Student Loan Debt Analysis

“Ensuring quality higher education is one of the most important things we can do for our future generations” (Ron Lewis). There are more students enrolling in post-secondary schools than ever before and consequently there are more students acquiring large debts. Once a student graduates, they enter a $33,000 or more student loan debt (Students Loan Resources). These student loans continue to place graduates into large debts, which is largely caused by their lack of knowledge of available resources, and this impacts their everyday lives and future generations.

An education is one of the most important tools a person can acquire. It gives them the skills and abilities to obtain a job, earn a wage, and then use that wage to better their lives and the lives of their loved ones. However, due to the seemingly exponential increase in the costs of obtaining a college degree, students are either being driven away entirely from earning a degree or taking out student loans which cripple their financial prospects well after graduation. Without question, the increasing national student loan debt is one of the most pressing economic issues the United States is dealing with, as students who are debt ridden are not able to consume and invest in the economy. Therefore, many politicians and students are calling

With the ever-increasing tuition and ever-tighten federal student aid, the number of students relying on student loan to fund a college education hits a historical peak. According to a survey conducted by an independent and nonprofit organization, two-thirds of college seniors graduated with loans in 2010, and each of them carried an average of $25,250 in debt. (Reed et. al., par. 2). My research question will focus on the profound effect of education debt on American college graduates’ lives, and my thesis statement will concentrate on the view that the education policymakers should improve financial aid programs and minimize the risks and adverse consequences of student loan borrowing.

For some students, a college degree is the key to success but for others the completion of formal education also introduces a huge burden. Many students desire higher education but increasing enrollment rates have driven up the cost of college tuition and fees; therefore, forcing some students to offset the cost with student loans whereas the loans are often accompanied by debt (“A College” 6). Student loans generate an average debt of twenty thousand dollars per student inevitably student loans are necessary for two thirds of all students. (Collinge 76). Per data from the College Board, the repayment of student loans becomes a challenge for some borrowers, especially students who do not complete the program and those students who sought a less than marketable degree (“A College” 8). The American Council on Education suggests, one fifth of undergraduates with personal loans overlook the possibility of being eligible for a federal student loan; consequently, private loans

The increasing cost of higher education in the United States has been a continuing topic for debate in recent decades. American society emphasizes the importance of education after high school, yet the cost of higher education and advanced degrees continually rises at a greater rate than inflation in the 1970’s. According to the Advisory Committee on Student Financial Assistance, cost factors prevent 48% of college-qualified high school graduates from pursuing further education (McKeon, 2004, p. 45). The current system requires the majority of students to accumulate extensive debt with the expectation that they gain rewarding post-graduate employment to repay their loans.

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.

In the U.S. students are encouraged to earn a college degree, but the cost of an education turns many away. “Driven by the allure of a decent salary with a college degree, Americans borrowed to go to school. Outstanding student debt doubled from 2005 to 2010, and by 2012 total student debt in the U.S. economy surpassed $1 trillion” (Mian, Sufi 167). There are plenty of opportunities to obtain funds for college, including one of the most common, student loans. A student loan is defined as “a common way to fund education, specifically college and graduate school, and they provide educational opportunities that you otherwise may not be able to afford” (Barr). Student debt is at an all-time high in America. Over half of all lower income

An estimated 20 million Americans attend college each year, and 60% of those students borrow annually to pay for it (qtd. in asa.org, “Student Loan Debt Statistics”). Moreover, citizens continuing to pay off debt after schooling brings the overall number of student-loan-borrowers to about 40 million- with a collective 1 trillion dollars in debt (McCarthy, “10 Fun Facts About the Student Debt Crisis); a fourth of these borrowers owe over $28,000, a tenth owe over $54,000, 3.1% owe more than $100,000, “and 0.45 percent of borrowers, or 167,000 people, owe more than $200,000” (Haughwout, “Grading Student Loans”). While some view this predicament as the result of laziness or carelessness, the bulk of this substantial group are not at fault.

With the 2016 presidential election looming in the near future, the subject of student loan debt has become a major issue on the campaign trail. The national amount of student loan debt is 1.08 trillion dollars, with 11.5% of that amount in default or in 90+ day delinquent. To put that in perspective, total consumer debt at the end of 2013 was 11.52 trillion .(Forbes, 2014) According to an in class poll, only 7 students out of 169 students were completely confident in their knowledge of student loans. However, if we had lower tuition and expenses students wouldn’t have to take a loan out in the first place.

While higher education continues to grow in popularity as an important investment in American society, the student loan debt that accompanies this education also continues to grow as a burden to the American economy. Although the plethora of debt most commonly applies to graduate students and college dropouts rather than undergraduate students, student loan debt has accumulated to $1.2 trillion and continues to grow. Student loan debt made up 13% of the debt accumulated for adults between the ages of 20 and 29 in 2005, and has grown to account for 37% of the age group’s debt in 2014. Even though the government made $66 billion in profit on federal student loans from 2007 to 2012, the American economy shows very little positive feedback if any at all. About ten million federal student loans are taken out annually with an average loan balance of $15,900 in 2005 and up to $25,500 in 2014. The debt accumulated from these loans has made a larger gap in economic inequality, has limited entrepreneurship, and has prevented future loans from being taken out because of damaged credit ratings. Student loan

As of 2015, the average amount of student loan debt in America alone was 1.2 trillion dollars and the average balance for each of the roughly 40 million borrowers still paying back loans was $29,000 (Holland 2015). John Oliver of “Last Week Tonight” makes a point that student loan debt exceeds that of both credit card and auto loans. However, despite the negative financial effects, achieving a college degree is vital to the National Economy and the job market. According to studies by the Hamilton Project, “The cost of not going to college is rising just as much as the cost of going,” (Greenstone & Looney, 2012). This is because employers are increasing the credentials of future employees which, in turn poses two issues. First, it is

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.

I think the most interesting is the Student Loan Debt because it shows how many people are actually struggling just so they can attend school and make something out of themselves. I think the most important is the National Debt because we as a nation are very deep in the hole when it comes to money and how much we owe and we need to get that fixed as soon as we possibly can. And lastly, the most confusing to me would be the Total Debt per Family against the total savings when you don’t even save as much as you spend and even if you do save you just end up going in debt in the future so there isn’t much of a

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

The other, increasing in popularity, investment of consumer debt is student loans. Since 2008, student debt has been rising in increments of nearly $100 billion (Schrager). As alarming as it seems, this is not the result of student decisions alone. High school students are being pressured by society to further their education. Students seem to be raised believing a college degree is the ticket to success. However, it is not; anyone can become successful, regardless of background or education. Some students strive for attending college while others have been forced to prevent them from being lethargic. In either scenario, the students are accountable for the inflated tuition as parental contribution begins to decline. Thus, students acquire loans to mask the overall cost. But, the occurring interest throughout their time in school leaves a heavy financial footprint. Three types of students tend to be affected most, graduate, for-profit, and dropouts. Graduate students are permitted to borrow unlimited amounts of money not exceeding their cost of attendance. These students account for 65 percent of graduates who borrowed $50K or more in 2012. The for-profit students are independent of their parents or pursuing a degree greater than four years. For-profit students only constitute nine percent of degree recipients. Dropouts include 59 percent of the students with minimal debt. Because dropouts have a laborious experience job-hunting, they are less likely to repay their loans