Student Debt and Indebted Recovery

Student debt without proper respect for capitalism, indebtedness, and the wayward ways of the market place have placed an unprepared burden on a growing population of college graduates. The touting of a college degree as the certain means of entering gainful employment and a profitable future have run aground against a faltering economy strangled into submission by Big Government, which helped create the skyrocketing inflation of a college education.

The Federal Government does not belong in the business of post-secondary education. Every subsidy issued by the Beltway artificially raises the cost of a college education, the fees for which have skyrocketed in the past five years. A college education is turning into less of a sure bet as the costs of taking out the loan, coupled with the hardships of finding gainful employment, have  undermined the unquestioned ease of repayment as foretold by high school counselors, administrators, and local politicians.

California Jerry Brown signed legislation that would permit undocumented immigrants to enroll public universities at in-state tuition. This unwise pandering will only siphon away seats in post-secondary institutions without providing the necessary financial assistance to support the increase in enrollment, as illegal immigrants do not pay the requisite taxes to support the in-state subsidy. Everyone wants to go to college, and because everyone now is going, the worth of the diploma, the value of the education which these students are imbibing, has diminished considerably. Elite, august universities maintain this reputation to the extent that they expect high expectations from their applicants and exclude as many as possible, no matter how stellar their marks. The flooding of applicants has only prevented individuals from receiving adequate training for a job market that demands rapid innovation from graduates than vapid indoctrination in illiberal liberal idealism.

An investment over the long haul requires investment in the knowledge of the risks and burdens that will fall on a student once they have taken out an immense loan, then graduate from college. Even publicly-owned universities are tacking on higher tuition, with the returns on the investment diminishing every year. Career counselors at the high school would offer a greater service if they stopped insisting that students go to college just because in itself it is a good investment. Furthermore, if students really want to receive a quality education, they would serve themselves better by investing themselves in a subject or a field of study which sparks their interest, then deciding if a trade school, an apprenticeship, or a university education is appropriate.

If a student wants to be a doctor, a lawyer, or a teacher, without a doubt that student must get a bachelor's degree, followed by graduate school. Other professions requiring training, not just theory and research. Assessing these options can assist students in the future, so that they will not be overcome with indebtedness paying for an education which does not pay.