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BTW, for those of you that don't understand how TOPS works, it's basically a state-funded scholarship to (ideally) put deserving high school students through college.

To earn TOPS you have to earn high school credits in state-mandated disciplines (STEM subjects, art, English, social studies, etc.). Then you have to meet certain ACT scores and maintain a solid GPA (I think it's 3.0 or better) in high school. The better your ACT score and GPA, the better scholarship you get.

Once you're in college, TOPS covers up to 8 semesters of study at approved LA colleges and universities. You have to attend at least 12 hours a semester (how hard is it to take 4 or 5 classes?) and maintain at least a 2.0 GPA or they'll permanently drop you from TOPS. A lot of students **** around in their first semester and lose TOPS.

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Are you telling me welding doesn't pay well? Being a salesman? I can tell you more if you want.

Engineering is usually a pretty safe degree that will always give you a return on your money.

Oh and lastly, if you don't have an idea of what you want to do in college, and you are going to have to take out loans for it, maybe you should do the smart thing and wait until you do know. That would require a little something called responsibility. Look it up, it's a great concept.

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You still have no ****ing idea on that high horse of yours, do you?

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So you don't have a response? Nice non sequitur. Really showing the value of that subsidized education there.

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BTW, for those of you that don't understand how TOPS works, it's basically a state-funded scholarship to (ideally) put deserving high school students through college.

To earn TOPS you have to earn high school credits in state-mandated disciplines (STEM subjects, art, English, social studies, etc.). Then you have to meet certain ACT scores and maintain a solid GPA (I think it's 3.0 or better) in high school. The better your ACT score and GPA, the better scholarship you get.

Once you're in college, TOPS covers up to 8 semesters of study at approved LA colleges and universities. You have to attend at least 12 hours a semester (how hard is it to take 4 or 5 classes?) and maintain at least a 2.0 GPA or they'll permanently drop you from TOPS. A lot of students **** around in their first semester and lose TOPS.

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Is this financial based at all? Or can anyone that earns it, get it? So even if you can afford tuition you still get it free?

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Well maybe those dumbasses shouldn't be going to college to get a degree that will not advance their economic station in life. That is the point of college; not to get 4+ yrs extra of no responsibility, paid for by the shrinking income tax base.

Good job for derailing this thread

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Typical smug liberal dewsh

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Typical smug liberal dewsh

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Lol. Right. I'm the smug one in this thread.

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Are you telling me welding doesn't pay well? Being a salesman? I can tell you more if you want.

Engineering is usually a pretty safe degree that will always give you a return on your money.

Oh and lastly, if you don't have an idea of what you want to do in college, and you are going to have to take out loans for it, maybe you should do the smart thing and wait until you do know. That would require a little something called responsibility. Look it up, it's a great concept.

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You still have no ****ing idea on that high horse of yours, do you?

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So you don't have a response? Nice non sequitur. Really showing the value of that subsidized education there.

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What if you don't have the skills to be an Engineer? What if you hate welding? And selling ****? Welding is a thankless, horrible job. Being a salesmen is worse. And you honestly think those jobs are readily available? I hate to break it to you: they're not. The chances of finding a high paying job without a college degree are ridiculously slim. What happened to the American dream of being able to make a living doing something you love?

Where you grow up, what race/gender you are, and what economic class you grow up in has an enormous impact on how stacked things are against you. Sure, some people can get through those hurdles. And some people use their conditions as an excuse. But to think that "just working harder" is enough for everyone to be able to break through their ****ty conditions is incredibly naive.

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I will answer your questions in order:
1. Then law school is another great program. So is business. So is economics. So is anything to do with coding.

2. Then don't be a welder, or a salesman, or literally any other job that pays well with no college education (newsflash, yes there are plenty of these jobs available, you are full of **** that they are slim pickings) but don't complain when you don't make as much as other people who are making this money, because that is the choice you have up to do something you liked. I'm sorry the world doesn't pay $100,000/year for you to pretend you are a unicorn.

3. The American Dream is that anyone has the opportunity to do anything they want. And they do. It's not that they will be paid well for it. That is bat **** crazy.

4. I absolutely disagree with you. Anyone can bust their ass and have the same opportunities as everyone else here. Now it may come more natural to some, but that doesn't mean it isn't possible for everyone. The victim mentality you have is pathetic.

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except I'm living proof of you being wrong. So how do you explain that?

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It's the usual story - Ambulance Chasing Democrat beats Republican because said Republican is holier than thou Senator that chases *****s on the side.

Democrat does what Democrats do, blame everything on previous Republican, wants to raise taxes on everything, threaten taking little old ladies off oxygen if no new taxes, and assures those that won't work will be taken care of by those evil people that do work. It's today's America.

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I have plenty of friends that are welders, electricians, and drafters as well. College wasn't for them, but they wanted to make a lot of money so they decided to work for it. And you are not using any data, you are just making baseless claims. At least mine have a source. You are wrong.

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I have plenty of friends that are welders, electricians, and drafters as well. College wasn't for them, but they wanted to make a lot of money so they decided to work for it. And you are not using any data, you are just making baseless claims. At least mine have a source. You are wrong.

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Unsubstantiated third-person accounts? Yea, great "data".

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Also it doesn't matter what life experiences they are going through, that's not the point. The point is that they have the same opportunities that everyone else did, which they absolutely do.

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I have plenty of friends that are welders, electricians, and drafters as well. College wasn't for them, but they wanted to make a lot of money so they decided to work for it. And you are not using any data, you are just making baseless claims. At least mine have a source. You are wrong.

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Unsubstantiated third-person accounts? Yea, great "data".

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Better than your no data.

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Well then if you aren't going to back up your claims, I guess I win. Nice troll job though.

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Evidence or I win. It's kind of funny that my whole argument is about how I worked harder so I got ahead, And the same thing is happening in this thread. You aren't willing to put in the work.

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BTW, for those of you that don't understand how TOPS works, it's basically a state-funded scholarship to (ideally) put deserving high school students through college.

To earn TOPS you have to earn high school credits in state-mandated disciplines (STEM subjects, art, English, social studies, etc.). Then you have to meet certain ACT scores and maintain a solid GPA (I think it's 3.0 or better) in high school. The better your ACT score and GPA, the better scholarship you get.

Once you're in college, TOPS covers up to 8 semesters of study at approved LA colleges and universities. You have to attend at least 12 hours a semester (how hard is it to take 4 or 5 classes?) and maintain at least a 2.0 GPA or they'll permanently drop you from TOPS. A lot of students **** around in their first semester and lose TOPS.

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Academic welfare... Got it

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Then don't go to school if you aren't going to get a degree with the ability to pay it back. It's not complicated. And there tons of great paying jobs that don't require a college degree.

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Right. Since you can obviously see the future, you should advise kids on the absolutely sure-proof degrees they should get that will be worth the investment. Again, this isn't 1950s America. These "great paying jobs that don't require a college degree" you speak of are a myth perpetrated by trickle-down, Reagan-idolizing blowhards.

Ring-wing naivete of how the country actually works for 90%of the population is absolutely mind-boggling. Almost Marie-Antoinette-esque,

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Are you telling me welding doesn't pay well? Being a salesman? I can tell you more if you want.

Engineering is usually a pretty safe degree that will always give you a return on your money.

Oh and lastly, if you don't have an idea of what you want to do in college, and you are going to have to take out loans for it, maybe you should do the smart thing and wait until you do know. That would require a little something called responsibility. Look it up, it's a great concept.

---

You still have no ****ing idea on that high horse of yours, do you?

---

So you don't have a response? Nice non sequitur. Really showing the value of that subsidized education there.

---

What if you don't have the skills to be an Engineer? What if you hate welding? And selling ****? Welding is a thankless, horrible job. Being a salesmen is worse. And you honestly think those jobs are readily available? I hate to break it to you: they're not. The chances of finding a high paying job without a college degree are ridiculously slim. What happened to the American dream of being able to make a living doing something you love?

Where you grow up, what race/gender you are, and what economic class you grow up in has an enormous impact on how stacked things are against you. Sure, some people can get through those hurdles. And some people use their conditions as an excuse. But to think that "just working harder" is enough for everyone to be able to break through their ****ty conditions is incredibly naive.

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