In some ways, I am so glad to not have a degree, and to have forged my own path.

I just want to point out that in UK it isn't really a debt. It's essentially a tax.

You can finish your degree and never pay a penny back if you work under the salary threshold.

The amount you pay back is determined by your salary.

It's never included as a debt in any bankruptcy order.

When you reach the end of the term of the debt any outstanding capital or interest due is written off.

It's estimated over 75% of current outstanding loans will have to be written off by the exchequer.

So it isn't like normal debt. Consider student loan debt as a tax.

I'm not sure that I agree with the "devalued" part of your comment. A degree is a degree after all.

One problem that can be common for people graduating with degrees is that they still might not end up working in a job that even remotely uses their degree. Wouldn't it be better to allow them to demonstrate their ability to do the job through experience in this case - or should they be made to sit through another degree to get to the higher end of their new job???

A degree is great if you can graduate and jump straight into your chosen field of work - but if not, you can reach the point where you are trapped working what is a dead end job for you, where you are working to pay down your debt, but you are unable or unwilling to go back and sit another degree to progress in the different career path.

At least, if you could show that you can do the job through experience, you also open up the possibility for poorer people who can't afford to go to university to work enough to stand a chance to really do well at work.

We have vocational training here - and, if you stick at it for long enough, you can earn the equivalent of a degree. I'm not entirely convinced that this is a bad thing, given that you can work and earn a (small) wage at the same time as you learn.

If I could change anything, I would probably make the wage a bit higher, though, given that you need a lot of help from the government to keep your head above water while you are studying - and you are still working full time hours.

Education, whether trade school or college, should be heavily subsidized as a country's investment in itself. We subsidize tobacco, agriculture, oil, solar, auto, etc. etc. businesses using that rationale.

Unfortunately, debt is the real economy. That is what stores really sell, with the ostensible product just a vector or carrier for that debt.

As a history major, there is a method and discipline you get being taught by historians, but it makes it very frustrating to have many discussions about history on line!

I got picked on by my family for going to community college, but I got my degree while I worked and paid my bills off. I might find a career in my field someday 😂

I think not having a degree has complicated some stuff for me, but I have a career and I'm doing fine so not something I need to correct ASAP.

I've been in college for a ridiculously long time, now. It's felt like an endless path to nowhere, but if I quit though, I'll be letting my family down and I've disappointed them enough as it is.

It’s very sad to see what college has turned into. It’s not about education or excellence anymore…it’s about latching onto what everyone strives to do, and turning it into a vessel to gouge people for ridiculous amounts of money for the rest of their lives and give it to the banks. And using the 2008 financial crisis as a very poor excuse for doing so.

I was lucky to have gone through college over 20 years ago when things were different. The people of my age or older who criticize the younger generations about their views or concerns over college need to get off of their high horse and do some research into how much things have actually changed here, especially for working and middle class people.

Ya some post secondary education is useless and a rip off.