‘We need to make sure college students have access to financial education.’: Melanie Lockert, now 34, graduated from California State University of Long Beach in 2006 with an undergraduate degree in theatre. She had borrowed $23,000 while in school and took an administrative job at an arts nonprofit soon after. Three years after starting her job at the nonprofit, Lockert decided she wanted to go back to school and pursue further education in theatre. Soon enough, she was accepted into a one-year intensive performance studies program at NYU’s Tisch School of Arts.