An education is one of the most important tools a person can acquire. It gives them the skills and abilities to obtain a job, earn a wage, and then use that wage to better their lives and the lives of their loved ones. However, due to the seemingly exponential increase in the costs of obtaining a college degree, students are either being driven away entirely from earning a degree or taking out student loans which cripple their financial prospects well after graduation. Without question, the increasing national student loan debt is one of the most pressing economic issues the United States is dealing with, as students who are debt ridden are not able to consume and invest in the economy. Therefore, many politicians and students are calling on the government to forgive their student loan debts so that through their spending the slowly recovering economy can finally return to its pre-2008 strength.
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...
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Schou, Solvej. "Finally, a Law That Would Protect People From Student Loan Hell." Takepart.com. Yahoo News, 12 Feb. 2014. Web. 16 Feb. 2014. .
Vanegeren, Jessica. "Wisconsin's 'Higher Ed, Lower Debt' student loan bill set for Wednesday hearing." The Cap Times. madison.com, 3 Feb. 2014. Web. 16 Feb. 2014. .
Webley, Kayla. "Is Forgiving Student Loan Debt a Good Idea?" Educational Financing. Time: Business & Money, 20 Apr. 2012. Web. 16 Feb. 2014. .
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Show More“The Good, the Bad and the Ugly of Student Loans” references many great points that recent college graduates or futures college graduates should follow. These include paying student loans fully and on time, as well as consideration of refinancing. The article’s main purpose is to help college graduates prepare to pay off their student loans carefully and correctly. It chooses to focus on the good points of paying off student loans, giving hope to those who may be worried about paying them off.
Along with scholarships, fellowships, and grants, student loans are an important method of financing post-secondary education. With tuition costs rising, more students are borrowing to pay for college education today. However, not all students realize the burden of paying back their student loans. Many are defaulting.
In recent years, there has been a tremendous increase in student enrollment in higher education after high school effecting the need for financial aid for all students. Education has become a growing part in America where more students want to better their lives with a college education. However, the cost of college tuition has increased and more students find themselves struggling to pay off the enormous tuition rates. In a recent study by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, student debt has reached $1 trillion in federal loan debt. Student loan debt has crippled the economy and students are struggling to pay off federal loans. In order to help students with the high tuition rates of college the government and universities offer
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.
The cost of college tuition continues to increase each year. If this keeps increasing the way it has been, students will be indebted the rest of their life. Author of “The Looming Student Loan Crisis”, Jackson Toby states that student loans have increased along with the increase of tuition costs. In 2004, the average unpaid student debt was approximately $18,650...
Student loan debt makes up a large portion of the debt in this country today. Many defaulted loans are the demise of high interest rates, poor resources to students in educating them on other avenues and corruption in the governmental departments that oversee education and financing. There are many contributing factors that lead to the inability to pay off student loans which need government reform to protect the borrower’s best interests.
... Emily. “Student Loan Forgiveness: What you Don’t Know (but Should).” USA Today. 6 Dec. 2013. Web. 17 Feb. 2015.
In an article written by Andrew Lehren, the author provides the bold statement that “the only thing worse than graduating with lots of debt is not going to college at all” (Lehren). In today 's society, many families lack the funds to provide a full ride for their children in terms of college. Due to this fact, many people turn to alternate solutions such as loans or diving straight into the workforce instead of attending college at all. These solutions, however, may greatly affect a person throughout the course of their life. The problem of college debt is increasing rates in regards to tuition, however, fortunately there are various solutions accessible in order to decrease or eliminate the debt that many american students face.
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.
Over the last few decades, college tuitions and fees have increased by over one thousand percent, surpassing every category associated with the cost of living including food and medical. This unprecedented rise in cost has resulted in an avalanche of issues for young and middle-age adults. As, a result of steep student loan amounts, graduates are being forced to move back with their parents, fewer young people are becoming homeowners, they are delaying retirement saving, and are dropping out of college at an alarming rate of nearly fifty percent. With all the controversy surrounding the topic of increasing college cost, the revised income-driven repayment program has been created to help borrowers pay back student loans according to their income.
Jonnes, Alex. “Help For Students: Debt Consolidation”. Expert Authors. Ezine Articles. n.d. Web. 8 Mar.
While a bipartisan bill passed last August reversed the interest rate hike on federally subsidized Stafford student loans, reducing the rate from 6.8% to 3.4%, the rate change only affects future student loans and does not address the $1 trillion student debt that is currently weighing on college graduates throughout the country (Matthews). Additionally, government subsidies have the perverse effect of encouraging colleges to increase tuition to capture mor...
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.
“Debt Burden: Repaying Student Debt.” American Council on Education. One Dupont Circle NW. Sep. 2004. Web. 12 Nov. 2011.
Today, the majority of college students in our country are dealing with one issue: loans. Student loans are considered a burden from the application process to the monthly payments. When students graduate college, they are excited to have finally achieved one of the biggest accomplishment of their life. However, nowadays the end of those four years also marks the beginning of another challenge. Students find themselves facing debts larger than they could ever think of. With just six months given as a grace period, students become in a hurry to find jobs, stabilize their life and wait for the bills. Those unable to find employment fall into deeper debts and and even risk defaulting. Additionally, if not tracked properly, those first payments can catch students