“Whatever the cost of our libraries, the price is cheap compared to that of an ignorant nation” (Walter Cronkite, 1994). Education is powerful. It can produce future leaders, cure mankind’s greatest ailments, produce great innovations and help people pursue their dreams. Despite these benefits, students in the U.S. are finding it harder to pursue a college education. College tuition is at an all-time high and is continuing to increase with no end in sight, education lenders do not provide enough options to help students finance their education in a responsible manner and more students are unable to get employed upon graduation, leaving them in a worse financial state than before college. Even worse, fewer students are able to afford a college education, which unfairly denies them the opportunity to pursue their dreams. The threats to higher education in this country could not be any greater.
However, despite such opposition, there is hope. Plans such as President Obama’s community college initiative, lowering interest rates and tuition deferment plans have all been proposed as ways to help students more responsibly finance their education. Other plans such as increased funding for colleges and greater outreach and financial education programs have helped schools to provide more students with scholarships while informing students about more responsible financing options. There are even financial experts who believe that holding student debt is actually beneficial for the student. Surprisingly, all of these wonderful things come at a time when the nation is engulfed in the “student debt crisis”.
This forum aims to inform its reader about the pros and cons of carrying student debt and about solutions to lower student debt. I hope you find the content both relevant and useful. Enjoy.
However, despite such opposition, there is hope. Plans such as President Obama’s community college initiative, lowering interest rates and tuition deferment plans have all been proposed as ways to help students more responsibly finance their education. Other plans such as increased funding for colleges and greater outreach and financial education programs have helped schools to provide more students with scholarships while informing students about more responsible financing options. There are even financial experts who believe that holding student debt is actually beneficial for the student. Surprisingly, all of these wonderful things come at a time when the nation is engulfed in the “student debt crisis”.
This forum aims to inform its reader about the pros and cons of carrying student debt and about solutions to lower student debt. I hope you find the content both relevant and useful. Enjoy.