Outstanding federal student debt has grown to $1.3 trillion. The Congressional Budget Office estimates the amount borrowed will double by 2025. The number of student loan borrowers has doubled to 42 million, and default rates among recent student loan borrowers are at their highest levels in twenty years. The discussion of student debt crisis stems from increase in debt and default rates and concern about the effects of student loan debt on young adults’’ lives. According to Professor Elliott III, young adults that have outstanding educational loan debt are not able to successfully navigate the credit market for asset purchases. This causes these individuals to have a lower net worth and at milestone ages in comparison with their peers who have little to no educational loan debt. …show more content…
For generations, college degrees provided a ladder of economic opportunity, however, recent rise in student debt has called into question the value of higher education. With loans becoming the primary source for accessing college, cohorts of young adults are finding themselves having to start their post college life in higher amounts of debt than previous generations.
The timing of this paper coincides with recent media and political attention that the issue has generated. The current climate surrounding student loan debt is divisive and has lacked focus on the social and economic implications. The goal of this paper is to examine the issue by using a mixed methods approach. Key informant interviews were conducted to gain increased insight into the student loan debt crisis. Each interviewee were selected based on their knowledge and involvement with the issue. An interview protocol was created to guide the interview. This paper will be structured using
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Show MoreMany Americans are seeking an ideal presidential candidate for our next election; furthermore, many college students seek a candidate that has their best interest in mind, leading many to focus on Bernie Sanders and his ideas for an affordable education system. In the article, The Myth of the Student Loan Crisis, Nicole Allan and Derek Thomas focus the article on the risky investments of college and questioning the rising debt levels as a national crisis. While Allan and Davis claim the risk of college and mention rising debt levels as a national crisis; however, Allan and Davis use charts to support their stance while avoiding the issues Americans need to focus on, such as the rising cost of college, “justifiable debt”, and the cost of those not contributing to society.
Garrahan, & John. (2014, May 02). Forgiving student loans won't fix crisis. Daily Journal Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1520399845?accountid=27899
Although adults with a college degree have a higher salary than those who do not, student debt is hurting college graduates. ProCon says, "between 2003 and 2012 the number of 25-year-olds with student debt increased from 25% to 43%, and their average loan balance was $20,326 in 2012-a 91% increase since 2003" ("Is a College. . ." 2). Ten percent of graduate students have over $40,000 in debt and roughly 1% have over $100,000 in debt ("Is a College. . ." 2). With student debt on the rise, it will be a strong defense on whether college is worth it or
In today 's society, many young adults pay thousands of dollars to go to college to be able to get a good job in the future. However, as society continues to move forward many young adults are leaving their campuses with expensive degrees, while also still struggling to get a job. One of the things contributing to the growing risk of going to college is how increasingly expensive it is to go to school. Things like student loan debt are a major contributor to that expense. Casey Bond stated how “The growth of student loan debt is being compared to the recent housing crisis because of the significant growth of subsidized lending,” The primary goal of college used to about gaining new knowledge and becoming a better member of society. However,
College debt is a universally known issue that remains one of society’s largest burdens today. Over the past ten years, high school students and graduates realized that they must seek a higher education in order to find a job that keeps food on the table. Attending a college or university is practically required in order to succeed in life today. Millions of people seek a higher education to pursue a degree, graduate, and acquire a quality job that supports their everyday needs. It often means a lot of money to pursue and earn a degree nowadays. What they don’t realize, is that paying their tuition and housing deposits is essentially signing a contract, costing them thousands of dollars in the near future and leading them down the dark path
When starting college every student must make a very important decision. Whether if they want to get financial aid or to pay the money up front. Having college debt will not only ruin their credit, but he or she may also have to pay off their tuition for the rest of their life. Research says, “According to the College Board, which tracks students’ financing of higher education, undergraduate students in 2013 through 2014 borrowed in the aggregate nearly $63 billion and received $33.7 billion in Pell grants.” By this quote from “Debt, Merit, and Equity in Higher Education Access” it clearly shows the effects College Debt has on their society, but also on their educational future. Every paycheck they receive, a small portion goes toward paying
The article, of the extreme student debt crisis, written by James B Steele and Lance Williams, is a disturbing truth fact. The student loan industry is not there to help the students get ahead. Its only goal is to line the pockets of private investors, banks and the federal government.
Many people would agree that our country’s young adults have and continue to incur a lifetime of debt by enrolling in college. It’s become an almost acceptable understanding that if you plan to attend college, you might as well expect to graduate with an enormous amount of debt. Robin Wilson, a reporter for the “Chronicle of Higher Education,” and author of “A Lifetime of Student Debt? Not Likely” suggests student loans are very real and can be life altering.
In "Generation Debt", the author, Anya Kamenetz, highlights the issues facing Americans regarding student debt in 2007. Many students are extending their education, continue living at home, or even moving back in with their parents, because the cost of school that challenges students of this generation. Teenagers back then worked the farms and fought the wars, and supplied an income to their families until they moved out and got married. Teenagers today benefit more from education, but they may be worse off.
Recent studies show that the number of individuals who default on their student loans has been steadily increasing as well. Statistics from the Institute for Higher Education Policy (IHEP) show that between 2004 and 2009 only 37% of federal student loan borrowers were able to make uninterrupted payments; it is an annual average of 7.4% (Cunningham, and Kienzl). According to IHEP, for every one borrower who defaulted, two ...
To understand the student debt crisis, one must first understand what caused it and what results from it. College undergraduates use student loans to finance the cost of tuition, room, board, transportation, and personal expenses while attending (Gage and Lorin). Student loans are different from other forms of debt because basic consumer rights like bankruptcy protection don’t apply to students who default on their loans. As a result, students are virtually locked into their debt, offering them little to no ability to refinance it. Solutions to debt problems like consolidation are available to students but that process doesn’t involve shopping for a better deal from competing lenders like it does in other debt areas. Therefore, interest rates often remain high and the loans remain with the original lender (Vanegeren). As Kayla Webley expl...
It is a norm and expectation in society today for students to pursue higher education after graduating from high school. College tuition is on the rise, and a lot of students have difficulty paying for their tuitions. To pay for their tuitions, most students have to take out loans and at the end of four years, those students end up in debt. Student loan debts are at an all time high with so many people graduating from college, and having difficulties finding jobs in their career fields, so they have difficulties paying off their student loans and, they also don’t have a full understanding of the term of the loans and their options if they are unable to repay.
Children of the twenty first century spend nearly 13 years in school, preparing for what is college, one of the only ways to achieve the so-called “American Dream”. College is the best way to start an advanced career and go further than one possibly could if college degrees were not available, allowing people to achieve their view of the American Dream; whether it be large houses, shiny cars, multiple kids, or financial comfort, college is the stepping stone to achieve the American Dream. But all great things come with a price, college dragging along debt. Students who attend college struggle to find ways to pay for it, leading to applying for student loans. These loans a great short term, paying for the schooling at the moment but eventually the money adds up
With the ever-increasing tuition and ever-tighten federal student aid, the number of students relying on student loan to fund a college education hits a historical peak. According to a survey conducted by an independent and nonprofit organization, two-thirds of college seniors graduated with loans in 2010, and each of them carried an average of $25,250 in debt. (Reed et. al., par. 2). My research question will focus on the profound effect of education debt on American college graduates’ lives, and my thesis statement will concentrate on the view that the education policymakers should improve financial aid programs and minimize the risks and adverse consequences of student loan borrowing.
As of 2016, American students have accrued a massive 1.3 trillion in student loan debt. Just 10 years ago, the nation’s balance was only $447 billion (Clements). This ever-present cumulative burden has caused many post graduate Americans to delay important life events such as marriage, homeownership and children because of this substantial encumbrance (Clements). The debt will only continue to grow with neglect, so the most effective action to take would be eliminating the cost altogether.