College Tuition in the DR

tomas2

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Nov 29, 2005
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Does anyone know the approx tuition costs to go to college at a public university (like in Puerto Plata)?

Are there loan programs available? How would a bright student from a very poor family get a college education?

Is a college degree even a good investment to make in the DR (or more specifically on the North Coast)? Or would it make more sense (from a getting a job and having a "decent" life standpoint) to attend some sort of trade school training?

I feel awkward about mentioning the sex (it is a girl), but unfortunately I suspect it might have some practical impact on the answers provided (I hope I am wrong, and get some virtual slaps).

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
 

RacerX

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are you asking if its worth buying your girlfriend in the north coast a college education "to give her a better life"? And you are rationalizing it because she comes from a very poor family? Man, come on brother....
 

tomas2

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are you asking if its worth buying your girlfriend in the north coast a college education "to give her a better life"? And you are rationalizing it because she comes from a very poor family? Man, come on brother....

Um...not exactly. I don't think the reason I am asking is relevant to the question, but since you have put such a nice creepy spin on it, I volunteer at a school when I am here, and I have known her for the last 5 years. My family and friends have been sponsoring some of the kids here, and this is the first one that is comming to the last year of high school.

Just trying to figure out if I can help or not.
 
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RacerX

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Does anyone know the approx tuition costs to go to college at a public university (like in Puerto Plata)?

Are there loan programs available? How would a bright student from a very poor family get a college education?

Is a college degree even a good investment to make in the DR (or more specifically on the North Coast)? Or would it make more sense (from a getting a job and having a "decent" life standpoint) to attend some sort of trade school training?

I feel awkward about mentioning the sex (it is a girl), but unfortunately I suspect it might have some practical impact on the answers provided (I hope I am wrong, and get some virtual slaps).


Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Ok man whatever you say...I say you can put lipstick on a goat, it still cant sing like Bette Midler.
 
Oct 13, 2003
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Um...not exactly. I don't think the reason I am asking is relevant to the question, but since you have put such a nice creepy spin on it, I volunteer at a school when I am here, and I have known her for the last 5 years. My family and friends have been sponsoring some of the kids here, and this is the first one that is comming to the last year of high school.

Just trying to figure out if I can help or not.

A commendable initiative. The licenciado degree is very much valued in the DR. If she is not connected, let her enroll in the POP university program for teaching degrees.

This program is heavily subsidised (doeesn't cost much) and will get her a fair shot at a modest government job once she finishes and has built up her connections while in school.

Al the best,

MD
 
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I am putting my maid through college in PP. She comes to work every day, then leaves from my house to go to school. Saturdays, she attends school all day. I give her 1,300 per month for tuition, as she is on a monthly plan to pay. When she needs books, it costs a little more. She lives in Sabaneta, so transportation to and from Puerto Plata costs almost as much as the tuition.

I require her to show me receipts for payment and grades. I don't pay for any grade lower than a "B."

This has worked well for us both, and to date, she has not disappointed me.

Lindsey
 

bob saunders

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I am putting my maid through college in PP. She comes to work every day, then leaves from my house to go to school. Saturdays, she attends school all day. I give her 1,300 per month for tuition, as she is on a monthly plan to pay. When she needs books, it costs a little more. She lives in Sabaneta, so transportation to and from Puerto Plata costs almost as much as the tuition.

I require her to show me receipts for payment and grades. I don't pay for any grade lower than a "B."

This has worked well for us both, and to date, she has not disappointed me.

Lindsey

Excactly, Hand up not a handout. For the majority there is no excape from poverty except through education and hard work.
 

Hillbilly

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Jan 1, 2002
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You ask about cost. This is a case of getting what you pay for.
The state run UASD is pretty inexpensive, and if this person is a highschool student she can get over there and find out for herself. I am thinking less than $100 a month in tuition (probably less). They have a nice campus there on the outskirts of POP. I cannot vouch for what goes on inside.

Find out what the young girl wants to study. Since that could be the key.

Report back here with that information.

HB
 

LaTeacher

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May 2, 2008
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we are supporting a young friend at the UASD in PoP. we pay 100 PESOS a month for his tuition, plus his books and transportation.

The tuition at the UASD is figured out based on where you live (urban or rural), where you went to school (public or private, the private is then even more broken down by what "type" of private... someone from carol morgan will pay more than somone who studied in Colegio Fulano de Tal paying 800 pesos a month).

the girl would have to go and have a meeting with the financial people there, it's pretty simple, but shouldn't cost much.
 
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El Tigre

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Jan 23, 2003
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Tuition at the UASD in Puerto Plata should be inexpensive as some others indicated. However, tuition at the PUCMM in Santiago is not. In 2006 I was paying 20,000 pesos per semester at the PUCMM for a cousin of mine. I can only imagine that the costs have gone up instead of down.
 

tomas2

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Nov 29, 2005
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These are all great ideas. Thanks everyone. I especially like the "pay for performance" plan (B or better, and reimbursement after). The prices sound very reasonable. The problem I am going to have will be administering it since I don't live here. I think I know someone I can trust.

My next question would be what would be a good program for a decent "career" here? I am a pretty practical guy, and that would be factored into any decisions (there is one girl that wants to be a "Interior Designer", and that is great, but I aint paying for that :) ).

I used to volunteer at Integracion Juvenil and the social worker that worked there would take me out into the barrios with her when she went. The families and kids LOVED her. She was really good. I ran into her a couple of years ago and asked her how things were going, and she said she had quit. She was now working at a resort in Playa Dorado babysitting kids because it paid better.

This was a little disappointing, considering she had a masters degree.

I see MD is recommending teaching (because it is a government job), and I have heard that too. Are there other programs that lead to careers that would have a decent probability of paying off? I was lucky enough to have my employer pay for my masters degree, but I understood they were seeing it as an investment, not charitable work, and my classes had to be not-that-fun engineering classes (no interior design classes).
 
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HB made an important point re her own choices.

It is my understanding that the most pofitable careers are shielded by various requirements. The family, the political connections and the university you went to.

My recommendation was made, assuming she is not from a wealthy, influential family and you don't want to pay for the expensive (but very good by DR standards) education offered by the top universities.

In the end go with any advice that HB offers, he is the best suited on this board to help you out.
 

J D Sauser

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I think that the tuition at USAD is a little more than 100 Pesos a month if somebody is studying a real career and not just taking an English course. But still, I know it's very affordable for nationals. But keep in mind, they have to pay here and there for special classes, obscure registration and sign up fees and other BS. Then there are the books, which usually are photostatics bootlegged at the surrounding copy shops. Then comes transportation and snacks or food.
UASD may not be la Pontifica but it is a locally well respected university. It's not an easy place to study as teachers there have quite an attitude, may come late to classes or not at all and still expect students to perform well while late attendances from students can easily result in being excluded or having points taken away at the pleasure of a teacher.

I think that somebody willing to facilitate or help a local person to a college education should also guide that student as to what career to choose. I am amazed at the career choices some make... careers like "administracion de empresa" which is nothing else that turning somebody in a secretary or a greeting desk teller after 3 to 4 years of "studies"... income potential? Similar to the one of a well working chopa! Really, for the time, effort and money invested, the student could have graduated as an engineer, architect, lawyer or even taken a shot at medicine and actually have a future as an employee and/or self employed.

... J-D.
 

Hillbilly

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Jan 1, 2002
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It seems to me that the logical choice would be the UASD. That said, and with your caveat of no Interior Decorating, the career choice of greatest potential is either in computing or in medicine. Law is an outside chance. I do not know if they are still offering the degree in Social Work. Education is a sure shot for a pay check, but a bad, non-committed teacher is worse than no teacher at all, so it has to be something she reallywants to do...

Interior Decorating requires too many intangibles, like "talent", connections, taste, a world of knowledge...like how many Architectural Digest has she seen in her life??? That sort of stuff...so forget it..and the competition is brutal!!!

Go slow and get some feedback from her.

HB
 

RacerX

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I see MD is recommending teaching (because it is a government job), and I have heard that too. Are there other programs that lead to careers that would have a decent probability of paying off? I was lucky enough to have my employer pay for my masters degree, but I understood they were seeing it as an investment, not charitable work, and my classes had to be not-that-fun engineering classes (no interior design classes).[/QUOTE]

If you go through with this because you dont live here anyway and have no way to administer the funds to pay for books, tuition or incidentals or use the carrot and stick approach to monitor her grades, nor choose a school, be it PUCMM, UTESA, UASD or something else, at least be cautious in your "up by your bootstraps" schtick.
MD can recommend that because it is an altruistic approach to perpetual employment but teachers here do not earn a lot of money, if they receive their salary that month. And the best government jobs require connections and contacts.
You want to know lucrative careers that will give you a return on your investment. Interior Decorating aint one of them. She doesnt need to go to school for that. Thats a cosmetic career. Like in the 50s when American women would take nonsense curricula in college with the end result being that they would be housewives anayway. You can spend $300 and buy her a sewing machine if she wants to do Diseno interior. What you need to do is steer her towards Medicine, Law and Engineering. Possible Accounting, Mathematics.

And you mentioned she had a Masters Degree? Whats up with that?
 

J D Sauser

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"Interior decorating" is really NOT an academic career. If one is an architect and wishes to ad "intriorism" [sp?], fine. There also is a very limited clientele for interior design. Not enough for a recent graduate to make a living off it, unless he/she is TREMENDOUSLY talented and also well plugged with the "society" able to afford services like that and the few high end big name architects in the country... as HB warned.
It's like "tourism" being offered at some universities... what's that supposed to be? Sanky administrator? :cheeky: (I know it's not, but you know...).

I think that an architect with a "maestro constructor" course can always make a good solid living in this country.
So can somebody who has a law degree PAIRED with solid language skills and good moral.
Medicine is most always a door to a solid income and offers so many specialties which are so much needed here. However, it takes time, time, time and as much dedication even after graduation.
I good engineer will never go hungry either.

... and there's so much more.

... J-D.

... J-D.



It seems to me that the logical choice would be the UASD. That said, and with your caveat of no Interior Decorating, the career choice of greatest potential is either in computing or in medicine. Law is an outside chance. I do not know if they are still offering the degree in Social Work. Education is a sure shot for a pay check, but a bad, non-committed teacher is worse than no teacher at all, so it has to be something she reallywants to do...

Interior Decorating requires too many intangibles, like "talent", connections, taste, a world of knowledge...like how many Architectural Digest has she seen in her life??? That sort of stuff...so forget it..and the competition is brutal!!!

Go slow and get some feedback from her.

HB
 

MyBocaChica

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Jan 2, 2010
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"Interior decorating" is really NOT an academic career. If one is an architect and wishes to ad "intriorism" [sp?], fine. There also is a very limited clientele for interior design. Not enough for a recent graduate to make a living off it, unless he/she is TREMENDOUSLY talented and also well plugged with the "society" able to afford services like that and the few high end big name architects in the country... as HB warned.
It's like "tourism" being offered at some universities... what's that supposed to be? Sanky administrator? :cheeky: (I know it's not, but you know...).

I think that an architect with a "maestro constructor" course can always make a good solid living in this country.
So can somebody who has a law degree PAIRED with solid language skills and good moral.
Medicine is most always a door to a solid income and offers so many specialties which are so much needed here. However, it takes time, time, time and as much dedication even after graduation.
I good engineer will never go hungry either.

... and there's so much more.

... J-D.

... J-D.

The Big Man's Top 6 "employable" DR careers:

1) Ing. de Sistemas
2) Ing. Industrial
3) Lic en Derechos
4) Lic. en Contabilidad
5) Lic en Recursos Humanos / Industrial Psychology
6) Lic. de Ventas de Plantano
 

Hillbilly

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Jan 1, 2002
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RacerX mentioned accounting: That is a good option which allows for a career in almost any sector of the economy. I was going to add that one..
good call.

HB
 

RacerX

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Nov 22, 2009
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The Big Man's Top 6 "employable" DR careers:

1) Ing. de Sistemas
2) Ing. Industrial
3) Lic en Derechos
4) Lic. en Contabilidad
5) Lic en Recursos Humanos / Industrial Psychology
6) Lic. de Ventas de Plantano

Tourism is a definite bs BA. Haha! Industrial Psychology, what the hush is that?

And #6? Dont they call that Licensiado en Mercandeo?