On: Americans don’t need more degrees, they need train...

[cableshaft]

Assuming you took out student loans, are you factoring in the interest accumulated into your total costs? There's no interest in the "17% over 3 years" model.

I had about $25k of student loan debt when I graduated, but by the time I've paid it off I think I will have paid closer to $35k-40k, factoring in interest over several years.

[throwawayjava → cableshaft]

This is an excellent point and IMO a major benefit of the 17% model.

Entirely too much money spent on higher ed in the US goes to banks.

[sarchertech → throwawayjava]

Federal loans (90% of all student loan disbursements) are paid from the treasury.

There's an argument to be made that the government shouldn't be charging students interest. But there's no banks involved.

[antisthenes → cableshaft]

> There's no interest in the "17% over 3 years" model.

There isn't but it's insignificant and the potential salary increases would overshadow charging interest anyway (at least in the current low interest environment in the US)

[vollmond → cableshaft]

Yeah, good point. I didn't think to factor in interest. Noted in the OP now.