College Grad Sues Alma Mater for Tuition Reimbursement

[trillium13 84]

NEW YORK (CNN) -- A recent college graduate is suing her alma mater for $72,000 -- the full cost of her tuition and then some -- because she cannot find a job.

Trina Thompson, 27, of the Bronx, graduated from New York's Monroe College in April with a bachelor of business administration degree in information technology.

On July 24, she filed suit against the college in Bronx Supreme Court, alleging that Monroe's "Office of Career Advancement did not help me with a full-time job placement. I am also suing them because of the stress I have been going through."

The college responded that it offers job-search support to all its students.

In her complaint, Thompson says she seeks $70,000 in reimbursement for her tuition and $2,000 to compensate for the stress of her three-month job search.

As Thompson sees it, any reasonable employer would pounce on an applicant with her academic credentials, which include a 2.7 grade-point average and a solid attendance record. But Monroe's career-services department has put forth insufficient effort to help her secure employment, she claims.

"They're supposed to say, 'I got this student, her attendance is good, her GPA is all right -- can you interview this person?' They're not doing that," she said.

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* Read the court filing (pdf)

Thompson said she has fulfilled her end of the job-search bargain, peppering companies listed on Monroe's e-recruiting site with cover letters, résumés and phone calls. But no more than two employers have responded to her outreach, and those leads have borne no fruit.

Her complaint adds, "The office of career advancement information technology counselor did not make sure their Monroe e-recruiting clients call their graduates that recently finished college for an interview to get a job placement. They have not tried hard enough to help me."

She suggested that Monroe's Office of Career Advancement shows preferential treatment to students with excellent grades. "They favor more toward students that got a 4.0. They help them more out with the job placement," she said.

Monroe College released a statement saying that "while it is clear that no college, especially in this economy, can guarantee employment, Monroe College remains committed to working with all its students, including Ms. Thompson, who graduated only three months ago, to prepare them for careers and to support them during their job search."

Thompson says she has not hired an attorney to represent her because she cannot afford one. When she filed her complaint, she also filed a "poor person order," which exempts her from filing fees associated with the lawsuit.

Asked whether she would advise other college graduates facing job woes to sue their alma maters, Thompson said yes.

"It doesn't make any sense: They went to school for four years, and then they come out working at McDonald's and Payless. That's not what they planned."

http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/08/03/new.york....uate/index.html

[Ban Hammer 14,293]

As Thompson sees it, any reasonable employer would pounce on an applicant with her academic credentials, which include a 2.7 grade-point average and a solid attendance record. But Monroe's career-services department has put forth insufficient effort to help her secure employment, she claims.

[trillium13 84]

As Thompson sees it, any reasonable employer would pounce on an applicant with her academic credentials, which include a 2.7 grade-point average and a solid attendance record. But Monroe's career-services department has put forth insufficient effort to help her secure employment, she claims.

That right there was my favorite part of the whole thing.

[Kar98 0]

She suggested that Monroe's Office of Career Advancement shows preferential treatment to students with excellent grades.

[milimelo 4,744]

As Thompson sees it, any reasonable employer would pounce on an applicant with her academic credentials, which include a 2.7 grade-point average and a solid attendance record. But Monroe's career-services department has put forth insufficient effort to help her secure employment, she claims.

That right there was my favorite part of the whole thing.

Fresh out of school, low GPA, no experience and only job hunting for three months and now suing? Yes, she'll get far ahead -- NOT.

At least she put her name out there - now everyone that even considers hiring her will know what she does three months later...

[Niels Bohr 72]

Low GPA in Business Administration? I can understand low GPA in engineering, but, Business Administration isn't that hard.

[ScottThuy 140]

I would not hire her.. 2.7 GPA and to top that off she paid 70k for an undergrad degree? I got 2 undergrad 2 masters and a PhD for that much... its clear that her ability to make sound decisions is clouded at best... sue the university because she can't find a job? its absurd but it actually can be done... a few years ago a University in Florida was sued for all tuition because the credit hours wee not transferable... the Univ. in that case misrepresented itself as being accedited when in fact it was not.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

I think there is something to be said for educational institutions (from the high school level) offering students decent career advice, especially given that there are so many degrees out there these days in entirely useless subjects.

Of course the woman in this story is ridiculous - you can't expect other people to do all the hard work for you... You actually have to work at securing a decent job, imagine that...

[Niels Bohr 72]

I think there is something to be said for educational institutions (from the high school level) offering students decent career advice, especially given that there are so many degrees out there these days in entirely useless subjects.

Of course the woman in this story is ridiculous - you can't expect other people to do all the hard work for you... You actually have to work at securing a decent job, imagine that...

I'd have to agree.

There are some degree that are not worth spending 20-40k/year to pursue unless you can afford to pay the tuition such as basket weaving. I know I am strong willed against people like this, but, it can't be helped.

Another point is that it's great that the high school counselors want kids to get into college, but, also teach them something like return on investment as well.

[Saddle Bronc 124]

I would not hire her.. 2.7 GPA and to top that off she paid 70k for an undergrad degree? I got 2 undergrad 2 masters and a PhD for that much... its clear that her ability to make sound decisions is clouded at best... sue the university because she can't find a job? its absurd but it actually can be done... a few years ago a University in Florida was sued for all tuition because the credit hours wee not transferable... the Univ. in that case misrepresented itself as being accedited when in fact it was not.

Did the $70K include living expenses (works out to $17,500 per year over four years)?

I remember for my own MSCS, the university suggested yearly expenses (including tuition) of $14,000 based on F-1 (non-resident) tuition.

But her case is entirely bakvas.

[Saddle Bronc 124]

I think there is something to be said for educational institutions (from the high school level) offering students decent career advice, especially given that there are so many degrees out there these days in entirely useless subjects.

Of course the woman in this story is ridiculous - you can't expect other people to do all the hard work for you... You actually have to work at securing a decent job, imagine that...

Every college or university I've been through, the career-counseling centre has invariably given the advice "to land a fulltime job, you have to work at it like a fulltime job" (admittedly, this was back when snail-mail or footwork were the only ways resumes could be gotten to a company's system).

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

... especially given that there are so many degrees out there these days in entirely useless subjects.

And if you look at the number of degrees being awarded per major, it's those "useless" majors that end up awarding the most degrees.

[Niels Bohr 72]

... especially given that there are so many degrees out there these days in entirely useless subjects.

And if you look at the number of degrees being awarded per major, it's those "useless" majors that end up awarding the most degrees.

It's a circle of cycle.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

I think there is something to be said for educational institutions (from the high school level) offering students decent career advice, especially given that there are so many degrees out there these days in entirely useless subjects.

Of course the woman in this story is ridiculous - you can't expect other people to do all the hard work for you... You actually have to work at securing a decent job, imagine that...

Every college or university I've been through, the career-counseling centre has invariably given the advice "to land a fulltime job, you have to work at it like a fulltime job" (admittedly, this was back when snail-mail or footwork were the only ways resumes could be gotten to a company's system).

When I did my BA, the course faculty at the university decided at the last minute (the start of the summer semester) to offer a work placement program during the summer break at the end of our 2nd year. We were told to put together a resume, submit it to the careers counselling office and then that we'd be interviewed by one of the careers counsellors and placed at a suitable company that the uni had a standing agreement with.

To cut a long story short - a bunch of us did that, and found out later that the careers folks never bothered to submit the resumes that they'd been sent. I very pissed off about that at the time.