Jobless Grad Sues Her College

Is Trina Thompson yet another example of the entitled, "victim mentality" that is so pervasive in our society today? The 27-year-old graduated in April from Monroe College, business-oriented school located in the Bronx, with a bachelor's degree in information technology. Having spent $70,000 on tuition, she now has filed a lawsuit against the school's Office of Career Advancement for "not trying hard enough" to find her a job.

Here are the details (emphasis added):

"She's angry," said Thompson's mother, Carol. "She's very angry at her situation. She put all her faith in them, and so did I. They're not making an effort.

"She's finally finished [with school], and I'm so proud of her. She just wants a job."

The mother and daughter live together, but are struggling to get by. Carol, a substitute teacher, has been the only breadwinner.

"This is not the way we want to live our life," the mom said. "This is not what we planned."

[Gee, could Mom be a big part of the problem here? Besides being whiny, has she taught her daughter to think she's entitled to a job?]

As if being unemployed weren't enough, Trina's student loans are coming due, saddling the family with more debt, the mom said.

"We're going to be homeless, and we'll still have a student loan to pay," Carol said.

Monroe insists it helps graduates in their careers.

"The lawsuit is completely without merit," school spokesman Gary Axelbank said. "The college prides itself on the excellent career-development support that we provide to each of our students, and this case does not deserve further consideration."

The college's Office of Career Advancement advertises lifetime free service for graduates, and boasts on the school's Web site: "We have many resources available for students at any stage of their college career, and even after graduation."

So, I have some thoughts/questions:

• Do college loans come due that quickly?

• How much will those monthly payments be? I remember them being quite reasonable. I went to an online loan calculator and found that $70,000 at 6.8% over 10 years was a payment of $50 a month. That sounds pretty doggone cheap to me. What about refinancing through Sallie Mae? (There are a lot of options. How sad that the Thompson immediately go for the lawsuit. I mean, she graduated in April and filed the lawsuit July 24th. Fer cryin' out loud!!!!)

• In light of that information, what made the girl think she would find a job so quickly ... and think that it was the school's responsibility?

• What is the girl doing now, i.e. working a job (or jobs!) somewhere ... anywhere ... to make money until she finds "the" job?

• How much has the girl taken advantage of the Career Advancement Center? What has she done to find a job, or is she simply relying on the Center?

• Have the girl and her mother taking the current economy into account?

• If the mother is worried about being homeless, has she taken on more work other than being a substitute teacher, especially now that it's summer? What cuts have they made in their monthly living expenses (e.g. cable, cellphone, eating out, etc.)?

When my older sister first graduated from college with a teaching degree, she unfortunately hit the job market when it was miserable, especially for teachers. My sister busted her hump to find a full-time position, but there were none to be had in our state -- not in music, anyway. She wound up having to move to another state to find a job. It wasn't her university's fault. It was life's "fault."

Let's hope there's a judge with some common sense on the Bronx Supreme Court who will simply dismiss the suit. Apparently, the girl's lawyer is either a nitwit or a money-grubber. Gee, that will be yet another big expense to come due for the Thompsons.