Student Loan Debt Hits a New High

1.2 Trillion dollars.

Let that sink in and after you get finished with that, this site will help you visualize what a trillion dollars actually is

In one way I reckon that large student debt is evidence that people are seeking their education, which is a wonderful thing. It enriches one’s life in numerous way, not just having the parchment that makes you acceptable to employers.
But on the other hand, I cannot help but ponder why an education is causing so many SO much financial burden. $1000+ student loan repayments, just 6 months after you’ve graduated? What kind of situation do the holders of these loans expect graduates to be in?
If you look at it from a business standpoint, opportunities are rarely richer or more guaranteed than loaning money to people who need to get an education in order to make money and hope to have a middle class lifestyle. It’s almost like ransoming education. School is so expensive, (or should I say the “better” schools)… it might be justified by the quality of education, but its also the weight that the degree holds, which allows for more opportunities for the holder, along with many other factors, but for loaners the more it costs for the learner the higher stream of income that one can expect. On $100,000 in student loans, one can expect a return of perhaps $125,000? Sweet! A college education is supposed to allow one to “make it”, but how can you make it when a mountain of student loan debt is weighing on you before you really have a chance to get started.
The first years of one’s career are the most lean, and they become even leaner when you have a $500 bill coming right along with it.

I propose that student loan debt be treated like a mortgage, because it is more akin to a lifelong investment than it is to a payday loan, which is what it seems like now. It should be structured at an interest rate that is no more that 1.25% and should be spread out over 30 years. That means a student borrowing $100,000 for the life of their education would be paying $105 a month. I think that is fair and solid. It would prevent predatory lending to students and allow them to not be burdened with a huge sum before they are able to establish themselves.

1.2 Trillion is a lot of money.

Race to Nowhere: Open Discussion on Education

race

A colleague of mine sent me the following link Race to Nowhere Trailer to watch the trailer for the documentary “Race to Nowhere”. While watching the trailer, I saw some issues that have come up in recent discourse with higher education and K-12 professionals regarding pressures placed on K-12 and especially 7th-12th grade students by the government and colleges to be a “near perfect” student in order to succeed in an education system that is broken and yields very little promises for a successful future upon completing college….Though I have been discussing and debating my beliefs and thoughts regarding these issues frequently for the last couple of years, I wanted to put this out there to see what others think…

Is our education system in the country truly broken? If so, why? If not, why not? Is the federal or state government responsible for the improvements? What part does higher education (colleges) play? If you have some thoughts, please share….

 

White Student Union

Below is a link to a video clip as well as article from the Huffington Post regarding the formation of a “White Student Union” on a college campus…

Huffington Post “White Student Union” Video

White Student Union: Towson University Student Matthew Heimbach Discusses Controversial Group On HuffPost Live (VIDEO)

The Huffington Post  |  By 

The student behind a controversial White Student Union at Towson University claims that the group is necessary to fight “inherent anti-white bias in academia and mainstream society.”

The group, started by Towson senior Matthew Heimbach, has sparked a debate about the balance between students’ First Amendment rights and clamping down on what many have condemned as racism at the Maryland University.

Heimbach is described by the Southern Poverty Law Center as a “white nationalist” who has argued black hate crimes against whites exponentially outnumber white-on-black hate crimes.

The panel who spoke with Heimback included the Southern Poverty Law Center’s Lecia Brooks; Harvard student Julian Lewis; journalist and advocate for “racial realism,” Jared Taylor; and Lehigh University Professor James Peterson.

Heimback argues that “every single other ethnic group has an advocacy group for themselves. We have a black student union, a Hispanic student union, an Asian student union. We have groups for every other group of people except for white students. So if white students are allowed to come together and advocate for our own best interests simply would bring us into the realm that every single other group is allowed.”

Brooks put forward an opposing point of view: “The differences between a white student union or a white group … you see it as you want to defend what you think you are losing. Whereas people of color or other marginalized groups organize around a common interest.” She also said that both Taylor and Heimback were advocates of white supremacy and white separatism.