Should Student Loans Be Forgiven?

October 25, 2011 3:24 PM

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The John Williams Show

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Debt, Student Loans, Survey, Trillions

A recent survey says only 21% of Americans think the government should forgive student loans.

Click here for a story and slide show that demonstrates the gravity of this situation.

No

I’ve been out of college for 12 years and still owe $81,000. While not fair as compared to my classmates free ride on their parents, that is life. I hate it but life isn’t fair. Should they be forgiven? No that seem immoral to have taxpayers take the hit for my decisions. I didn’t have to go to college or such an expensive one. My choices…I pay for them. Seems like a good first lesson in the real world for college graduates. Life is hard, life isn’t fair, and you pay for your choices.
TL

But on the other hand, I pay taxes too and over a lifetime – personally I’ll feed the state and federal government waaaay much more than my student loans ($50k) costs….and Im not able to utilize my degree. So yes, I think this is something that needs looking into, definitley.

Cut the wastes my tax dollars are going into that I dont have a choice in paying for and this would be a no-brainer.
dp

More individuals would have gone to more expensive colleges or even gone to college had they know the goverment would take care of the loans

TL

Probably true, however my comment was meant for life after college if/when upon graduation, the economy has dictated too much demand, not enough supply in jobs to pay ones bills. This would be an extreme solution that would need to meet criterias but the prospective student wouldnt know ahead of time if his/her loans would be forgiven.

JimRockford

Health care & education should be free(paid by gov.Take it from the DEATH budget)for all.I see no benefits from only educating & healing the rich!
But the Taliban/Republicans have way too much hate for that to happen!!
Now lets see those Family Values!!

Jenny Peterson

Free health care and college educations helped to bankrupt the State of California. Interestingly, they didn’t learn their lesson. It was old Jerry Brown who helped to get them into this mess and then they re-elected him. There are just some people who never learn a lesson and who can’t be helped.

Forgive student loans? Never! I worked three scut jobs at a time to pay my way through school. I went to a community college for the first two years and then transferred to a state university with an AD so, although I had to keep working, at least it was at higher pay by a few dollars an hour. For years kids haven’t bothered to even complete a BA in four years—In order to avoid having their social life disrupted they dragged a four year program out to five years. I live in MN. I remember seeing articles indicating that even school administraters were concerned about this practice. Students went to universities that they couldn’t afford and obtained degrees in fields where there was limited possibility of getting a job after graduation that would give them a return on the money spent on education. Do I pity those who have enormous student loans? No—They made the choices themselves and now must deal with the consequences.

randy

After 20 years of payments, these students will have still paid 1 1/2 times the amount of their loan to begin with so they’re not being given free money. They’re just going to end up paying less interest. And the loan program will still be able to keep going with all the payments they collect.
me

I do not think student loans should be forgiven however, I don’t think the goverment should provide funds extrobinate amounts of money to schools either. I also do not think schools should charge the ungodly amount of tuiton that they charge. I have over 50,000.00 worth of student loans and i am lucky to find a job that pays close to that. So I’m supposed to make 40,000 per year just to make payments on a 50,000 education loan? This isn’t a mortgage for crying out loud. It’s an education to better ones self so that you have a chance to make a decent living. Do not forgive student loans but, don’t allow colleges to charge the high tution they charge, and then turn around provide the money. The thing that sux is not every kid going to college has intelligence or parents that can help them make an informed decision. All they know is college xyz is a great college whith high rates of student successes. They may not necessarily understand the full impaced of these loans until reality hits when they gradutate. Dont’ forgive them but dont’ allow us to run up over 50,000.00 worth of loans either.
Lisa Steinberg

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Keep up the good work. We think you are brilliant and WCCO Radio wouldn’t be the same without you.

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Lisa & Mike Steinberg
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