How We Solve The Student Loan Crisis In America

As our society continues to grow and change, so do our expectations. Bigger is better, and that is reflected in the job market. Nowadays, a bachelor’s degree is the new high school diploma. Attending college is the one way to assure society (and, more importantly, employers) that you are a productive and intelligent individual.

Although this seems like a fine way to measure the worth of an individual, concerns have been brought up. Many people are worried about the cost of education and the student loans required to attain knowledge in the one conventional place available.

Several countries like Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Ireland have free or reduced prices for college. This is proven to have side effects like a lessened economic gap between students and a higher enrollment rate.

America, however, cannot possibly model this education system within her borders without the economic collapse of the military. Studies show that America has $1.56 trillion in student loan debt in the country. Over the past ten years, this nation has profited $135 billion from student loan repayment.

Plenty of people are negatively affected by this crisis. Individuals who paid off their loans are hit by the interest they agreed to at eighteen. Others, who haven’t had the pleasure of picking one major to invest hundreds of thousands of dollars in, are shied away from the complicated systems that require the infinite grace, empathy, and generosity of high school guidance counselors.

This is why I propose a solution that doesn’t come with the public shame and humiliation of learning a trade (God forbid). At this point, we should abolish college in this nation as a whole.

If we abolish college in this nation, it opens up an entirely new free market that America has prided itself on since the cold war. The unspoken lesson of learning to live independently with a small safety barrier of a college dorm could be gone, encouraging young inexperienced adults to learn the true meaning of consequence. Commerce would increase as more people decided to use mandated AP Environmental Science classes in a new marketing job.

Educators would never have to worry about states refusing to give the increased wages they promised because the budget for education would be cut even further!

Think about it. Instead of hunting for a job that will help you pay off your debt in one year. (In a position that requires ten years of experience and another degree entirely), one could go to NASA and be on Mars that day.

Instead of flooding the education industry with more loans, the government could focus on more pressing concerns, like cutting taxes for wall street, giving more money to the military, and increasing national security.

Speaking of wall street, if we abolish college altogether, wealthy individuals who boast a purchased degree from Harvard or Yale will no longer have that prestige above others. People like Lori Loughlin will become obsolete.

Now, a college cut could be absolutely radical in this country, which is why I should tell you, the reader, about the credibility of my stance. I, for one, have never been to college. Ever. Meaning that I have zero animosity towards the government’s approach to education.

Many spoiled voters demand that the government needs to reform like nearly every advanced democracy has. I must raise a concern that such a privilege handed out, like the pursuit of happiness, is frankly unamerican in my eyes.

College offers too much of a safety blanket in terms of work hours. Too often, students use education as an excuse to back out of working longer hours instead of taking responsibility.

Using this model, employers will no longer have to handle the inconvenience of their minimum wage workers setting boundaries for when and how long they can work. It means that more people will be forced to be dedicated to their part-time job.

A lack of normality can be hard to cope with, of course. What would other countries think if we announced to them that we took out such a profitable industry from our reservoir?

Well, I can assure you that it is nothing to be self-conscious about. America has already been standing out in the global sphere. Comparatively, America has also made a reputation for herself as the only advanced democracy with no federally required paid days off, medical care, and public transport.

We as a nation can perform all of that with only 63% of Americans living paycheck to paycheck. Who is to say we can survive in this country without college? When we as a nation pull together, anything is possible.

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