It's not class warfare. It's not laziness. It's math. @occupywallst

The claim: I work hard and can afford college by living modestly (with some scholarship). I am therefore completely debt-free. Is it possible?

A Facebook friend recently posted this photo, sharing the story of what seems to be an inspiring young person pulling him or herself up by the bootstraps, doing it the old-fashioned American way through true grit and hard work.

Let's see if this story is possible in Pennsylvania. Let's see if it's possible at my alma matter, the relatively affordable state school: Lock Haven University.

The numbers:

This person proclaims that she works hard for slightly more than minimum wage. I'm going to put her at 25 cents above minimum wage, at $7.50 an hour (min wage is $7.25). I'll assume she is the kick ass hard worker she says she is, so I have her working 52 weeks of the year. She takes no vacation, no time for Christmas or other holidays, and never gets sick. She makes ($7.50 times 30 hours times 52 weeks) $11,700 per year.

She says she attends an affordable state institution, and she's an in-state resident. Hopefully she's lucky enough to live in a state with a good public system that has lots of options and she can get the major she's looking for. In Pennsylvania, she's likely to find what she needs. She also says, unlike most state institution students, she has scholarships that cover 90% of her tuition. That makes her a special person indeed. It's not average middle class or the common American experience, but it happens. If she only paid 10% of Lock Haven University's tuition ($6,240), she would pay
$624 per year.

Her additional costs would add up quickly:

$4,800 annually for rent, assuming the affordable apartment she asserts she has ($400 monthly)
$1,999 annually for fees, which is the amount of fees at LHU currently. Many scholarships do not cover fees.
$2,896 for the campus meal plan. Maybe she doesn't do this, because campus meal plans tend to be more expensive. My wife feels like she could eat cheaply for only $30 a week, if she had to, which would be $120 a month, and
$1,440 per year for a careful, apartment-based meal plan. Scratch the campus meal plan, this student doesn't need to eat with her friends, and she has the time to shop well and prepare meals on her own. She's just dropped her costs by $1,456. Good for her.
$480 for a phone, based on $40 per month over 12 months.
$360 for electricity, based on $30 per month over 12 months.
$240 for water, at $20 a month for the year.
$600 for books and school supplies. This means she's not pre-med (their books tend to be more expensive), but we already knew that because she's working so much she clearly does not have the time to study for Organic Chemistry.
$200 on a computer and software. This assumes she's sharing computer costs over more than one year.
$850 on health insurance, based on a suggested average cost of $850 for yearly premiums for college students. Maybe she's on her parent's plan and they paid for this without her realizing it was a cost. But if she is the independent, hard-scrabble student she's advertising, then hopefully she has this average premium, rather than the much higher annual premiums that some students face. Her total up to this point comes to 
$11,593 - with no car, no gas costs, no entertainment, and not a single drink, she made it through with $107 to spare.  

That's OK. She said she's been working since she's 17, so she saved up. Maybe she took a year or two off after high school too (to save more), because we still haven't included

• internet ($480 @ 40 / month)
• cable ($360 @ 30 / month)
• entertainment (???)
• any meals out (she said she does not eat meals out, at all) (???)
• car costs (most state institutions are in rural areas, where driving to work is a must) Let's assume the car is paid off. 
• car insurance ($600 annually, well below average cost of PA car insurance)    
• gas ($360 @ 30 / month) - we're assuming a short commute, no frivolous trips, and a fuel-efficient (free) car 
• these costs that weren't included total $1,800 more per year, or $7,200 more over a four-year college career, and we still haven't included entertainment, any meals out, or any car costs. 

With some amazing conditions (free car, free health insurance, very understanding friends who don't mind that you never join them out), and a willingness to go for four years without ever buying your loved ones a birthday present or gift during the holidays, this might possibly work. But that's not the average middle class experience. 

If the middle class is going to get a fair shake, a chance at being able to afford life in the United States in the 21st Century, and an opportunity to be on a level competitive playing ground with the rest of the world, we need more government support for education, higher education, and health care. If we simply return to the tax rates of the 1950s (when the top marginal tax rate was 90%), we'll be a lot closer to being able to making that happen. But it doesn't happen by pretending that anybody can afford higher education with some hard work and careful budgeting. Do the math. 

Remember, this person goes to school and works 30 hours a week every single week of the year, with no exceptions. And she doesn't even stop to have one little drink. That's not part of her budget. Since when does middle America not to get to sip a beer at the end of a long day? 

What 'the 99%' is asking for is just a fair share of the wealth - like back in the booming 50s, when corporations and politicians recognized that American wealth is built on the backs of American workers. 

If you agree, re-post, re-tweet, or repeat, please. Spread the word. If you disagree, please let me know why and how.