Student Debt Research Paper

Student debt is a topic that generates a lot of debates. From politicians to lenders to students, everyone has an opinion on the topic. With a trillion dollar national debt, it’s not surprising why the topic is such a huge issue and the solutions are even greater. The student debt is a form of debt that is owed when a student has completed college or drop out. The average interest rates for the ungraduated and graduated are 4.45% to 6% (Quadlin). To pay off all the students’ debt, it will take 10-25 years to complete it. College students will have at least six months before they have to make the first payment. Student debts can be a real problem for those who aren’t preparing for them. Student loans debt should have a longer grace period, lower monthly payments and repayment programs that apply to all because students will be able to manage and repay their debts in a timely manner.

Student loan debt affects college students all over the United States. Today students are having to take out loans in order to pay for all of their college expenses. It can be a pain to deal with the hassle of paying back the loans. The problems with student loans include causing students to go into debt that they are not able to pay them off in the given time which makes them put major life decisions on hold, and the debt stay with the student even through bankruptcy. A solution that would solve these problems is the idea of debt forgiveness which is the idea that the government will get rid of all the loan debt for college graduates.

I also found some web sources that have a divergent view. For example, “Debt Burden: Repaying Student Debt”, a report written by American Council on Education, the only higher education organization that represents presidents and chancellors of all types of U.S. accredited, degree-granting institutions. This report describes the borrowing and repayment experiences of 1992/93 and 1999/2000 bachelor’s degree recipients one year after graduation. The author believed that student loan debt did not have discernible impact on graduate one year later. To support his/her argument, the author collects data from U.S. Department of Education and National Center for Education Statistics. Although this source is reliable and

As with any college student, the idea of not having to pay for school sounds quite perfect. Average student loan debt has increased at a constant rate since 1993 and peaked for 2015 graduates at $35,000 according to the Wall Street Journal. The same report shows two other key factors. While 70% of students leave college with student debt, the need for a college degree has never been more important. Unemployment rates between people holding a bachelors degree or more sits around 2%, while people with only a high school diploma is over 5%.

There is somewhere between 902 billion dollars and one trillion dollars in total outstanding student debt today, and around 60 percent of college students borrow money annually to pay for their tuition and books (Ghannam). Seven out of 10 seniors (69%) who graduated from public and nonprofit colleges in 2014 had student loan debt, with an average of $28,950 per borrower.

Student loan forgiveness remains such a vital topic to many individuals because the exorbitant costs of post-secondary education require a majority of students to take on debt in order to simply improve themselves and advance intellectually. Thousands of students are graduating college every year, each with several thousands of dollars in debt. This area is important to research because it will provide insight into the futures of all college students immersed in the deep debt that appears to consistently accompany a quality education. Finances are important to many college students, especially when it is hard to receive scholarships to cover schooling expenses. When going through college, students stress about the amount of debt that they acquire throughout their post-secondary schooling and learning about the potential to have these debts forgiven is monumental.

Student debt is becoming a big issue that is affecting many individuals in the United States, some having to decide between going to school or being in debt for years after they have finished their education. Most people want to have a great paying career and need to go to school for many years but do not have the financial means to pay for college or qualify for financial aid, seeking other options to get their education such as applying for student loans or credit cards. College students should not be worried about how much debt is being accumulated and how it can affect them in their future. This paper will examine the possible solutions to student debt such as student forgiveness, allowing bankruptcy, or eliminating private lending agencies. Having these options will help students with a good paying career from living paycheck to paycheck and become more financially stable.

The presidential race is now consuming America. It is mentioned every morning in the news and in every “scroll” through social media. While important topics such a national security, national debt, and international affairs are brought up constantly in the debate spotlight, higher education is a topic less discussed. However, each presidential candidate has a specific, strategic plan to tackle current issues in higher education. The main issue that candidates believe should be addressed includes college costs and how they impact student debt. Each candidate has a different stance on the issue, and each have a plan to move toward solving the issue. This review will cover the current issue of student debt and how that is impacting America, each presidential candidates strategic plan to tackle this issue, a critique of each presidential candidate’s plan, and a reflection of solutions presented. Each candidate running for the 2016 presidency deserves full recognition, this review will focus on the two leading presidential candidates: Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump.

Crippling student debt is stifling the growth of the United States economy because it inhibits graduates from being able to spend money on consumer goods and home purchases. One of the biggest decisions every high school graduate has to face comes at the time of applying to college. Deciding to go, and where to, is going to have a big impact on the student life, and in most cases a big factor for this is money. As an effect of that concern student loans were developed. For many students going to college in the U.S. comes with a very important economic decision.

In 2016, college grads graduated with an average of $37,172 in student loan debt. This is a 6% increase from the previous year, and the rates increase as colleges become more expensive. Going to a University or College is looked upon as a luxury or a privilege nowadays. Good paying jobs that supply good living standards are requiring at least a bachelor’s degree to be considered for hiring. Any persons, including college students, should not be forced to live with, be pressured by, or be under the control of student loan debt. Student loan debt has been proven to have an impact on a person’s mental health. It keeps the less fortunate from having a chance to prosper in a competitive workforce, and the system that provides financial aid (FAFSA) doesn’t always meet a person’s needs completely. College should be an earned right for those who have stuck through the education process as an adolescent.

It was first promulgated in 2010 that outstanding student loan in the United States exceeded that of outstanding credit card debt for the first time ever (Kristof, 2012). As of today, there is over $1.2 trillion in outstanding student loan debt, $1 trillion of which is in the form of federal student loans (Denhart, 2013). The Student Loan Forgiveness Act of 2012 was designed to ease some of that burden and mitigate some of the real damage incurred by a lifetime of insurmountable debt.

More than 60% of Americans leave college saddled with student loan debt that limits their ability to pursue the American dream. Here in Maine, graduating college seniors had an average of $29,934 in debt in 2013, yet the per-capita income in Androscoggin

The social issue of student debt might be one of the most harmful in the long run for society. While it might not seem like anyone is in immediate danger like in other social issues, it does however create a dominion effect of other detrimental issues. While some may think student debt only affects people financially, it has been found that it affects in many more areas in a person’s life course as well. According to Mitch Daniels, president of Purdue University and the former Republican governor of Indiana “Men and women laboring under student debt are postponing marriage, childbearing and home purchases, and...Pretty evidently limiting the percentage of young people who start a business or try to do something entrepreneurial," (Holland,

One of the biggest challenges college students face today is debt associated by student loans. Nearly every college student will graduate with debt unless supported by academic or athletic scholarships, grants or financial aid. This issue can be addressed by encouraging students to pursue scholarships, and applying for financial aid. Though not all scholarships are capable of fully funding a student's tuition, most can help provide for fees, books, or housing. Many websites and counselors are open to providing scholarship opportunities to students who seek it. Applying for smaller scale scholarships often can result in a larger amount of money than at first anticipated. Applying for large scale scholarships are worth the time that is spent

In the United States today, the number of students graduating college with student loan debt is quite astonishing. In the article titled, “How the $1.2 Trillion College Debt Crisis Is Crippling Students, Parents And The Economy”, we will examine and break down the student loan debt crisis by the numbers. Today, almost two-third’s of students graduating college are graduating with an average of $26,000 in debt. For most students, $26,000 is a lot of money when the average annual income for a first year graduate is only in the mid $40,000 a year range. According to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, student loan debt has reached a new milestone, crossing the $1.2 trillion mark (Denhart, 2013, Introduction, par. 2). With student loan debt levels