4 ms·

It is insane how much more expensive college is now than when I went to college back in the 90s. I was able to pay off my student loans within 10 years of gradu

It is insane how much more expensive college is now than when I went to college back in the 90s. I was able to pay off my student loans within 10 years of graduating because they were so much less than what current students are graduating with. And salaries certainly haven't increased enough in that same time span to make the pay off equivalent. But, I think $10k or $20k is not enough. I think they should have looked at how much the cost of college has increased over the past 2+ decades and forgiven that percentage from every student loan. Then they should fix the cause of tuition inflation by getting rid of the federal student loan program.

johncessna 4y ago
> But, I think $10k or $20k is not enough. I think they should have looked at how much the cost of college has increased over the past 2+ decades and forgiven that percentage from every student loan. Your assumption is they were trying to fix a problem with tuition costs. They aren't. Fix the root problem to stop the bleeding and then treat the existing injuries.
- drewcoo 4y ago
  > Fix the root problem to stop the bleeding and then treat the existing injuries. Stopping the bleeding is not fixing the root problem. You stop the bleeding so that the victim doesn't bleed out while the paramedics arrive and can take them to a hospital. https://www.mayoclinic.org/first-aid/first-aid-severe-bleeding/basics/art-20056661 https://www.mayoclinic.org/first-aid/first-aid-severe-bleedi... What's happening reminds me of Trump's throwing paper towels to hurricane victims - a misguidedly symbolic photo op that accomplishes nothing but distracts us all. https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/trump-defends-throwing-paper-towels-hurricane-survivors-puerto-rico-n808861 https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/trump-defends...
yeeyeeyee 4y ago
> forgive that percentage from every student loan This would be unfair to students who were frugal and chose a 20k-25k/yr COA state school with the assumption that their debt must be repaid. Going to college is an investment that you ideally should plan for and weigh the benefits of the education vs the cost. If you don't think it's worth the 20-25k/yr COA at state schools (or whatever ridiculous amount at private schools) than just don't go. It absolutely is, but okay. This is an incentive to make good choices about college and be educated and productive post-college. But cancelling more debt would remove this positive externality.
- irrational 4y ago
  Life is not fair and never will be. The sooner you learn that the happier you will be.
- archhn 4y ago
  An investment? Don't go to college and you'll be drowned in the flood of third world labor that has been allowed to invade the country. This is not the 1950's. You aren't going to graduate high school and support a family as a travelling shoe salesman. You're going to end up working next to Jorge in some dead end minimum wage job and spending most of your money on rent. Saying that it's a choice is a form of gaslighting. For most people, not going means a life of brutal wage slavery and exploitation. I guess you would say it's a choice to live as well?
  - yeeyeeyee 4y ago
    Sounds like a pretty good investment. What else would you call it? Also, there are plenty of alternatives: trade schools, bootcamps, etc. Finally, why introduce stereotypes? This is not the 1950s, you can't and shouldn't say stupid shit like that anymore.
    - archhn 4y ago
      I would call it a labor caste system. You're the one speaking like we're living in another time. A time where people were freer and there was more economic opportunity. 40% of Americans don't even have $1000 in savings. It's a wildly dysfunctional and oppressive system and you're engaging in gaslighting because you benefit from it.
  - 5bolts 4y ago
    i didn't do college and i ended up in a pretty nice position. House paid for, car paid for, rv paid for, plenty of money for food /bills / fun. Could i have ended up in an even better position? maybe, but i could have ended up worse too. I had some crap jobs sure, but i got the experience to move up and on. Call centers, warehouse jobs, tech support - ended up a system administrator without any class work or even any certs. There is nothing wrong with the blue collar jobs either, they tend to make more money after 4 years experience than a recent college grad. And lots of them end up being their own boss!
rufus_foreman 4y ago
>> I think they should have looked at how much the cost of college has increased over the past 2+ decades and forgiven that percentage from every student loan At which point colleges will raise tuition by that same amount.
danaris 4y ago
> Then they should fix the cause of tuition inflation by getting rid of the federal student loan program The problem with this is that it then returns college to being something that only those already financially well-off have the opportunity to take advantage of. What's needed is either a more nuanced approach, or a more radical one, simply funding the colleges directly so that they don't have to charge tuition.
drewcoo 4y ago
> Then they should fix the cause of tuition inflation by getting rid of the federal student loan program. Or nationalize some of those state schools and make school free. If we nationalized some good schools and made them free, it should drive down the prices of the others, right?

johncessna 4y ago

> But, I think $10k or $20k is not enough. I think they should have looked at how much the cost of college has increased over the past 2+ decades and forgiven that percentage from every student loan. Your assumption is they were trying to fix a problem with tuition costs. They aren't. Fix the root problem to stop the bleeding and then treat the existing injuries.

drewcoo 4y ago
> Fix the root problem to stop the bleeding and then treat the existing injuries. Stopping the bleeding is not fixing the root problem. You stop the bleeding so that the victim doesn't bleed out while the paramedics arrive and can take them to a hospital. https://www.mayoclinic.org/first-aid/first-aid-severe-bleeding/basics/art-20056661 https://www.mayoclinic.org/first-aid/first-aid-severe-bleedi... What's happening reminds me of Trump's throwing paper towels to hurricane victims - a misguidedly symbolic photo op that accomplishes nothing but distracts us all. https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/trump-defends-throwing-paper-towels-hurricane-survivors-puerto-rico-n808861 https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/trump-defends...

yeeyeeyee 4y ago

> forgive that percentage from every student loan This would be unfair to students who were frugal and chose a 20k-25k/yr COA state school with the assumption that their debt must be repaid. Going to college is an investment that you ideally should plan for and weigh the benefits of the education vs the cost. If you don't think it's worth the 20-25k/yr COA at state schools (or whatever ridiculous amount at private schools) than just don't go. It absolutely is, but okay. This is an incentive to make good choices about college and be educated and productive post-college. But cancelling more debt would remove this positive externality.

irrational 4y ago
Life is not fair and never will be. The sooner you learn that the happier you will be.
archhn 4y ago
An investment? Don't go to college and you'll be drowned in the flood of third world labor that has been allowed to invade the country. This is not the 1950's. You aren't going to graduate high school and support a family as a travelling shoe salesman. You're going to end up working next to Jorge in some dead end minimum wage job and spending most of your money on rent. Saying that it's a choice is a form of gaslighting. For most people, not going means a life of brutal wage slavery and exploitation. I guess you would say it's a choice to live as well?
- yeeyeeyee 4y ago
  Sounds like a pretty good investment. What else would you call it? Also, there are plenty of alternatives: trade schools, bootcamps, etc. Finally, why introduce stereotypes? This is not the 1950s, you can't and shouldn't say stupid shit like that anymore.
  - archhn 4y ago
    I would call it a labor caste system. You're the one speaking like we're living in another time. A time where people were freer and there was more economic opportunity. 40% of Americans don't even have $1000 in savings. It's a wildly dysfunctional and oppressive system and you're engaging in gaslighting because you benefit from it.
- 5bolts 4y ago
  i didn't do college and i ended up in a pretty nice position. House paid for, car paid for, rv paid for, plenty of money for food /bills / fun. Could i have ended up in an even better position? maybe, but i could have ended up worse too. I had some crap jobs sure, but i got the experience to move up and on. Call centers, warehouse jobs, tech support - ended up a system administrator without any class work or even any certs. There is nothing wrong with the blue collar jobs either, they tend to make more money after 4 years experience than a recent college grad. And lots of them end up being their own boss!

rufus_foreman 4y ago

>> I think they should have looked at how much the cost of college has increased over the past 2+ decades and forgiven that percentage from every student loan At which point colleges will raise tuition by that same amount.

danaris 4y ago

> Then they should fix the cause of tuition inflation by getting rid of the federal student loan program The problem with this is that it then returns college to being something that only those already financially well-off have the opportunity to take advantage of. What's needed is either a more nuanced approach, or a more radical one, simply funding the colleges directly so that they don't have to charge tuition.

drewcoo 4y ago

> Then they should fix the cause of tuition inflation by getting rid of the federal student loan program. Or nationalize some of those state schools and make school free. If we nationalized some good schools and made them free, it should drive down the prices of the others, right?