In a letter to the school's paper, a third-year Boston College law student made a proposition to the school's dean: Give him his money back, and he'll leave school without his degree.
"Unfortunately, the occasion for me writing to you is not a happy one," the letter, originally printed in the Eagleionline, goes. The anonymous student goes on to explain that the lackluster job market, a massive student loan debt load and his wife's pregnancy are all causing him undue stress.
His solution to the problem:
I am willing to leave law school, without a degree, at the end of this semester. In return, I would like a full refund of the tuition I've paid over the last two and a half years.
This will benefit both of us: on the one hand, I will be free to return to the teaching career I left to come here. I'll be able to provide for my family without the crushing weight of my law school loans. On the other hand, this will help BC Law go up in the rankings, since you will not have to report my unemployment at graduation to US News. This will present no loss to me, only gain: in today's job market, a J.D. seems to be more of a liability than an asset. I will explain the gap in my resume by simply saying that I attended law school, but was unable to finish for financial reasons. In the short run, refunding my tuition might present a financial challenge to the law school, but in the long run, better US News rankings will help you far more than having yet another disgruntled and unemployed alumnus.
According to the Boston Herald, the law school will not capitulate to the student's request:
The law school said in a statement yesterday it is "deeply concerned" about its students' job prospects but no institution of higher education can guarantee a job after graduation. "What we can do is provide the best education possible, and work together to provide as many career opportunities as possible," the statement said.
Yearly tuition for BC law comes in at around $60,000.
What do you think? Should the student get a refund? Weigh in below.