The Student Loan Debt Crisis

“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.

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.

When we think about college and a college education, it seems as though our first initial thought is the student loans and debt that can result in achieving a college degree. Looking back, student debt has risen drastically and has made it extremely stressful for students and families. Many people go through their entire life in debt, especially from being a student. Student debt has always existed; however, now, it is so extreme, almost all students who attend college find themselves deep in debt, and must continue paying off their debt many years after they graduate. For the past two decades, student debt has risen, illustrating how big this social problem has become. The reason student debt is a significant social problem is because of how much it can effect a person’s life, and their families lives, that can carry over to their future. Although there were many things that led up to and impacted the drastic student debt that is now being faced by many students around the world, the corporation Sallie Mae, was the essential factor in why student debt has skyrocketed to unreasonable proportions. Sallie Mae provided the first type of corporation that changed its focus from helping students, to helping themselves. The history and scope of the student debt can help us understand that the corporation, Sallie Mae, was the main cause of this problem.

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.

As of 2016, the average college graduate owes thirty-seven thousand dollars in loans (Glum). As a whole, Americans owe a grand total of 1.3 trillion dollars. These are figures that grow every year, and worse, the number of people who are defaulting on their payments grows as well. The issue of the student loan crisis is serious, which is why potential solutions are now being discussed. Presidential candidates for the election of 2016 have discussed solutions that range from Hillary Clinton’s debt-free college plan to Bernie Sanders’ free tuition plan funded by taxing Wall Street, while numerous scholars and business intellectuals have suggested amending the bankruptcy code to allow for discharging student loans as a solution to the crisis (Josuweit). In this essay, I will primarily discuss the numerous but limited ways amending the bankruptcy code can alleviate the crisis, and then I will offer alternate solutions to supplement the aforementioned solution.

Although many people are considering student loan debt to be a national crisis, we must understand the reality behind it. Unfortunately not everyone is fortunate enough to make it through college without accumulating debt. In Robin Wilson’s essay, “A Lifetime of Student Debt? Not Likely”, she makes a compelling argument that shows how students get involved with really high debt. She claims, “…the problem among students who go heavily into debt is that they are determined to attend their dream college, no matter what the cost (257).” It is a true statement because students want to turn their dream into a reality. All students can reach their goal of attending a dream college by first choosing a community college in order to decrease the amount of student loans.

Children are taught young about the American dream and how exactly to obtain it. You go to school, work hard, receive an education, graduate, procure a job, get married, purchase a house and a car, have children, and then you tell the next generation to repeat. And if a young adult should deviate from the norm and decides not to go to college, then the only employment they could ever find is at some restaurant that offers minimum wages. However, as exaggerated as that hypothetical situation is, even myths can hold a form of truth because the truth of the matter is that to ever have a chance at prospering in America. But before an individual can become a student, they first have to be able to afford the cost; and for the average American, they

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

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.

[Hook] Here is where a hook would go. [Transition/ Background] Many people think that college is the only surefire way to be successful in life. Others believe that it is a waste of time or that it is not necessary for everyone. Whatever the stance people have strong opinions on whether or not you should go to college. [Thesis] A four year college degree is not the best investment towards a successful career because it costs a lot of money and there are better alternatives.

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

In the case of student loan debt crisis, radical change/action would be the act of rejecting what is usually sanctioned by society as a means of acquiring funds to pay for college and rejecting terms in which many currently default student loans were made. According to text, the Occupy movement first became educated on how the banking and collection systems deals with loans, the shelf life of loans held by banking systems, the banking and collection systems view of the debtor, the overall life cycle distressed debt and the true value of the transactions that occur between the banks and collection companies. Secondly, the movement delivered a public message concerning the debt crisis problem, which also included a realistic action plan on how

The cost of tuition for higher education is quickly rising. Over half of college freshmen show some concern with how to pay for college. This is the highest this number has been since 1971 (Marill and O’Leary 64-66, 93). The amount of college graduate debt has been rapidly increasing also. With limited jobs available because of the high unemployment rate, college graduates find themselves staying in debt even longer. Although grants and financial aid are available to students, students still struggle to pay for their college tuition. Higher education costs are prohibitively expensive because the state’s revenue is low, the unemployment rate is high, and graduates cannot pay off their student loans.

American youth have more pressure to get a good education than ever before, but at what price? The cost of education is at an all time high and rising every year. Many Americans are struggling with a large amount of student loan debt weather they graduated with a degree or not. The only way to secure the future of students today is to invest in the students themselves rather than investing their money into the corporate market. By preparing students for higher education and providing financial resources students will have the knowledge to deal with student loans and the debt they may be accruing while in school.