Bob McWilliamsMar 2, 2023
MattJ

If you went to a community college or state university, you did not pay for all of your education. You benefited from tax payer dollars.

In the last 20 years, states started putting less money into advanced education. This is one of the reasons why so many are in debt.

Forgiving those student loans is not giving them a free ride. This is not a zero sum game. Those of us who are not in debt with school loans can still benefit from not having a large percentage of the community beholden to the banks. If those with loans are not paying the banks they can put that money into other things and boost the economy.

The only people benefitting from student loan debt are the banks. The rest of us are not getting screwed by forgiving it. We all gain but not evenly.

Mar 2, 2023 at 2:07amWeb
Show threadDavie DuckMar 2, 2023
@MattJ The state institutions have also closed dorms in favor of corporate owned apartments, and sold their souls to the textbook companies and journal aggregators.
Show threadMattJMar 4, 2023
@wackyIdeas Selling a soul to a textbook company. Now there is an idea. It is like making a deal with the DMV instead of the devil. They will never deliver on their promise.
Show threadDavie DuckMar 4, 2023
@MattJ Meanwhile, in some parts of the civilized world, university textbooks are free for students.
Show threadAutolycus 🏴‍☠️Mar 2, 2023

@MattJ Absolutely. If anyone wants an education, a free ride should be available as long as they're not flunking out.

Public schools should be public. Providing universal access to education increases social mobility, raises cultural standards, and leads to a more informed electorate.

If the destination is improved individuals who improve society, it certainly makes sense to provide a free ride.

Show threadDon WhitesideMar 2, 2023
@MattJ way before 20y. When I was working at Miami-Dade Community College in 1991-1995 I sat in meetings discussing strategies for coping with the state’s reduction in percentage support per credit hour. This slow bleed has been constant.
Show threadLabrador GirlMar 2, 2023
@MattJ Agreed. I paid $50 a semester at community college in the ‘80s. I was subsidized and am more than happy for my taxes to subsidize others now.
Show threadNafopositiveMar 2, 2023

@MattJ This succinct explainer on the student debt crisis is well done.

Adding to the conversation: many blue colar technical jobs that require tech schools and licensing are paid for upfront by tax payers. No one complains about that.

I have a feeling that one part of this problem is general public anger/outrage of starting their lives without going to college only to find out that to even apply for a job, college is required.

I felt that way before joining the military for the college benefits which still left me in a little debt over the GI bill not paying for the last two semesters.

Now, I am completing an advanced degree that requires licensing. I feel the value of this training working for me in daily life.

It would be nice if we could give that to anyone who wants to put in the work. And we need to forgive student debt. It's not happening because some individuals claim to be in the fiscally responsible party.

Nothing they do is responsible.

Show threadMattJMar 4, 2023
@joehanks1181 Most of my education was also covered by military benefits. But that was a long time ago. Since then tuition at my school went up 400 percent over what I paid.
Show threadNafopositiveMar 17, 2023
@MattJ it's crazy, isn't it?
Show threadskryMar 3, 2023
@MattJ Plus, many of the loans would make loan sharks blush, they are so predatory. They inflate the loan so people can pay for decades and have the same or higher note afterward.
Show threadMary Alicia ZiffMar 3, 2023
@MattJ please note, that when federal student loans became easier to get, colleges/universities increased tuition knowing students would get the money to pay it.
If they were a pay day loan company, they'd be regulated, but educational institutions can charge whatever they want, not caring what long term damage they do.
Time to bring back Vo-tech ed in HS. If college is the path, fine. But teach a skill that'll help them pay for it.