College Grad Can't Find Job, Wants $$$ Back

By JENNIFER MILLMAN

Updated 1:29 PM EST, Mon, Aug 3, 2009

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She went to college to boost her chances of finding a great job once she got out of school, but now that that hasn't happened, Trina Thompson wants her money back.

Thompson, a graduate of Monroe College, is suing her school for the $70,000 she spent on tuition because she hasn't found solid employment since receiving her bachelor's degree in April, according to a published report.

The business-oriented school in the Bronx didn't do enough to help her find a job, Thompson alleges, so she wants a refund. The college says it does plenty for grads.

The 27-year-old information-technology student accuses the school's Office of Career Advancement for not living up to its end of the deal and offering her the leads and employment advice it promised, according to The New York Post.

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"They have not tried hard enough to help me," the beleaguered Bronx resident wrote in her lawsuit, filed July 24 in Bronx Supreme Court.

Thompson's mother is proud of her daughter for completing her college education, but acknowledges Trina is upset that all her high hopes haven't panned out.

The mother and daughter live together, but Trina's mother, Carol, is a substitute teacher and the only one of the two who makes any money. They're barely scraping enough together to get by, reports the Post.

On top of her unemployment woes, Trina now faces mounting debt from student loans.

"This is not the way we want to live our life," her mom told the paper. "This is not what we planned."

Monroe defends its career-advice programs and is adamant that its staff assists young professionals in their careers.

"The lawsuit is completely without merit," school spokesman Gary Axelbank told the Post. "The college prides itself on the excellent career-development support that we provide to each of our students, and this case does not deserve further consideration."

On the school's Web site, the career program boasts that it provides free services for graduates at any point in their lives.

First Published: Aug 2, 2009 8:05 AM EST

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0 Comments

{"totSize":558,"payload_type":"json","status":"1","results":[{"anonName":null,"pathToMedia":"331744_52304162","adminTags":null,"views":22369,"createdBy":7918844,"createdByPathToPhoto":"116995/icons/defaultMember_116995_portrait.jpg","assocMediaId":null,"mediaName":"College Grad Can't Find Job, Wants $$$ Back","parentThreadId":null,"mediaId":990651,"tags":null,"anonSiteUrl":null,"assocMediaType":null,"createdAt":"2 Aug 2009 14:03:13 GMT","anonEmail":null,"isVisible":true,"approved":true,"numComments":5,"reviewed":true,"createdByUsername":"anonymous_user","pathToPreview":"","mediaType":"EXTERNALMEDIA","commentId":"518519","subject":"","averageRating":0,"body":"Maybe she doesn't interview well or her communication skills are poor. It could even be that her personal hygiene is lacking. I suspect that she's just another malcontent that got a free grant to pay for the tuition in the first place and now she wants more free money. Just another trained cadre in the American crybaby army."},{"anonName":null,"pathToMedia":"331744_52304162","adminTags":null,"views":22369,"createdBy":7918844,"createdByPathToPhoto":"116995/icons/defaultMember_116995_portrait.jpg","assocMediaId":null,"mediaName":"College Grad Can't Find Job, Wants $$$ Back","parentThreadId":null,"mediaId":990651,"tags":null,"anonSiteUrl":null,"assocMediaType":null,"createdAt":"2 Aug 2009 14:24:55 GMT","anonEmail":null,"isVisible":true,"approved":true,"numComments":5,"reviewed":true,"createdByUsername":"anonymous_user","pathToPreview":"","mediaType":"EXTERNALMEDIA","commentId":"518605","subject":"","averageRating":0,"body":"This just shows how selfish our generation is. Instead of seeing a university education as a way to develop skills for life and work, and as a way to develop rational thought, people see it is a ticket for employment. She doesn't deserve her education if she can't appreciate it for what it is."},{"anonName":null,"pathToMedia":"331744_52304162","adminTags":null,"views":22369,"createdBy":7918844,"createdByPathToPhoto":"116995/icons/defaultMember_116995_portrait.jpg","assocMediaId":null,"mediaName":"College Grad Can't Find Job, Wants $$$ Back","parentThreadId":null,"mediaId":990651,"tags":null,"anonSiteUrl":null,"assocMediaType":null,"createdAt":"2 Aug 2009 14:31:45 GMT","anonEmail":null,"isVisible":true,"approved":true,"numComments":5,"reviewed":true,"createdByUsername":"anonymous_user","pathToPreview":"","mediaType":"EXTERNALMEDIA","commentId":"518636","subject":"","averageRating":0,"body":"This is so pathetic. Any lawyer that takes this on should be disbarred. Any judge that allows this to proceed should be removed from the bench. \n\nWe have far too man whiny people that look to blame someone else rather than take responsibility for their own problems. School can only prepare a person so far. The rest is up to you. I hope this is thrown out. It's a waste of taxpayer money."},{"anonName":null,"pathToMedia":"331744_52304162","adminTags":null,"views":22369,"createdBy":9519159,"createdByPathToPhoto":"116995/icons/defaultMember_116995_portrait.jpg","assocMediaId":null,"mediaName":"College Grad Can't Find Job, Wants $$$ Back","parentThreadId":null,"mediaId":990651,"tags":null,"anonSiteUrl":null,"assocMediaType":null,"createdAt":"2 Aug 2009 14:32:24 GMT","anonEmail":null,"isVisible":true,"approved":true,"numComments":5,"reviewed":true,"createdByUsername":"firethorn","pathToPreview":"","mediaType":"EXTERNALMEDIA","commentId":"518639","subject":"","averageRating":0,"body":"When does land a job, will she sue her new employer for not giving her the work environment she believes is due to someone of her caliber? "},{"anonName":null,"pathToMedia":"331744_52304162","adminTags":null,"views":22369,"createdBy":7918844,"createdByPathToPhoto":"116995/icons/defaultMember_116995_portrait.jpg","assocMediaId":null,"mediaName":"College Grad Can't Find Job, Wants $$$ Back","parentThreadId":null,"mediaId":990651,"tags":null,"anonSiteUrl":null,"assocMediaType":null,"createdAt":"2 Aug 2009 14:34:11 GMT","anonEmail":null,"isVisible":true,"approved":true,"numComments":5,"reviewed":true,"createdByUsername":"anonymous_user","pathToPreview":"","mediaType":"EXTERNALMEDIA","commentId":"518645","subject":"","averageRating":0,"body":"She's acting \"stupidly\" and needs to take responsibility of her own situation. College degrees do not guarantee employment, they simply give the opportunity to better yourself."}],"error":"","totPages":112}