responsible for debt
Re: “$39 Billion in Student Loans Cut — Biden Administration Move Will Affect Over 800,000 Borrowers,” July 15th news story.
“Workers with student loan debt are collateral damage from a dysfunctional student loan system,” said Persis Yu, deputy executive director and managing counselor of the Center for Student Borrower Protection.
It’s really a shame that someone forced the poor students to apply for a loan. I was able to graduate without debt because I was working during a time when responsibility was being questioned. What a concept!
This generation and the current administration have a different way of thinking, a way of thinking about rights. I’m in my 70’s and it’s the children who suffer. Debt will continue to grow without bound until the debtors are held accountable.
Chuck Brecht, Rowlett
Not eliminated, just forwarded
It is clear that the debt will not be eliminated. It has been transferred to someone who has not borrowed it.
Frank M. Wagon, Southlake
don’t blame the degree
Re: “Addressing the Causes of Crushing Student Debt — Cornyn Cassidy’s Proposal Would Deter Naive Pursuit of Unmarketable Degrees,” 9 July editorial.
Senator John Cornyn’s notion that certain degrees are not marketable is a claptrap. Not marketable are kids who graduate with below-average grades and terrible networks, no matter what degree they get. My daughter is studying French and History at Tufts University in Boston. I told her as clearly as possible. She said, “Study what you love and get good grades.” If you study those subjects and get bad grades, it will be a tough start to your career. “
I studied psychology, history, and religion at Southern Methodist University. I got good grades in the classroom. I learned great habits, developed the ability to process large amounts of material at an effective speed, and communicate clearly and articulately. These skills and the relationships I made at the fraternity prepared me for a career in real estate. period.
John Altshuller, Highland Park
Not all loans are treated equally
First, the Cornyn-Cassidy bill won’t do what people with existing debt think it will.
Second, why are conservatives and the Supreme Court so justified in paying student dues and allowing debt forgiveness for pandemic-era Paycheck Protection Program loan recipients? dallas morning news Some really need to investigate the reasons for the apparent inconsistency in government-backed financing measures all the way to Washington.
What a ridiculous double standard!
Kenneth Walker, Coppell
restore bankruptcy rights
A key element in solving the student loan problem is to return bankruptcy rights to all student loan borrowers. It will create the leverage and regulation to enforce equitable financing and end college tuition hikes. Few apply, but if they do not have bankruptcy rights, they are free to do so, as the Department of Education currently sees it. The only solution is to restore bankruptcy rights.
All other debts are subject to “truth in lending” laws, statutes of limitations and bankruptcy protection. All produce fair financing. Nothing for student loans.
About 4.5 million Texans have been drowning in student loan debt for decades. The majority of borrowers are between the ages of 25 and 49. we are not children And we vote!
Republicans and Democrats don’t object to the need to restore bankruptcy rights, but they also don’t object to what kept the broken system alive.
I urge Senator John Cornyn to reinstate the bankruptcy bill with Senators Dick Durbin and Senator Josh Hawley and push for approval. Other conservatives should join in too. Students are drowning in debt, and the economy will suffer even more when loan payments resume.
Jack Avron, Midlothian
do one’s duty
My understanding is that the students and/or their parents have all signed a document stating that the loan and the agreed interest will be repaid on time. With the outbreak of COVID-19, we were given the grace we needed.
As the coronavirus subsides, the president said he would forgive student loans. It was a mistake. And now these students and others are demanding loan forgiveness.
I believe they should face their financial responsibilities and pay what they owe back, as millions of people have done. Even if you have to put off buying a house or a new car, it’s what others have been doing for years and they’ve lived.
Barbara Kuikendall, Highland Village
repayable
We took out federal student loans. So did our sons. Together we paid off an education loan of about $120,000.
No, it wasn’t easy. No, we didn’t take many vacations. We have completed our house. We paid off the car. We paid for our food at the grocery store.
When you decide to buy something, you have to pay for it. Is the cost of education a problem? Yes, definitely. Should we, as a nation, rethink how we educate our youth without losing the chance to have the American Dream? Yes.
Debt is debt, pure and simple. Most of us are in debt and have to make choices about how we pay that debt. That is what it means to be a responsible adult. No one forces us to open our wallets.
As a nation, this is an important conversation to resolve. Education for all is necessary. First, we need to legislate free or low-cost community colleges. Georgia has her HOPE grant that provides tuition assistance.
Huge debt should not be synonymous with educational opportunities. If we are to compete for excellence to bring equality to all, now is the time for real change.
Anne Davidoff, Plano
“If you owe me anything, pay it.”
A lawyer who was my mentor nearly 45 years ago and who served the United States as a destroyer officer in the South Pacific during World War II had five words that stuck with me throughout my life. “If you owe me anything, pay it.”
Current student debt relief proponents (and those who may have used the proceeds as an ATM machine during school days) who chose to pursue a degree where a simple calculator might not generate enough income to pay the bills should now tattoo the words on their forearms.
The cash they borrowed was from taxpayers who actually borrowed and actually paid. The debt they are trying to avoid could be used to help the really needy in this country.
And before arguing that my former colleagues benefited from the GI bill to pay for their education, while current student loan debtors who may have chosen sociology as their major had to borrow, remember that my mentor was actually a hero who risked his life to protect the country.
Enough said. Find a way to pay.
Thomas A. Konnop, Dallas
We look forward to your feedback by letter to the editor. Please refer to the guidelines and Please submit your letter here. If you have any problems with the form, you can email it to: Letters@dallasnews.com