College Grad Can't Find Job, Wants $$$ Back
By JENNIFER MILLMAN
Updated 10:59 AM EDT, Sun, Aug 2, 2009
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.
"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.
Originally Posted by 49r
