Student Debt

I recently responded to a friend who had posted his displeasure with the Biden student debt relief program. I have to admit that my initial response was similar to his, I paid for mine why can't these people pay for theirs. Upon reflection, I mellowed. This was my comment on my friend's post....

Education is already supported in K-12 at taxpayers' expense. In the U.S., the average cost of tuition and fees is $43,775 at private colleges, $28,238 for out-of-state students at public schools, and $11,631 for state residents at public colleges. Adjusted for inflation, these costs are 140% higher than when I went to college in the 60s.

Yes, education is a choice. For the wealthy, the cost is not a consideration. For the poor, it is often an insurmountable barrier. The wealth gap widens with hard-working Americans often denied the tools necessary for advancement. The rich can afford an advanced education for their children even if they are not as smart as many poor people who are denied that tool for advancement. If the poor roll the dice and take out a student loan to get that education, they are often burdened with crushing debt that will keep them from ever breaking that cycle of poverty.

Our advanced education system has been broken for years. Do I like that we are just now considering a retroactive fix in the form of debt relief? No. It shouldn't have been necessary if, like many things, we hadn't ignored the problem for so long. The proposed student loan debt relief is not a solution. It is a bandaid on an ugly wound.

Perhaps we should join the likes of many European nations who have decided that the entire country benefits when their citizenry is educated. In Norway, Iceland, Germany, Austria, France, Poland, Greece, Hungary, Slovenia, and the Czech Republic, college educations are free or nearly free.

I would wholly support a system that provided a choice for high school seniors where they could go to either a college or trade school for free with but one caveat. They would be obligated to provide a payback in the form of community service. This could be fulfilled in the military or through some civilian public works force that would take on jobs to restore our infrastructure or some other public service. Perhaps this would be on a one-for-one basis with 4 years of college equalling 4 years of public service. Doctors and nurses for nursing homes. Tradespeople rebuilding roads and bridges, installing Internet in rural areas, and water management projects.

They figured this out long ago in Iran. While I disagree with most things this country stands for, they at least figured out how to benefit from an educated citizenry. In Iran, the most prestigious universities are called governmental universities which offer free education for students who pass a very competitive entrance exam with high scores. Graduates from these universities are obliged to serve the country for as many years as they studied for their degree, in order to get their diploma.

No, student debt relief is not a solution. It is only a remedy for a past mistake. There are solutions out there if only politicians could get their heads out of that smelly place looking for what they ate last.