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Student loan debt just topped $1.52 trillion

Posted on 5/22/18 at 1:36 am
Posted by rivermonsters87
Member since Apr 2018
76 posts
Posted on 5/22/18 at 1:36 am
They have made college inaccessible for the middle class. (As in, graduating without debt.) The demand is high because of the false promises of a better life with a degree; however, a degree does not change a persons intelligence. Many programs have lowered academic rigor in order to keep people who should have never been allowed in, in. For-profit colleges have jumped at the opportunity to enslave kids who would have been better off in a trade school. Most of our Universities care more about their football brand than student success. Every year, European students are scoring higher on intelligence tests than Americans but graduate with no debt. In Germany, only the brightest can enroll in college (for free) and only about 50% of them are able to graduate because of the challenges of the academic rigor. Germany doesn't mind paying the bill for the truly bright;however, will not waste money on people who should have never been admitted, like in the U.S.A. Universities for-profit and non-profit alike are damaging our future economy based on false assumptions of a better life. Many of the students, who should never have been admitted, are graduating with useless degrees and lack of program accreditation. The lack of their research into the program for which they enroll, suggests they should not be in college. What reform would you suggest in order to fix this problem? Trump seems to be ignoring it.

Yes, I have a degree and currently, working on an M.B.A; however, I found ways to do it without getting into debt i.e. military. Unfortunately, many Americans are not considering alternatives to student loans. Honestly, the only people who should have student loan debt should be Doctors, Lawyers, Engineers etc., not history, business and arts majors.
This post was edited on 5/22/18 at 1:40 am
Posted by stuntman
Florida
Member since Jan 2013
10559 posts
Posted on 5/22/18 at 1:44 am to
quote:

The demand is high because of the false promises of a better life with a degree; however, a degree does not change a persons intelligence.


Demand is high because government is giving out loans like candy to almost anyone who wants one.

If government stopped giving loans and grants, tuition costs would plummet, dumb/useless classes would be dropped, and actual education, not indoctrination, would flourish.
Posted by HailHailtoMichigan!
Mission Viejo, CA
Member since Mar 2012
73293 posts
Posted on 5/22/18 at 1:55 am to
I don’t buy the argument that prices are high because demand is high

That only explains short term trends

Economic theory says an increase in demand raises price in short term, but the industry experiencing the increased demand is now receiving higher than normal profits, which attracts investment and drops price down.

Why is this not happening with education?
Posted by Redbone
my castle
Member since Sep 2012
20638 posts
Posted on 5/22/18 at 2:24 am to
quote:

, not history, business and arts majors.
I did see a lot of that back in my working days. People working in a field totally unrelated to their degree and some still having student loan debt. That degree got them 1 more week of vacation per year.
Posted by rivermonsters87
Member since Apr 2018
76 posts
Posted on 5/22/18 at 2:43 am to
quote:

I don’t buy the argument that prices are high because demand is high


Like a previous poster posted, demand is high because the government is handing loans out like candy; however, demand is still high nonetheless. If they would stop giving out 100k loans to students who are ultimately going to work at Wal-mart with the degree and never be able to repay the debt, then demand would go down. It is a long-term trend because the student loans are still available. People with bad credit and horrible money management skills are taking out 80k loans and never repaying. Yet, we are investing in it, horrible returns.
Posted by RemouladeSawce
Uranus
Member since Sep 2008
17245 posts
Posted on 5/22/18 at 3:29 am to
quote:

Honestly, the only people who should have student loan debt should be Doctors, Lawyers, Engineers etc., not history, business and arts majors.
I would like to know how much of this $1.5t is from undergrad tuition at private universities. The all-in bill for four years can surpass $200-250k effortlessly, which is crazy given so many kids at such schools are - while usually intelligent - in Starbucks majors. That is where the most excessive pillaging by higher education happens. Public school is infinitely better ROI at the undergrad level.
This post was edited on 5/22/18 at 3:32 am
Posted by TimeOutdoors
LA
Member since Sep 2014
13123 posts
Posted on 5/22/18 at 3:29 am to
My biggest complaint is the costs of books. As long as publishing companies are allowed to give kickbacks to teachers for requiring their book the prices willl keep going up because competition is partly based on the amount of the kickback instead of the quality of the material.
Posted by rivermonsters87
Member since Apr 2018
76 posts
Posted on 5/22/18 at 5:53 am to
quote:

I would like to know how much of this $1.5t is from undergrad tuition at private universities


That goes without saying...

LSU Bachelor Degree Total Cost= 30,000
University of Phoenix Bachelor Total Cost= 60k
Posted by DEG
Atlanta
Member since Jul 2009
10750 posts
Posted on 5/22/18 at 6:19 am to
Start saving early

Leverage grants and scholarships wherever possible (take HS seriously).

Go to school close to home to mitigate some of the boarding costs.

I live in Atlanta. UGA is extremely hard to get into, but if you’re an instate kid, there is a ton of financial assistance.
Posted by Wtodd
Tampa, FL
Member since Oct 2013
68474 posts
Posted on 5/22/18 at 6:20 am to
quote:

Student loan debt

Cheap money & useless degrees
Posted by EZE Tiger Fan
Member since Jul 2004
55435 posts
Posted on 5/22/18 at 6:23 am to
"Big Education"
Posted by NC_Tigah
Make Orwell Fiction Again
Member since Sep 2003
135835 posts
Posted on 5/22/18 at 6:25 am to
quote:

rivermonsters87
Your premise is reasonable. The stupidity you use to support it is not.
quote:

Most of our Universities care more about their football brand
Stupid
quote:

European students are scoring higher on intelligence tests than Americans but graduate with no debt.
Stupid
quote:

Universities for-profit and non-profit alike are damaging our future economy based on false assumptions of a better life.
Stupid

quote:

Yes, I have a degree and currently, working on an M.B.A; however, I found ways to do it without getting into debt i.e. military.
....and there it is.
Posted by Pecker
Rocky Top
Member since May 2015
16674 posts
Posted on 5/22/18 at 6:26 am to
Student loan debt is a good thing. It will hurt in the short term but will eventually allow people to start making better decisions.

That's assuming there's no bailout.
Posted by HempHead
Big Sky Country
Member since Mar 2011
56590 posts
Posted on 5/22/18 at 6:28 am to
As it has been pointed out, guaranteed credit for any chucklefrick with a pulse is a surefire way for prices to increase at an incredible rate. Couple guaranteed credit (with no collateral, no less!) with a society that tells you that you are worthless without a college degree and....viola. Skyrocketing tuition in terms of real dollars. You can LITERALLY see the point at which pricing started to become exponential...it just so happens to correlate with the founding of the Department of Education and federal loans.
This post was edited on 5/22/18 at 6:29 am
Posted by Seldom Seen
Member since Feb 2016
48737 posts
Posted on 5/22/18 at 6:28 am to
If schools were really teaching kids to be smart they'd realize going into debt in order to go to college is a bad move.
Posted by Mo Jeaux
Member since Aug 2008
62619 posts
Posted on 5/22/18 at 6:30 am to
quote:

going into debt in order to go to college is a bad move.


Not necessarily.
Posted by Seldom Seen
Member since Feb 2016
48737 posts
Posted on 5/22/18 at 6:34 am to
quote:

Not necessarily.



I meant for most people. For decades only 10% or so of high school grads went to college. Now they're trying to herd everyone there so they can get them all into debt.
Posted by GetCocky11
Calgary, AB
Member since Oct 2012
53509 posts
Posted on 5/22/18 at 6:38 am to
quote:

If schools were really teaching kids to be smart they'd realize going into debt in order to go to college is a bad move.


That isn't true at all.

It can be seen as an investment for many careers.
This post was edited on 5/22/18 at 6:39 am
Posted by Pecker
Rocky Top
Member since May 2015
16674 posts
Posted on 5/22/18 at 6:40 am to
quote:

As it has been pointed out, guaranteed credit for any chucklefrick with a pulse is a surefire way for prices to increase at an incredible rate. Couple guaranteed credit (with no collateral, no less!) with a society that tells you that you are worthless without a college degree and....viola. Skyrocketing tuition in terms of real dollars. You can LITERALLY see the point at which pricing started to become exponential...it just so happens to correlate with the founding of the Department of Education and federal loans.




Undergraduate degrees were once valuable because they were difficult to acquire. We were then told it was unfair that only certain people were able to get them. So now everyone can get them and most are meaningless. Now you have to have a masters. Within the next 10 years masters degrees will be relatively meaningless. The end goal is for everyone to be the same and have the same level of terrible education.

The prospect of massive student loan debt is a good thing in that it will force people to look for alternatives. Prices will not go down until fewer people attend undergraduate schools.
This post was edited on 5/22/18 at 6:41 am
Posted by HempHead
Big Sky Country
Member since Mar 2011
56590 posts
Posted on 5/22/18 at 6:43 am to
Someone who can figure out how to provide some kind of certification or licensure for young folks that is respected by employers is going to make a boatload of money. As it stands, there are no factors making higher education cheaper or more effective.

I'd like to see some university provide initially free tuition, and take a cut of a student's income for X amount of years and capped at a given number. This would incentivize colleges to actually give a shite about finding jobs for their customers.
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