The Importance of Budgeting to Avoid Defaulting on Student Loans

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

Student loan debt is the second leading component of American consumer debt. Student loans can be seen as a challenge that has to be overcome, on top of college itself. This is an opportunity for college students or former college students to show their responsibility. It is the responsibility of the student to find some way to pay this debt. This situation should not be the taxpayers’ problem. Student loan debt is a problem that does not always have an easy solution for the debtor.

There is a critical financial trend in the United States: student debt is at an all-time high. For the first time in mid- 2013, student debt rose to 830 billion, surpassing the credit-card debt (Clemmitt). Many economists and scholars compare the student debt crisis to the housing bubble, which resulted in a nationwide recession 2008. In a senate hearing regarding the current student debt crisis, Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan said, “The warning signs are there, just like they were before the housing crisis, and congress needs to act before it is too late” (Bidwell). After graduation, many students find it difficult to repay their debt, due to the bleak job market. According to a report published on the financial website Smart money, ten percent student loans borrowers defaulted in 2010 (Clemmitt). The percent was larger for students that attended a for-profit educational institution, like a career college; fifteen percent of these students defaulted (Clemmitt). Although the default rates do not contribute to the increasing student debt, one can compare it to the mortgage crisis when people stopped paying their mortgages and the American economy crashed. This exemplifies the critical problem that the student debt bubble if burst; it can have devastating impacts on the vulnerable American economy. Three causes for the increase in student debt are due to recent trends in college attendance, the increase of for-profit colleges and the rise of tuition due to spending

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

“The United States has created a new generation of people that have more student loan debt than at any other time in our history” (Murphey). A vast majority of students are graduating with debt. On average, students are carrying loan amounts big enough to buy a nice car or cover the down payment on a house, but instead of making those investments, or starting a family or a business, they’re struggling to keep up with student loan payments (O’Malley). Student loan debt is a major problem. Student loan debt exceeded credit card debt in 2010, auto loans in 2011, and it passed the $1 trillion mark in 2012.

As Young teenagers become adults and start College, one issue that doesn’t seem as a big deal at the moment for many students are student loans. Young college students who don’t have the money, don’t have enough scholarship money, or family who doesn’t have the money to pay, will apply for student loans each year. They amount the student receives can vary depending on the college and what the student has achieved academically. Though interest rates are low with subsidized being 4.29% and unsubsidized being 5.84% ("Federal Student Aid" Interest rates and Fees), student loans still have a huge effect on college students once they graduate. One college graduate’s story helps explain the struggles for most students:

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.

Student debt has become harder and harder for borrowers to pay back. According to Ivanchev, student debt has increased from seven-percent in 2003 to about fifteen-percent in 2012 (2014). If you go into default on your loans you could lose your professional license in some states, or even have your driver’s license suspended. Congress needs to fix student aid so that it’ll lower interest rates, and in some cases forgive debt; according to federal agencies, student debt is creating a major effect on the economy and its borrowers.

Students High in Debts Crisis "The only good thing about student loans is that the day I die my children will not have to pay for them” (Block). The problem with everyone not being able to go to college is the cost of it. Many High school graduates don’t even think about going to college because of how crazy expensive it is. Many students drop outs later on due to not being able to keep paying and the ones who do graduates struggle in paying off their student loans for years.

When students default on their loans, it adds to the national debt. The main problem lies in the fact that newly graduated students can’t find jobs that pay enough to reduce their debt “Tarah Toney worked two full-time jobs to put herself through college, at McMurry University in Abilene, Texas, and still has $75,000 in debt. She graduated in six years with a Bachelor’s in English and wanted to go on to teach high school” (Jaffe, 2011). Yet the government still requires the students to make on time payments. A surplus allows the government to use more money for grants and loans. The extra money from the budget goes into programs like the Pell grant. This enables more students to borrow or receive money to attend college. A deficit of funds affects students the same way student debt affects the government. To combat debt, cuts to government funding will take place. When the government cuts education funding, programs that fund grants lose money.

All over America, undergraduate and postgraduate students are feeling the pressure of student loans and their debts. A student loan is a type of loan designed to help students pay for post-secondary education and the associated fees, such as tuition, books and supplies, and living expenses (Mitchell 15). While it may sound like an inviting way to pay for college, it comes with its downfalls. Rapidly rising college tuition costs have made student debt the only option to pay for college for many students (Kristof). Student loans are increasing $3,055 every second (Kristof). The average student in America graduates with $35,000 in student loans (Akers 18). In fact, student loans have become so popular, all together students have

Students on average have more than 25000 dollars in student loan debt they have to pay back because of this debt; The incredible amount of debt creates issues of students struggling to pay that money back.In order for students

We clearly observed the manifestation of this crisis that has already been prevalent in America when the Federal Reserve Bank of New York published in its annual report on June 30th, which stated that 11.5 percent of outstanding student debt was at least 90 days late or in default as compared to 10.9 percent at the same time last year. It was estimated that nearly one in four borrowers whose loans have come due are severely delinquent or are double than the published rate, because nearly half of student debt doesn’t presently require a monthly payment.

What sets 2016’s graduating class apart that they are more indebted than any other class of students before (Sullivan and Towell). Student loans lead some graduates to obtain jobs lucrative jobs in specialized fields and lead others to suicide. Lack of understanding creates an air of mystery surrounding student loans that can have detrimental consequences. Being informed and investigating all available sources of aid are crucial components of managing debt. In this essay, I will argue that although student debt is often a necessity, students should be informed and aware of how to responsibly manage their debts.

Unfortunately, when one fails to meet the obligations of fulfilling their duties as a student, it can affect their financial aid. This is also an ongoing problem within our education systems today. If a student defaults on their school loans, they become another digit in the statistics of loan default. Once a school district reaches a certain level, the opportunity for another student to receive financial assistance ceases. “More than 66 percent of loan volume issued through the federal guaranteed-student-loan program to students at Bennett in the 2006 fiscal year went through Sallie Mae, according to data compiled by Student Marketmeasure.”  (Hermes, 2008).