What's your take on student loan forgiveness?

Not your political take on it, but your gut level instinct take on it.

My take on it is that we need to do something about the cost of education, consider even if there should be for profit learning institutions and if so, how can we bring the costs in line with the realities of life for those struggling (financially) to get an education.

This 10 to 20k forgiveness program is fine, even in many cases needed, but I think it should be only the first step in a radical overhaul of higher education in the United States.

EDIT:

If you bring politics into the discussion I will delete your comment. If you start using labels, or start throwing insults, I will delete your comment.

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Northwest · M Best Comment

We need to address higher education, as in leveling the playing field, by making higher education affordable, if not totally free, to everyone.

Our existing system, does not really conform to the American Dream norms, as only those with $s, can afford to send their kids to good schools.

This breeds empires.

Our value as a nation increases with the level of good education, provided to everyone, and subsequently our value to humanity as well. In other words, it's an investment in a rising field, rather than a sunk cost.

Within that framework, the cost should also be evaluated, but that's a tough one, as we're a free market country, but schools can agree on salary caps. The same issue applies to medical costs. We're the only first world country, where Physicians are allowed to become multi millionaires, in the name of free market economics, while at the same time making it impossible for the common people to afford medical care. Today, if you can afford targeted therapy, you're not going to die from certain types of cancer, but if you can't afford it, you're going to die.

The $10K payment will go a long way toward getting that monkey off their back and allows them to make some positive progress. Good for everyone.

Ontheroad · M

@Northwest "Our value as a nation increases with the level of good education, provided to everyone, and subsequently our value to humanity as well. In other words, it's an investment in a rising field, rather than a sunk cost."

Well said - thank you!

Northwest · M

@Ontheroad From my perspective, it's an accident of birth. Specific to the US, you have to be born in the right state, the right city and the right part of the city, and to the right set of parents. Otherwise, all bets are off.

The 30-year old $billionaire manipulating the CryptoCurrency markets, worldwide, was born to 2 Stanford professors, on the Stanford campus, and did not have to break a sweat to get into MIT.

The kid born into an inner city neighborhood, in Chicago, into a broken family, is not going to have the same opportunity.

Ontheroad · M

@Northwest Exactly, and that is wrong. Just wrong.

Scribbles · 36-40, F

@Northwest well said