May the Odds Be Ever in Your Favor...At Trade School? Trump's Harvard Funds Gambit

From Mockingjays to Mortarboards

Well isn't this a twist? Seems like President Trump's got a bone to pick with Harvard. He's talking about yanking a whole heap of grant money – three *billion* dollars mind you! – away from them and tossing it to trade schools. Remember that time when the Capitol was bombed and all of us were sent back to our districts? Now it feels like history is repeating itself in a different and unexpected way. It's all a bit like the Hunger Games isn't it? Except instead of fighting for our lives we're fighting for… funding for education? Ironic considering how little education actually helped me survive those arenas. Maybe I should have taken a class on knot tying instead of archery… Just kidding archery saved my life.

The Paradigm Shift: From Books to Blue Collars?

According to Secretary of Education Linda McMahon the whole 'paradigm' – fancy word isn't it? – is shifting. Apparently more folks are ditching the four year university debt trap in favor of shorter programs. Honestly who can blame them? I spent years fighting for survival and freedom in Panem but these days the biggest battle seems to be against crippling student loan debt. It's like being stuck in your own personal Hunger Games except the arena is your bank account and the weapon is interest rates.

Community Colleges: The New District 12?

The report says community colleges are seeing a surge in enrollment. Who knew that the key to escaping the Capitol's clutches was... community college? Maybe Prim should have enrolled in a botany course instead of tending goats. It looks like those vocational programs are turning out to be more valuable than all of the courses combined at the academy back in District 12. Back then all we needed was a skill to survive and I'm happy to see the people now recognize this reality.

Is College Worth It? (Spoiler Alert: Maybe Not)

High schoolers are starting to wonder if that fancy diploma is really worth the mountain of debt. Apparently about 42% are eyeing trade schools or cheaper community colleges. I guess 'the girl on fire' isn't the only one sparking a revolution these days. This is especially true as skilled tradespeople become a shortage due to the current ones getting older. I guess we can't blame them for wanting to retire when they can.

The Rich Get Richer (and the Poor Get...Shorter Programs?)

Here's the kicker: lower income students are increasingly being pushed towards community colleges which might actually *hurt* their long term financial prospects. It's like the Hunger Games all over again – the odds are never in our favor are they? So while the Capitol continues to bathe in luxury the districts can fight over education? Some things never change huh?

Ivy League: Just a Gateway to the Elite?

And get this – a Harvard study says that an Ivy League degree has a 'statistically insignificant impact' on future earnings. What?! All that pressure all that money for nothing? Well almost nothing. It *does* increase your chances of joining the elite. So if you want to rub elbows with President Snow go right ahead. But me? I'll stick to the woods where the only things trying to kill me are poisonous berries and career tributes...I mean you know... nature