Student Debt Definition

Some people think that getting a college education is not really a good idea anymore. According to Abel and Deitz, “In recent years, students have been paying more to attend college and earning less upon graduation—trends that have led many observers to question whether a college education remains a good investment” (2014, p. 1). If the student cannot find a job that pays a decent amount of money, after graduation why should the government ‘fund it?. College costs are rising each year. Future generations may not be able to go to college because tuition will be too high. But Abel and Deitz

Over the last decade—from 2004 to 2014—the share of graduates with debt rose modestly (from 65% to 69%) while average debt at graduation rose at more than twice the rate of inflation.” and According to the Department of Labor, as of 2008, 17 million college graduates were in positions that did not require a college education. 1 in 3 college graduates had a job that required a high school diploma or less in 2012.

Over the past decade, it has become evident to the students of the United States that in order to attain a well paying job they must seek a higher education. The higher education, usually a college or university, is practically required in order to succeed. To be able to attend these schools and receive a degree in a specific field it means money, and often a lot of it. For students, the need for a degree is strong, but the cost of going to college may stand in the way of a successful future. Each year the expense of college rises, resulting in the need for students to take out loans. Many students expect to immediately get a job after graduation, however, in more recent years the chances for college graduates to get a well paying job

The U.S. is home to some of the greatest colleges and universities in the world. But with an overwhelming 1.3 million students graduating with an average student loan debt of $29,000 each and with youth unemployment elevated, the question of whether or not college tuition is worth the money arises (The Institute for College Access & Success, 2013). Higher education faces intimidating challenges: continually rising costs, access and completion problems, constant changing of technology, and responsibility pressures from state and federal officials. But no challenge is more intimidating than the fundamental question that many Americans face to ask themselves, "Is college worth the cost?" As a result of the economic turn down, many students who graduate are not finding well-paying jobs, either within their field of study or not.

It is no big secret that, in America today, most high-paying jobs require a college degree. Thomas C. Frohlich of USA Today stated that “graduating from college is a prerequisite for the vast majority of high-paying jobs”(2013). With the cost of a college degree increasing in unison with demand, few can earn a degree without the help of student loans. The American Student Assistance website reports that of the twenty million students enrolled in college, about sixty percent are attending with the help of student loans (2014). Obviously, student loan debt affects the individuals that obtain them. However, it also has severe effects upon the nation’s economy.

William Bennett, former secretary of education, once argued that: “Too many people are going to college.” In the search for a career, Bennett believes, a college education provides less advantage than is commonly assumed, thus luring students to take loans. He would prefer to see the United States emulate countries like Germany, where most young people are tracked into vocational training, and he wants more Americans who do go to college to study science, technology, engineering and mathematics rather than what he calls “irrelevant material.” Before attempting college at all, students should “critically evaluate the data: student-loan debt, return on investment,

In his essay titled “Yes A College Education Is Worth the Costs,” published in USA Today, former president of Southern Virginia University and a law professor at Thomas Jefferson School of Law Rodney K. Smith, raises his concern about people willing to invest in material things rather than their future. By using the Bureau of Labor Statistics on the unemployed population to show that the unemployment rate is caused by the absences of graduates to satisfy the jobs in demand, he tries to convince the reader of the importance of education. As a 2010 report by the BLS indicates compared to 14.9% unemployed people without a high school diploma, only 1.9% graduates with a doctoral degree are unemployed. In addition, the average weekly income of a high school degree holder is 1106 less than a doctoral degree holder (qtd in Smith).

Student loan debt has been increasing over the years and is currently at about $1 trillion. This large amount of money is due to lenders not enforcing students to payback their loans soon after graduation, and as a result “a payment delinquency and default rate in excess of 25 percent, and has postponed repayment on 14 percent of its loans, but is still accruing interest on them.” With this large and increasing amount of money, it seems as though “ the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the Federal Reserve, or even Congress—would be investigating this perfect definition of a predatory lender and trying to shut it down.” I believe that people need to be paying off their student debt as soon as they possibly can. Not only does interest over

Nowadays, we are always bombarded with the constant studies that show the economic benefits of going to college. For example, one study suggests that the average earnings gap for a high school graduate and someone with a bachelor’s degree working full time is about $15,000 (Owen and Isabel 210). But, all these sources only focus on the economic benefits and they make it seem that the only way to succeed. However, they don’t mention as much the possible negatives and that it might not be for everyone. The biggest obstacle, especially for the lower class students is the high cost of tuition. Which has caused student loan debt to become the second highest form of debt in the U.S, surpassed only by mortgage debt (Owen and Sawhill 212). Even if the student figures that out then there’s the problem of finishing school. Studies show fewer than 60% of students finish their 4-year degree within 6 years, if they finish at all (Owen and Sawhill 218). Then for those who do obtain their degree there’s the

Advocates of this form of higher education contend “a college degree is certainly no guarantee of financial success, but it is nearly a prerequisite for moving up the income ladder if you're poor” (Rampell 1). While college has the ability to aid in the advancement of a person’s financial standing, it proves to be a fruitless investment for some students. Even with the accreditation a diploma offers, millions of graduates struggle to earn a salary that ensures the benefits of their major investment. Academic philosopher Gary Jason insists “the rising price of college tends to erase the potential returns of a college education for students of only average ability” (Jason 1). The essence of Jason’s argument is that with a multitude of programs available as an appropriate substitute, college proves to be a waste of time and money for students pursuing careers that do not demand a diploma. The financial burden of college is growing, and in some cases, it cancels out the benefits. Believers in the college dream’s claim rests on the questionable assumption that all students will successfully obtain a diploma and follow a career path that will result in profits from the

Admittedly before reading “From the Achievement Gap to the Education Debt,” I had not heard the term education debt. I had however been in conversations with numerous people about many of ideas that Ladson-Billings put forward in her work. Not surprisingly, I do not always agree with Ladson-Billings but I do see where she is coming from in each of her subcategories of education debt.

Today, a 4-year degree is a necessity to be considered for a stable, good paying job, but the amount of student loan debt creates challenges that are just as overwhelming as finding a good paying job would be without a degree. Additionally, tuition increases have students borrowing more than ever, which means that student debt is on the rise. Since most students graduate with $30,000 of debt, students purchasing power is compromised. As a result, fewer individuals plan to become homeowners, start a business, buy a car, or proceed with continuing education because of the impact that their student loan debt has on their everyday lives. Financially it would be irresponsible, if not impossible, for them to even consider any of these things with the debt they have accumulated. The student loan debt crisis stems from a very outdated borrowing system, which has turned what should be manageable debt into complete financial disaster. With rising tuition rates, and no solution in sight, students purchasing power will only continue to diminish and the economy will deteriorate as a

Many arguments for why college isn't right for the average study arise due to the rising college debt of over 1 trillion. But is college really that bad? I argue it only matters for some people and not all.

Students not only leave college with a degree, but they also leave owing thousands of dollars. Even though having a college degree would help students get a higher paying job, that doesn’t necessarily mean they will find one. After graduation, the majority of these students do not have prospective jobs and those that do start at entry level salaries because of their lack of actual experience in their field. About seventeen percent of college students at the age of twenty-five are limited to what types of jobs they can find, some not even related to what type of degree they earned. Because of their limited job options, it’s even harder for them to repay their student loan debts.

In the past decade, the student loan “crisis” has been a popular topic in media. There is a constant talk of how terrible the debt is on students, and that free college is the perfect solution, but none of these are true. Student debt is rarely crippling and is a necessary part of the economy. It is often said that the cost of college is too much, or that most graduates don’t have jobs that use their degrees. Chris Lewis and Layla Zaidane state that “The employment prospects for young grads are pretty gloomy,” but it’s not young graduates that need to worry about their loans.