Originally Posted by HowlerKarma
Jon, my own perspective is just as strongly held an opinion that nobody should PAY for graduate studies.

wink

Why? Because in any non-professional degree program, that PhD is essentially wasting your earning potential while you do something that offers mostly marginal additional earning power. Now, it's fine if its about something other than money-- but NEVER go into hock for it. Never. They ought to be paying YOU-- via teaching assistantships and tuition waivers.

But I don't really understand things like law and optometry school, to be fair. It's a curious model for someone like me.

I agree that you should never pay for Ph.D. programs for the reasons you set forth above.