posted on Jul, 30 2008 @ 04:29 AM
I personally find it absurd the way college costs are dealt with. College costs are skyrocketing and federal aid is nowhere near enough to cover the
costs of college leaving many having to look for private loans for sometimes more than $20,000 for just one year of schooling! But the real kicker for
me is the way students are expected to obtain private loans of such substantial amounts. While it is true many students have some college fund set
aside or have a "credit-worthy cosigner" which can co-sign a loan with the student, but there are also plenty of students without access to these
things.
Very few if any high school seniors have a credit history well enough established in which they might be able to obtain student loans from private
lenders, leaving them stuck having to have someone borrow money for them or co-sign with them. The trouble is there are students with no access to a
credit-worthy cosigner who simply are turned down for loans and can't afford college. I know one such person in this very situation, where his
paycheck goes to help pay for bills, and him trying to secure a student loan at just 18 with no credit history and no money saved. While some might
suggest the military as a means to pay for college, I think it is ridiculous for one to need to essentially need to sell themselves to become more
EDUCATED.
This leaves me with a bad taste in my mouth because it essentially falls down to the parents of a child determining his or her future, as college
plays an important role, especially in today's world where college education is essentially mandatory. Shouldn't every individual have the
opportunity to receive a higher education if he or she so desires? I mean, it is one thing for those of different social classes to have different,
say, clothing, one Walmart brand and another Abercrombie, but for social class to be such a division in EDUCATION and thus in the outcome of the rest
of one's life, I think that is ridiculous. More needs to be done to guarantee each person a chance to guide their own life where it may go, not for
it to fall into their parents' hands as they are the only ones with credit scores good enough to get loans.
How do you feel about this? Any ideas on what can be done? Should the government guarantee students loans enough to pay for all of the costs of
schooling? Aren't well educated people the best resource the country can use in order to better itself? Why let those in poverty be forced to remain
in poverty because they can't afford schooling?