A $21,000 Cosmetology School Debt, and a $9-an-Hour Job • Hacker News Board

Re: A $21,000 Cosmetology School Debt, and a $9-an-Hour Job

#11

Post by LoSboccacc » Mon, Dec 31, 2018, 11:20 AM UTC

pkaye wrote: post #3

> Thirteen years after graduating, she still owes more than $8,000. Paying off $13K+interest in 13 years with a $9/hour job is not bad really. There are some people in better situations that still don't pay of their debt.

The course expensiveness might take some blame, but there are key questions being unanswered here: if the barrier to entry is so high why are them earning from 9$ to 10.5$/h after years of practice? That's like a 1% yoy increase in wages, they aren't even keeping up with inflation.

Seems the journalist skept a lot of the more interesting questions to pursue the sob story angle while presenting a very narrow view that prevents understanding the situation fully.

Re: A $21,000 Cosmetology School Debt, and a $9-an-Hour Job

#12

Post by tzs » Mon, Dec 31, 2018, 2:00 PM UTC

RickJWagner wrote: post #9

Interesting article, but why single out cosmetology? Artists, writers, musicians, etc. all pay hefty fees for school and most don't make great salaries. This is true for public schools, many have 4 year programs that end up costing much more than $21k.

Artists, writers, and musicians generally do not require a state license to practice commercially. They can choose to attend expensive schools, but they aren't required to do so.

Cosmetologists, on the other hand, are required to obtain a license, and qualification for that license includes educational requirements, and in some states that education is provided by for-profit schools who have successfully made it so that you are required to attend an expensive school if you want to be a practicing cosmetologist.

Re: A $21,000 Cosmetology School Debt, and a $9-an-Hour Job

#13

Post by lsc » Mon, Dec 31, 2018, 10:36 PM UTC

ordinarydev wrote: post #4

Would be really great if articles behind paywalls weren't being featured

I actually think the rise of "free" news is a big problem; like there has always been the crazy free daily that you could get if you went down to your local city, but it was local and of limited distribution, 'cause printing costs money.

The marginal cost of printing has gone to nearly zero, while the cost of writing good content has, if anything, gone up.

Now, I, too, want a more reasonable way to pay to read news. I mean, it's damn inconvenient to just buy that one story. But I have subscribed to a few papers on my kindle and try to get more of my news from those than from "free" sources on the internet.

Re: A $21,000 Cosmetology School Debt, and a $9-an-Hour Job

#14

Post by pkaye » Mon, Dec 31, 2018, 11:47 PM UTC

LoSboccacc wrote: post #11

pkaye wrote: post #3

> Thirteen years after graduating, she still owes more than $8,000. Paying off $13K+interest in 13 years with a $9/hour job is not bad really. There are some people in better situations that still don't pay of their debt.

The course expensiveness might take some blame, but there are key questions being unanswered here: if the barrier to entry is so high why are them earning from 9$ to 10.5$/h after years of practice? That's like a 1% yoy increase in wages, they aren't even keeping up with inflation. Seems the journalist skept a lot of the more interesting questions to pursue the sob story angle while presenting a very narrow view that…

Its actually regulatory capture by the existing players that makes it harder for a newcomer to work in the industry. The training required by laws for hair dressers can be long and onerous.