An Education in Today’s Realities

Re: “Class Act: Why More Adults Are Hitting Books” (Personal Finance, Jan. 7):

At age 44, I decided to return to college and pursue a bachelor of arts degree in design in an attempt to transition into a more rewarding career, both financially and emotionally.

Little did I realize that during my six-year quest (three years of night classes at junior college and three years of full-time daytime classes at university) I would face financial ruin, emotional pain and to date--a year and a half after graduating, countless interviews and submission of more than 2,000 resumes, both here and abroad--have yet to find a job.

I spent out of pocket and incurred debt in student loans of approximately $30,000. To date, I have not realized a return on this investment.

To mislead adults into thinking they can return to college and find rewarding careers after graduation is immoral and dishonest on the part of the media and of universities that use this ploy to lure mature students into costly programs that benefit the universities’ earnings but wreak havoc on the mature student.

My employer decided to downsize as I was about to begin my senior year, and my job was eliminated as a result. I was forced to make a difficult decision: quit college or endure even more extreme financial difficulties than I had already been experiencing in order to complete my education.

I chose to complete, but I had to move out of my apartment, put my belongings in storage and move into a rented bedroom in a private home. I had no income other than financial aid after my unemployment benefits ran out, and, yes, I was constantly seeking a job that I could work around my school schedule during that time.

It’s time to wake up and see the reality that a mature graduate faces. There are no jobs to be had if you’re over the age of 35 and have majored in anything other than computer science or nursing.

Stop helping to perpetuate this sad myth and wake up to the fact that businesses are operating more cruelly than ever, and that universities have done little or nothing to make businesses aware of the benefits of hiring a mature graduate.

SHELLEY L. TUCKER

San Gabriel