Originally posted to Facebook on Tuesday, April 26, 2016.
The election is 28 weeks from today. This week issue is college affordability and debt management. For more on my reasoning behind my weekly focus, click here.
I’m a teacher. Education is important to me. I was prepared for college academically, but not financially. I left with a seemingly insurmountable debt. I worked multiple jobs for 10 years out of college to try and get a handle on that debt and have cut it in half. In some ways, I feel like I lost those 10 years of my life. It was all about working enough to relieve myself from the debt. The debt remains quite large and I remain aggressive with it. We have already begun saving aggressively for Luke’s post-secondary success so that he won’t find himself in the same position.
And, here’s the kicker. It wasn’t worth it. I look back on it as my greatest regret. I spent five years at a private school and graduated with nothing more than a religion degree. The debt that continues to plague me, was not worth it. The person I am today, would not make the same decision.
Granted, I made poor choices. I was poorly advised. I could have gotten an education for less and I could have taken my education more seriously to make it count. It’s a challenge for me because, I want to accept responsibility, but there is a part of me that feels that I really didn’t know any better. I was 18 when I was making these decisions.
Many, cannot afford to go to college, so they don’t. Others, like myself, can’t afford to go, but go anyway and leave with mountains of debt. College costs are outrageous. But, should they be? Here is where the candidates stand on the issues:
Clinton: Under the New College Compact, Clinton wants to ensure that no students has to borrow for tuition, books, or fees, however, students contribute their earnings by working 10 hours a week. Families will have to do their part by contributing a “affordable and realistic” amount based on family income and individual earnings. She wants to enable Americans with existing debt to refinance at current rates. She wants to hold college accountable for making tuition affordable. She will make community college tuition free.
Cruz: This is not listed as an issue on his website, however, he does want to get rid of the Department of Education and block grant education funding to states. In 2014, he voted to block a bill that would help refinance loans at a lower rate.
Sanders: Sanders wants to make tuition at public colleges and universities free. He wants to lower student interest rates on loans and allow people to refinance. He wants to triple the federal work study program.
Trump: Has not released any plans for reforming student loan programs, but thinks it’s terrible that the government is profiting off of student loans.
For more reading/comparison on this issue, I found these two sites informative:
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