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It started out so promising, with good observations that more people need to hear, then degenerated into indentured servitude. If all else fails, how about we
by kevinpet 14y ago
It started out so promising, with good observations that more people need to hear, then degenerated into indentured servitude.
If all else fails, how about we try the market? Make student loans dischargeable in bankruptcy and let the banks figure it out.
- rayiner 14y agoThat takes us to the status quo ante: only people whose parents can pay get to go to college. Nobody is giving unsecured loans to college students, even for "good" degrees.
- eli_gottlieb 14y agoIn which case we just need to make tuition cheap enough that people can pay for it up-front. This is doable. In fact, it was the guiding principle of institutions like, say, the entire University of California system.
- pjscott 14y agoIt's equivalent to giving students entering college a choice of three ways to pay for it: 1. Give the school money, possibly aided by scholarships, grants, et cetera. This works if you've got the money or can get enough financial aid. 2. Take out student loans. These can be a real pain in the ass to pay off, especially for students who discover that an English degree is as unprofitable as everybody says. :-( 3. Opt in to a voluntary tax, and in exchange, get free or highly subsidized college. (This is the option you refer to as "indentured servitude.") I'm having a hard time seeing how option (3) is a bad thing.
- kevinpet 14y agoIt is fractional indentured servitude. Or if you prefer, a privately collected income tax. Indentured servitude is not and never was slavery. It was a voluntary contract entered into by people who thought it was their best option. I think it is somewhat incumbent upon those suggesting this as an option to show why avoids the problems that came about with the historical versions of it.