hired by a Fortune 500 company?

Tis the American way!

Story after the jump.

From Huffington Post via the Associated Press:

(AP) — A New York City woman who says she can’t find a job is suing the college where she earned a bachelor’s degree.

Trina Thompson filed a lawsuit against Monroe College in Bronx Supreme Court. The 27-year-old is seeking the $70,000 she spent on tuition.

Thompson says she’s been unable to find gainful employment since she received her information technology degree in April.

She says the Bronx school’s Office of Career Advancement hasn’t provided her with the leads and career advice it promises.

Monroe College spokesman Gary Axelbank says Thompson’s lawsuit is completely without merit.

The college insists it helps its graduates find jobs.

daniellebelton

27 responses to “Sign of the Times: Unemployed College Grad Sues College for Tuition”

  1. Scipio Africanus Avatar
    Scipio Africanus

    OMG. First, she’s only been out of school for 4 months. It took me 7 months to find a job when I was done, and I had a Masters in daggone Economics. And I felt fortunate (even though I didn’t particulalrly like the description of that job, going in.) Second, she only spent $70K for 4 years? STFU. Third, I pity the phillistines who view college primarliy as job-prep.

    Reply
  2. Jeannette Avatar
    Jeannette

    Education (college and grad school) is a business.. it really has nothing to do with whether you get employed.. or possibly learned something.. or not.. good luck with that one though.. I admire her moxy

    Reply
  3. Scott Avatar
    Scott

    Not only do I hope she loses but I hope the court gives her school attorney’s fees for their trouble.

    Reply
  4. swiv Avatar
    swiv

    she’ll lose. easily. LMAO. unless the university guarantee’s that graduates will find work in their fields within x # of months after graduation.

    Reply
  5. Serenity Avatar
    Serenity

    I understand her angst. I busted my bootie (put my life on hold) to earn a doctorate degree that I have not been able to use 13 years after recieving it. Folks market education like it is the yellow brick road guaranteeing one success in life. And I believed it wholeheartedly. Friends of mine who never went to college (not talking about eaning a graduate degree, just college) who have been working at the post office or fixing cars since HS graduation are living way better than my over eduacated behind. And what do I have to show for it? a nicely framed degree? I much rather have the Hummer.I just wish someone would have told me that failure was a possibility.

    Reply
  6. cdf Avatar
    cdf

    SMH

    Reply
  7. Scipio Africanus Avatar
    Scipio Africanus

    Serenity, you have education and a cultivated mind. Whether or not that is important to you, or anyone, is your/anyone’s choice.

    Reply
  8. Black C. Tzar Avatar
    Black C. Tzar

    I know she’s tight, unemployment is no laughing matter, and while I commend her and everyone else for trying to advance themselves through education… she did go to Monroe College, or any other TV/Subway advertised school aren’t exactly known as the bastions of higher education. But we do what we must, including sue. Actually I didn’t realize that school was so expensive, she might have been better off at Baruch (a NY City college).

    Reply
  9. Penny Avatar
    Penny

    Monroe College is not like a traditional institution of higher learning. It is part of a for-profit corporation, which means they make money purely on enrollment. Once your tuition has been paid, their objectives have been met. Still doesn’t mean she has a basis for legal action, but it would be interesting to know what information/documentation was given to her at enrollment. @Serenity-I have a second graduate degree that I am still paying for that I get little use from, so I understand your pain. However, in this country, we have turned education into a business as Jeannette says in her post. We have completely removed education for same of education-to produce an improved society.

    Reply
  10. Michelle Avatar
    Michelle

    @serenity, "I just wish someone would have told me that failure was a possibility.???????" Really? You posted that as a joke right? Forgive me. I don’t mean to be mean, but that is the quote of the century.

    Reply
  11. Michelle Avatar
    Michelle

    @serenity, "I just wish someone would have told me that failure was a possibility.???????" Really? You posted that as a joke right? Forgive me. I don’t mean to be mean, but that is the quote of the century.

    Reply
  12. Scott Avatar
    Scott

    Serenity:What subject is your PhD.d. in? As for the lady in the story, she is trying to get an IT degree in a market glutted with IT folks so what does she expect? I guess she didn’t think failure was a possibility either.

    Reply
  13. RainaHavock Avatar
    RainaHavock

    LMAO and SMDH.

    Reply
  14. Court Avatar
    Court

    So true @ Black C Czar and Penny. I had a friend who went to Monroe, and according to him neither quality of education nor the degree he received is worth the paper it’s written on. AND it’s crazy expensive for no damn reason. Monroe is a lazy, tacky school with substandard level education by all accounts. The woman who’s suing is probably more pissed at the school’s faculty and staff than she is at the concept of higher education.

    Reply
  15. Court Avatar
    Court

    But then here’s my question. If by some miracle she does successfully sue, does she give back the money if she does get hired?

    Reply
  16. Scott Avatar
    Scott

    Court:The lady in question is probably pissed at herself b/c she now realizes the bad choice she made in going to Monroe and instead of acknowledging her bad choices she is suing Monroe.

    Reply
  17. swiv Avatar
    swiv

    is it like one of those bootleg online schools?

    Reply
  18. Brandi Avatar
    Brandi

    I’m a Southerner so I haven’t heard of that school. I feel sorry for this poor woman b/c she bought whatever they were selling hook line and sinker. I agree that education has turned into a business and some "universities" are just diploma mills. I applaud anyone that is working toward a degree but you really have to be careful about the schools you choose. @ Serenity – I’ve considered a doctorate and when I’m bored I say I’m going back for it. If I do go back, it’ll be for self gratification. I have a master’s that’s not working for me but luckily my employer paid for that one.

    Reply
  19. studpoet Avatar
    studpoet

    ahhhh…but we do "promise" it. Its an inferred promise. The Academy is no longer in the business of educating students. We are in the business of business. So if that gets you in the doors and handing us your dollars then we will say anything! Listen, I have students coming in during orientation saying they want to do optometry. Ummm…we have no optometry program. But they were told that they could do optometry here. I’m psyched about this lawsuit because maybe…just maybe…Higher Education will get back to the business of education & educating rather than being like Burger King.

    Reply
  20. tarheelio Avatar
    tarheelio

    Serenity – where did you go to grad school? Monroe like the girl in the article? If you think any degree guarantees wealth you are dumb! I am an attorney, my HS educated brother makes just as much as I do, and I knew that was a realistic possibility when I went to school. Serenity, if you return to this string, please tell us where you went to school. If say U of Phoenix or Thunderbird, your post will make a lot of sense to me.You certainly shouldn’t go to a school that no one ever heard of and expect a guaranteed job like Ms. Thompson. It is obvious that Thompson is not smart, I am sure that has come across to potential employers.This suit is laughable from a legal standpoint, I wonder where her attorney went to school?

    Reply
  21. Court Avatar
    Court

    @ ScottWell we can name probabilities all day. However I based my ideas off of this:"She says the Bronx school’s Office of Career Advancement hasn’t provided her with the leads and career advice it promises."If this is what she’s basing her case on, I would venture to say she may have a point (not a chance at winning, but a point). How many of us go to college for "life experience", "well-roundedness" and an education to have, just for having it sake? I’d say in today’s world, nobody. We ultimately go so we can get a job and the ability to take care of our families and ourselves…and higher education knows it. Like studpoet says, a job is almost promised in the price of tuition.

    Reply
  22. Spinster Avatar
    Spinster

    I understand where she’s coming from. Not sure if she’ll win though. Education is a business now, and like any business, it’s cut-throat and misleading. This recession makes it worse because schools are appealing to the masses – "It’s a recession. Come (back) to school, spend more money and then EARN more money!" For millions of others like me, we are (or have, in my case) gone to school to, in essence, pay back banks and student loan corporations. And none of the schools I attended were bootleg by ANY means. Ask Sallie Mae. :-|The good ole U.S. of A. 😐

    Reply
  23. Cathy Avatar
    Cathy

    What is wrong with The University of Phoenix?? a lot of people I work with went there for MBA’s and they seem reasonably intelligent?

    Reply
  24. educatedandhappy Avatar
    educatedandhappy

    this is like suing a gym because you’re still fat after joining for a few months. No one offers guarantees, just the tools to get you closer to your goal. what you do with those tools, is up to you.and please, 4 months of unemployment after graduating???? what a joke, that can be normal during a boom economy, let alone these days.

    Reply
  25. Scott Avatar
    Scott

    Cathy:If you need to be told what is wrong with The University of Phoenix as an institution of higher learning, then you might have bigger problems.

    Reply
  26. Hank Nasty Avatar
    Hank Nasty

    College is O V E R R A T E D as a means to prepare yourself for a non-doctoral, non-legal career… you should only go if someone else is footing the bill.

    Reply
  27. Hank Nasty Avatar
    Hank Nasty

    And for Pete’s sake do NOT go to a for profit school, especially if you want to work in a field where some sort of certification is required (nurses, accountants). Do the community college, then pass the exams. That puts you at the same place as people who did expensive 4 year degrees in possibly less time.

    Reply

Leave a reply to Court Cancel reply

Live Your Best Life.