Summary: The Greatest School Loan Debt

While this is often true, it can create problems when a student does not have the money to pay for a quality education. The cost of college has risen an estimated 250-500% over the last 30 years while consumer price index has only increased by 115 percent during the same time frame (White, 2015; Eskow, 2014). The amount of student loan debt is increasing, along with the cost of college. The income of many young people today cannot keep up with the rising costs of college education and housing. Part of the problem with student loan debt begins when students choose to attend a college that exceeds their financial resources and rely on federal student loans as well as private student loans to make up the difference. Eskow found that even public colleges and universities are becoming difficult to pay for without taking out student loans often averaging $30,000 for tuition, room, and board (2014). Since many people do not have enough money to cover college education expenses, they rely on student loans, both federal and private, to fill the gap. Financial advisor Ramsey stated that often the loans students take out pay “for an off-campus standard of living, and no debt was needed to get the degree” (2013). “The Project on Student Debt reported in 2013 over ⅔ graduating seniors were leaving school with student loans” averaging approximately $28,400 (White, 2015). Taking on almost $30,000 in debt before even starting a career can have a significant impact. It can force people to get a job just to pay off the student loans, not based on what they got an education for prepared for or what they studied. This also can cause a setback in future plans, having to delay many adult milestones due to lack of

Problems in the student loan market are not just harming students but are also exacerbating problems with the United States’ recovery from the Great Recession. New York Federal Reserve Bank data has found that outstanding student debt topped $1 trillion in the third quarter of 2013, and the share of loans delinquent 90 days or more rose to 11.8 percent. Furthermore, the share of 25-year-old Americans with student debt increased to 43 percent in 2012 from 25 percent in 2003, while the average loan balance rose 91 percent, to $20,326 from $10,649 (Gage and Lorin). More than 40 million Americans are in student loan debt and because of this, more than 40 million Americans are not able to stimulate the economy as they are not able to buy houses or cars, or start businesses or families (Applebaum). In Wisconsin alone, student loan debt has resulted in a loss of over $200 million annually from new car purchases, while also resulting in middle class households with student loan debt overwhelmingly renting homes instead of owning them (Vanegeren).

There are many challenges that my generation will be forced to face upon entering the workforce. However, I feel one of the most important challenges we will have to overcome upon entering the workforce would be educational debt. As time progresses and American society advances, it is becoming more essential to have a college education before entering the workforce. While more of my peers are opting to go to college and earn a degree, they are also opting to acquire a substantial amount of debt in the form of student loans in order to pay for their education. The price of attending a university is increasing every year and students are forced to figure out a way to finance their education. According to Dave Ramsey, financial reasons are the

After the United States ‘Great Recession’ in 2008, many onlookers have been searching for other aspects of the economy that may eventually present a bubble similar to that of the housing market. It does not take long to locate a potential hazard as the cost of tuition has risen approximately 26% over the course of the last decade (‘Tuition and Fees’). The consequence of this increased tuition is having a negative effect on the future that most graduates try to obtain once they complete school. Some students are required to change their career choices due to the overwhelming debt; examples of this could be they are required to take a higher paying job, even if they do not want to, so they can afford their previous choices (Zhang). Many years ago the notion of being so overwhelming in debt seemed unfathomable; but as student loan debt is estimated at $870 billion to $1 trillion, students’ willingness to acquire debt is strong and has no signs of slowing down (Razaki, Koprowski, Lindberg). The steadily increasing student loan crisis will cripple the United States economy if it goes unchanged.

Here in the United States, there are many forms of consumer debt, which help contribute to the large sums of debt countless Americans find themselves faced with. Directly effecting many college students is student loan debt. Student loan debt is now the second largest form of consumer debt behind housing” declares the Federal Reserve Bank of New York (Grisales). This is due to the fact that student loan debt grew 7.1% in 2014 to $1.2 trillion (Grisales). If this statistic alone is not worrisome this next one is sure to be. The amount of debt in the housing market that helped to spark the last recession was only $1.3 trillion (Grisales). Due to the increased amount of debt required by students to attend college many students are feeling the wrath. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, “In 2014, 11.7 percent of females and 17.7 percent of males between the ages 25 and 34 were living with their parents” (Grisales). The fear of obtaining massive amounts of debt is driving the current generation of student’s to put off many future hopes and dreams. While causing them to move back home to save money. The current student loan crisis is crippling the economy and ruining the lives of American students.

College debt has risen significantly since “The Great Recession” in 2009. Due to the high college fees, students are faced with lifelong debt. If the rise continues, only the rich will be able to obtain a higher education, resulting in American education to take several steps backwards instead of improving. Although many have tried to fix college debt problem, it has mostly gone unnoticed. Specifically targeting the nation’s youth, college debt is destroying the chances of the lasting effects on the economy from fully recovering.

In recent decades, student loan debt has increased dramatically causing a so-called, “education bubble”. This ‘education bubble’ is essentially the ‘housing bubble’ within higher education. The Federal Government, like those in the housing market crash in 2008, are lending money to those who receive a low income and can not afford college. According to The Weekly Standard, “the Federal Reserve Bank of New York reports that during the past decade, student loan debt has nearly tripled and the number of students with debt has risen by 70 percent” (Cochrane). The Federal Government needs to decrease the amount of loans they are giving out in order to prevent another crash within our economy. As a senior in high school who will not be receiving

As the demand for workers with college degrees increases the pile of debt students may graduate with gets bigger and bigger. This problem is America’s next sizeable financial crisis, but this crisis however is avoidable. Student loan debt is a financial bubble waiting to blow up just as the housing market collapse did in 2007, which the country is only just now starting to see signs of recovery from. The cost of a four-year degree has seen increases that surpass inflation and health care costs. Likewise, the amount of student loan debt is now greater than both auto loans and credit card debt. So, the question most frequently asked is, how has this happened?

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

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.

The typical all-American dream is a great paying career, a happy family, and a good home to raise them in. This is, however, only possible by going to college and getting a good education at a high-cost university that buries you in debt. Often when discussing student loans the general consensus are that students are in colossal financial struggles if they obtain degrees at good universities. The myth of crippling student loan debt is, however, not typical.

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.

According to CNN, “Almost 19% of student loan borrowers owe more than $50,000.Only 6% of borrowers had that much in 2001.” (Gillispe, 1). Why has student loan debt increased so much? Student Loan debt has become a national problem with no solution. Many students are borrowing more money to keep up with the rising cost of tuition in universities, leaving themselves with thousands of debt after graduation. Students after gaining this debt, have to find jobs to support it which can come at a challenge after the financial crisis of 2008. So there stands a problem between students having massive amounts of loan debt and getting jobs to pay this debt off. Advocates or liberals think forgiving this debt is a good idea, while opponents or conservatives think it is not even an option. This essay will focus on the controversial topic of forgiving student loan debt and why something should be done about the massive debts graduates have. It is important to first look at the history of student loans and how the student loan crisis came about in order to understand the controversy.

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

Student loans are one of the top three national debts in the United States. Total student loans have reached an outstanding of one trillion dollars and are still on going. It would take the United States hundred-fifty years, twenty million dollars a day to fully cover this national debt. Student loans are intended for students to go to college but they come with a rising social and economic cost. As the expectancy of high return and tuition are increasing, more students are ending up with a mountain of debt and without a degree. It is risking our countries’ future; we will face another recession if the trend of student loans continues to grow exponentially. We will have a future of Millienials who are in debt and unable to invest their money into the economy. In order to have a stable and working economy, we need people to spend money. Young adults are the “masters” of spending money and have a huge contribution in stabilizing our economy. If young adults are spending their money in paying off their debts, there will be definite consequences. So people might ask, “what aspects of the economy are being affected due to rising student debt?” Despite the social cost that student loans promote, through in depth research and analysis, I have concluded that our economic cost will evolve around the housing market, small businesses, and students’ career choices. These are extremely valuable industries that