Poll of the Day > Student loan debt

(+) Yeah! (+)

Student loan debt

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Voted no. Students took the loan knowing they need to pay it back. As College and Uni are optional the funds to get through it must come from somewhere. If you or your parents can't afford it then without student loans you wouldn't be doing it. Student loans give a option for those to get through College and Uni who wouldn't have had that option to begin with due to finance. Paying it back is what I call a life lesson as nothing in life is free even more so loans. This will also teach to the students to sue the loan sparingly and not piss it against the wall or at least that's the idea.

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No. I don't support this part of the progressive platform. I believe people are being deceived into going to for-profit private universities due to the high school prison system promoting liberal arts degrees.

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wwinterj25 posted...

Voted no. Students took the loan knowing they need to pay it back. As College and Uni are optional the funds to get through it must come from somewhere. If you or your parents can't afford it then without student loans you wouldn't be doing it. Student loans give a option for those to get through College and Uni who wouldn't have had that option to begin with due to finance.

Agree. Its not like students dont know how much theyre taking out or degree prospects. If you take on the risk of getting a degree that doesnt pay well hoping youll make enough to pay off the loan... this is just simply a high risk risk high reward strategy that failed.

There are very cheap colleges in the US, ones with very high acceptances rates. Just go to one. Or go to a trade school, there are options to a good life that are inexpensive and clear cut.

Cancel medical debt instead.

I don't even think it should be a thing at most schools, tbh...
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blu posted...

Cancel medical debt instead.

So much this. We are lucky to have the NHS in the UK but even with that medical stuff can be very expensive and it's not optional for most people in most cases.


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Yes.

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I paid mine off, but I voted yes.

blu posted...

Cancel medical debt instead.

Por que no los dos?

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To the people who voted no, would you be okay with discharging it via bankruptcy like other forms of debt?

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Should it be? Idk. Do I want mine to be? Sure.

No, because people entered into these agreements with their eyes wide-open. The only exception should be for some of the sham for-profit universities (particularly the ones that closed down) because those schools were acting in bad faith.

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No. I didn't go to a four year college and get any of the perks of doing so, why should my taxes pay for those who did? I was smart and went to community college and paid out of pocket for it, I don't feel like being punished for other people's stupidity. Sorry. And I consider myself a progressive. Cancel medical debt, yes absolutely. Student loan debt? That was your fault.

People say 'oh well private universities are predatory and take advantage of people therefore we should help them'. But it's almost like when an elderly person who was tricked into buying gift cards and reading the numbers over the phone to scammers pretending to be the IRS.... the bank isn't going to accept liability for those charges. The victim made the choice. It sucks, they were deceived and manipulated, you feel bad... still not paying for their mistake

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I'm for it since really, larger and more corrupt corporate entities have been bailed out. HELLOOOO BANKS! Not saying that many educational institutions today aren't corrupt in the administrative department.

I can understand people disagreeing with 'canceling student debt' but being for free college. idk it's complicated, so it's a bit hard to answer in such a black and white way.

Perhaps people wouldn't want to 'pay for the mistake of others', but I wonder if those people might be for it if the tax money didn't 'come from them'. Interested in the discussion. Cheers homies.

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Also, a question I like asking...anyone that is against 'free college'. Would you be for it if it was only for certain programs? Trades and programs that have a defined path to employment?

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at least by 30-50k. Medical debt, too.

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Nope. A few that actually did good in college and got a good degree should have theirs forgiven, but people who spent 6 years partying and getting a sociology degree should not.

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SirPikachu posted...

Nope. A few that actually did good in college and got a good degree should have theirs forgiven, but people who spent 6 years partying and getting a sociology degree should not.

How do you prove this? I mean what if you partied and past your degree.

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Yes, but colleges should be footing the bill more than taxpayers.

Can't just go right on back to $50,000 degrees.

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wwinterj25 posted...

How do you prove this? I mean what if you partied and past your degree.

In that case, you get a BONUS!! XD

jkjk

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I went to a state school for cheap instead of a big name school like MIT, which I had the grades for, in order to avoid taking out (m)any loans and graduating debt free. This has absolutely hurt me in employment searches. I still remember the Navy recruiter telling me my 3.1 GPA would be good if it was from an Ivy League, MIT, etc... but not high enough for a state university degree. I knew it'd have an impact when I made the choice, but I don't regret it b/c not being in debt was more important to me.
My wife had thousands in loans and we saved up (no travel at all, no big purchases, living super frugally) and paid off ASAP entirely.

I have no sympathy at all for people that ran up outrageous debts. They didn't think at all about what their dream school would cost or how compound interest works and apparently neither did their parents.
I'd support letting them refinance to lower rates, and in cases of true economic hardship allow them to pay back the principle and none of the remaining interest. But no outright free money.
Going forward, we should scrap the law allowing student loan debt to be retained in bankruptcy (not applied retroactively, just for all future loans). Which will in turn mean less loans handed out and for lower amounts, which I'm sure will upset the modern crop of students eager to spend beyond their means but too damn bad.

The thought of such handouts pisses me off, and I can't even imagine how someone who never went to college and had to work their way up to a decent job must feel about the whole thing.

wwinterj25 posted...

How do you prove this? I mean what if you partied and past your degree.

I think as long as you pass, it's fine, I guess...
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No because it is unfair for those who paid off their debts or accumulated less debt to begin with, and I'm someone who would never vote republican in a million years.

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ReturnOfFa posted...

I'm for it since really, larger and more corrupt corporate entities have been bailed out. HELLOOOO BANKS! Not saying that many educational institutions today aren't corrupt in the administrative department.

Which is about as moronic of an argument as you can get. If the banks went belly-up, *everybody* would have lost -- from the college students to their parents to businesses and beyond. More importantly, the analogy fails given the nature of a corporate bailout and an individual.

ReturnOfFa posted...

Also, a question I like asking...anyone that is against 'free college'. Would you be for it if it was only for certain programs? Trades and programs that have a defined path to employment?

Under the current system, I'm unilaterally opposed. If the system were changed that doctors and nurses had capped salaries set by the state to make healthcare affordable then it would make sense to give those workers free education. Other than that, everybody else invests in their future, so shouldn't all fields do the same?

As for trades, they could bring back trade schools instead of having free college.

streamofthesky posted...

I went to a state school for cheap instead of a big name school like MIT, which I had the grades for, in order to avoid taking out (m)any loans and graduating debt free. This has absolutely hurt me in employment searches. I still remember the Navy recruiter telling me my 3.1 GPA would be good if it was from an Ivy League, MIT, etc... but not high enough for a state university degree. I knew it'd have an impact when I made the choice, but I don't regret it b/c not being in debt was more important to me.
My wife had thousands in loans and we saved up (no travel at all, no big purchases, living super frugally) and paid off ASAP entirely.

I have no sympathy at all for people that ran up outrageous debts. They didn't think at all about what their dream school would cost or how compound interest works and apparently neither did their parents.
I'd support letting them refinance to lower rates, and in cases of true economic hardship allow them to pay back the principle and none of the remaining interest. But no outright free money.
Going forward, we should scrap the law allowing student loan debt to be retained in bankruptcy (not applied retroactively, just for all future loans). Which will in turn mean less loans handed out and for lower amounts, which I'm sure will upset the modern crop of students eager to spend beyond their means but too damn bad.

The thought of such handouts pisses me off, and I can't even imagine how someone who never went to college and had to work their way up to a decent job must feel about the whole thing.

Pretty much my feelings. I picked a more affordable school when I could have gone Ivy strictly because I wanted something I could pay as I went along. It's obnoxious for people to turn around and make me pay for somebody else's education at a school I didn't go to because I didn't want to shoulder those costs. Especially since had I gone to a more prestigious school with the kind of connections afforded by that school, I probably would have been pulling in a lot more money all this time.

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I think it's damaging economically to not get rid of it. Sucks to have paid yours off, but I think for those people just offer them tax breaks or something to throw them a bone.

Zedonra posted...

No because it is unfair for those who paid off their debts or accumulated less debt to begin with, and I'm someone who would never vote republican in a million years.

Wait, why should that matter? If my future children don't have to pay student loans then great. It wouldn't matter to me that I had to do it.

GunslingerGunsl posted...

Wait, why should that matter? If my future children don't have to pay student loans then great. It wouldn't matter to me that I had to do it.

I think this is the right lone of thinking. Sounds like others are just jealous. Which is a bad way of looking at things...
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No. But I'd be for decreasing the loan interest.

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wwinterj25 posted...

How do you prove this? I mean what if you partied and past your degree.

Only give it to people who kept up good grades and finished in 4 years.

I got HOPE and PELL to pay for all 4 of my years, I don't owe a cent, and only had to pay a few hundred dollars total for books and everything. But I earned that shit and worked hard for it, people who didn't try shouldn't get the same treatment.

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Raddest_Chad posted...

I think it's damaging economically to not get rid of it. Sucks to have paid yours off, but I think for those people just offer them tax breaks or something to throw them a bone.

...what? You think it's damaging to NOT discharge owed debt to banks and companies which will take a massive economic hit, spurring a drop in the stock market that could cascade throughout the economy and potentially cause graduates to lose the jobs they do have? -_- That's stupid. Pay your fucking bills. What's next? Discharge all credit card bills? Discharge all mortgages? Get rid of all currently held private debts?

GunslingerGunsl posted...

Wait, why should that matter? If my future children don't have to pay student loans then great. It wouldn't matter to me that I had to do it.

It matters because those people made a choice based on their decision to act responsibly. Had they known that somebody was going to offer them a free ride, they would have picked the most expensive school they could get into and not paid down their shit. Instead, they compromised based on expense and balanced benefit-against-cost when picking their schools.

LinkPizza posted...

I think this is the right lone of thinking. Sounds like others are just jealous. Which is a bad way of looking at things...

A bad way of looking at things is suggesting that people who agreed to take out loans should be allowed to renege on those loans for no fucking reason. Take some personal accountability for once in your life. If I take a loan, I pay that fucking loan off. I spend responsibly, try it sometime instead of expecting the government to solve your recklessness.

KJ StErOiDs posted...

No. But I'd be for decreasing the loan interest.

Which isn't a terrible compromise.

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Yes

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Zeus posted...

It matters because those people made a choice based on their decision to act responsibly. Had they known that somebody was going to offer them a free ride, they would have picked the most expensive school they could get into and not paid down their s***. Instead, they compromised based on expense and balanced benefit-against-cost when picking their schools.

What are you even talking about? I don't know anyone who wants to go to a school based solely on the fact that it costs more. Even if more expensive schools were free, it doesn't guarantee they would get in anyway. Besides, that's not even related to what I was saying. I only said that I wouldn't want my future kids to have to pay for college just because I had to do it. Why should I care if it's "unfair" to me.

Edit: and Zeus, why are you assuming that if someone doesn't agree with you, that we are irresponsible loan holders that want to leech of the government? I've paid for everything I have in my life since I came out of high-school. Try not to look your nose down on people just because they have different ideas. It's possible to have a civil disagreement without being a dick.

GunslingerGunsl posted...

What are you even talking about? I don't know anyone who wants to go to a school based solely on the fact that it costs more. Even if more expensive schools were free, it doesn't guarantee they would get in anyway. Besides, that's not even related to what I was saying. I only said that I wouldn't want my future kids to have to pay for college just because I had to do it. Why should I care if it's "unfair" to me.

I'm talking about the fact that one year at some private colleges -- and not even the really good ones -- can cost more than 4 years at most state and even many private private colleges. Some people made responsible decisions accordingly and others are demanding a bailout. And I'm sure many of those students didn't even work a job while going to school. I know a few people who took out loans then put their personal expenses on a credit card so, despite making a great salary today, they're still paying shit back. Meanwhile I busted my ass and, besides taking as large a course-load as I could without needing to pay additional fees (which is also bullshit, but it keeps people getting a bachelors degree in 2-3 years so the colleges can make their money on the backs of students), I also worked around 40 hours a week much of that time (in addition to working throughout high school so I'd have money set aside for college) so excuse me for not weeping at your tale.

And you don't want your future kids to be responsible? wtf? Do you also want them to not have to pay for housing? Or have a job at all? What kind of kids are you planning on raising? I can tell you right now that the ones not paying for shit always tended to be the students who didn't take their education seriously. If you want to actually do right by your children, you want to raise them with some determination, perserverance, and ambition. You don't want them to act irresponsibly because they know you'll solve their problems or the government will swoop in to save them if they fuck up hard enough.

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Zeus posted...

A bad way of looking at things is suggesting that people who agreed to take out loans should be allowed to renege on those loans for no fucking reason. Take some personal accountability for once in your life. If I take a loan, I pay that fucking loan off. I spend responsibly, try it sometime instead of expecting the government to solve your recklessness.

I personally dont think college should even cost anything, tbh. Its just mire schooling. But what Im saying is that most people here dont seem to actually care about accountability. They just care that somebody else gets a free ride. Many would be singing a different tune if they also got money back because of this. So, I still agree with Chris about his line of thinking...
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GunslingerGunsl posted...

It's possible to have a civil disagreement without being a dick.

First time interacting with Zeus?

LinkPizza posted...

I personally dont think college should even cost anything, tbh. Its just mire schooling.

What? What, if anything, do you believe people should have to pay for? Do you want free homes? Free cars? Free food? Free water? And who do you thin is going to pay for all of this "free" stuff?

The person who is getting something shoiuld be the one paying for it, not everybody else.

LinkPizza posted...

But what Im saying is that most people here dont seem to actually care about accountability. They just care that somebody else gets a free ride.

...what? That's literally part of accountability.

LinkPizza posted...

Many would be singing a different tune if they also got money back because of this

lolwut? Then I'd just get charged even more in taxes and they'd hand a tiny bit of tax dollars back, after taking a good chunk of money for themselves. Nothing is actually free, with the kinda exception of natural resources. What I'd like is for people pay for their own fucking shit instead of expecting everybody to pay for it, which is what I and every other responsible American did.

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Zeus posted...

What? What, if anything, do you believe people should have to pay for? Do you want free homes? Free cars? Free food? Free water? And who do you thin is going to pay for all of this "free" stuff?

The person who is getting something shoiuld be the one paying for it, not everybody else.

Tbh, it would be great if people were able to get everything free. And if you talk to the people on this site, they are hoping that once the world become automated, everything will be free. I dont think that will be the case, but others do. But college is just more schooling. So, I think it should be free. Just use tax money like K-12 or whatever...

Zeus posted...

lolwut?

Yeah. People were literally saying, They should have to pay since I paid. So, those people probably wouldnt care about forgiving student loans if they also got back all the money they spent...
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Zeus posted...

What? What, if anything, do you believe people should have to pay for? Do you want free homes? Free cars? Free food? Free water? And who do you thin is going to pay for all of this "free" stuff?

Um, those things are available to some people though lol.

And water should be free. You think everyone should have to pay for water? I'm not referring to things such as private pipes or bottled water btw.

As for the cost of college... Other countries get free or low-cost education, but for some reason some of you don't want your fellow Americans to receive a proper education? Hm...

How do I vote for multiple options?

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Kotenks posted...

Yes. Cancel it. Cancel it all. Public, private. I don't care if someone got shitty degrees or whatever or if someone else has paid it off. Cancel every cent. The way people have been screwed over and misled by this system. People have been told they were eligible to have their loans discharged in government programs, got degrees based off of that and then after ten years of checking in/making their payments, were denied. Navient misplacing paperwork or not applying payments when they should. The system is clearly broken. I'm all for alleviating this problem via cancellation. Then restoring bankruptcy protections to student loans.

Gee, I wonder who one of the suckers was?

SpeedDemon20 posted...

I paid mine off, but I voted yes.

This. Ease of access to higher education would benefit this country in nearly every regard.

The last few years are an example of what happens when we neglect the importance of education and the value of knowledge for its own sake, rather than just a means to find employment alone.

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JigsawTDC posted...

First time interacting with Zeus?

Yeah and I can see he's not worth my time. He apparently likes to talk out of his ass. Lol

lol sure.

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Kotenks posted...

You going to put up an argument against or just shitpost?

You racked up the debt, you pay it off.