Do they pay more if you have a BA

amother

Fri, Aug 14 2020, 4:30 am

I'm wondering if the BA is something that is worth having in and of itself.
Or, is it just something to get out of the way to pursue a masters.
Do offices or schools pay more just for having a BA?

watergirl

Fri, Aug 14 2020, 7:21 am

My job paid for half of any college courses I took and when I finally graduated with my ba they gave me a 14% raise.

In the non heimish job world, a degree means something. Yes, you can expect a higher salary.

amother

Burgundy

Fri, Aug 14 2020, 7:29 am

Something very important to keep in mind - my father encouraged me to get a BA even though I didn’t plan to pursue anything further. Years later I went back to grad school and was only able to do so easily because I already had a BA.

Elfrida

Fri, Aug 14 2020, 7:32 am

A lot of doors will remain closed to someone who does not have a BA, putting them on a lower salary scale to start with.

Working in the same job, someone with a BA is likely to have a slightly higher salary than someone without. And they will have much better promotion prospects.

chocolatecake

Fri, Aug 14 2020, 8:31 am

In the frum world a generic BA will do nothing for an entry level office job. A BA in education may help you get a teaching job but I doubt you will get a higher salary. Experience is what matter.

That being said it’s never a bad idea to have a degree. It may come in handy in the future.

watergirl

Fri, Aug 14 2020, 8:33 am

chocolatecake wrote:

You can not compare the frum world jobs with real world jobs. Pay rate in the frum world is based on marital status, gender, and number of children one has. Also who your father in law is.

giselle

Fri, Aug 14 2020, 8:34 am

watergirl wrote:

You can not compare the frum world jobs with real world jobs. Pay rate in the frum world is based on marital status, gender, and number of children one has. Also who your father in law is.

But sadly probably true.

amother

Fri, Aug 14 2020, 9:51 am

Thanks for all the responses.
So it seems we should pursue it even if we're not sure she wants to pursue a higher education. First have the BA either way.

Bluepink

Fri, Aug 14 2020, 10:47 am

I may be in the minority but I don’t agree. There are a lot of careers that need a specific BA and a generic one won’t do. What having a generic BA will do is make you ineligible for grants. I am an RN and have my bachelors of science in nursing which is a BSN. If I had a BA I still would’ve had a lot of nursing course work to do to get my BSN and I would not have been able to get any state grants, which are only available for your first bachelors. I think that if you want to do something specific you should take some time and figure out what you want to do before wasting time and energy and money on a generic BA

amother

Indigo

Fri, Aug 14 2020, 10:59 am

I agree it's better to have a specific than generic BA. But a generic is better than none at all.

To save money, it's worth it to start off in a community college, then transfer to a state university. I don't know why more frum people don't do it that way.

Most expensive of all is a frum program.

amother

Crimson

Fri, Aug 14 2020, 11:10 am

The reality is that you can't get many jobs without a BA because it is necessary to fulfill minimal licensing requirements. And as posted, many professional jobs require a graduate degree in order to advance or to make more money.

For example, most school systems encourage teachers to get graduate degrees and the pay increases for those with graduate credits and graduate degrees.

Many jobs would not consider someone without a BA as it is considered to be a minimal indication of abilities even in basic skills. In the corporate world, any position that isn't a complete dead end requires a BA as a minimum qualification.

In my experience, absent special circumstances, a BA is necessary to have a relatively well paying job because one is precluded from higher paying professions and advancement in a company without a BA.

A BA opens up doors. It's not a magic wand but not having a door would close opportunities for better paying and more satisfying jobs for the rest of one's life.

Mommyg8

Fri, Aug 14 2020, 11:10 am

amother [ Indigo ] wrote:

Actually... the frum program I am thinking of is actually much cheaper than any college.

And another way to save money is CLEPS. You can even get the cleps for free with vouchers.

sub

Fri, Aug 14 2020, 11:15 am

Which field are you looking at?
In education or therapies ( physical, speech etc) a BA is required for assistant jobs,
Places like challenge and catapult in NY, require BA.

On the other hand paras, morning teachers, secretary, office manager, Photography and other fields do not.

Accounting is a different degree.

The medical fields, (x-rays, nursing, pa, dental etc) have differed requirements.
Do your research first.

amother

Indigo

Fri, Aug 14 2020, 11:20 am

True. and some jobs require a two year certification, or less.
But, just because your daughter is thinking of one of those jobs now, in her early 20s, doesn't mean she will be content to stay in that for the rest of her working career. It's a lot easier to go back to school in your 30s when all you need is to get into a graduate program, rather than starting from scratch. And the tuition costs will only rise.