Dear Dave,
My husband and I are 30, and we are on Baby Step 2. He wants to go back to school and become a social worker. He currently makes about $20,000 a year as a teacher’s assistant, and he wants to take out student loans to do this. He already has an associate’s degree, which wouldn’t mean four years of loans, but the idea scares me a lot. I have a good job, so how can I still support him and his desire to further his education without agreeing to go deeper into debt?
—Britney
Dear Britney,
This guy obviously has a heart for helping people. That’s a great thing. But I’ve got to believe there are ways to expand his options. Social work is one path, but there are probably several paths he could follow to get involved in what he loves about the idea of social work.
I’m guessing he has a passion for counseling and advocating, too. Finishing a four-year degree would put him in a position where he could potentially move into a guidance counselor role or something along those lines, considering his background.
Sometimes when people feel stuck in a job, they automatically default to the idea they need a degree. What your husband really needs right now is a clear idea and direction. Then, you determine if a degree is necessary to get there. Don’t misunderstand me. I’m not against social work. But I’ve talked to so many people who went six figures into debt, only to wind up making $38,000 as a social worker for the state. That’s crazy!
—Dave