Letter to the editor (student loans)

[Sourdough]

Here is a copy of the letter to the editor I submitted today.
 
 
You borrowed it, You pay it back
 
A lot of people are screaming about student loans.  These people are screaming about the fact interest rates are getting ready to go up.  They fail to admit the rate when they applied for the loan is what the rate is getting ready to go up to.  The rate was lowered by Congress with a sunset clause to put the increase back to the original rate during an election year, making it a hot button topic.
 
Some people just want student loans to be forgiven, so they don’t have to pay back anything.  In other words free money.  Let the taxpayers pay for their  education.  They are a bunch of Freeloaders, with an entitlement attitude.  Well the way I see it, you borrowed it, you pay it back.  There is other ways to get an education, without borrowing the money.  One person I know in their 50s is still going to UAF, just so they do not have to pay on their student loan.
 
My folks could not help me go to college.  I went into the Air Force, when I went to UAF the Air Force was paying 75% of my tuition.  Yes the taxpayers were paying for my education, but I was giving something back in return at the time.  The Air Force also taught me a trade, Plumbing.  I found out I could make more money in the trades than using my college education.  In fact I worked alongside many college graduates that had discovered the same thing, they could make more money working in the trades than in a position using their degree.   
 
 [font=]The day my son was born, my wife and I started planning for the event he might want to go to college.  [/font]Every one of his dividend checks was put into a savings account for his education.  Every time Grandma and Grandpa, Uncles and Aunts, or any other relative sent him money, it went into his college fund.  When he would get summer jobs we insisted a portion of his income go into his college fund.

 
(And for those people that say the taxpayer paid for my college, read the quote at the bottom of my post on a Veteran.  At least I was giving something back at the time to my country.)

[Land_Owner]

I gave the Taxpayers of these United States a blank check against my life, if it was needed, until I finished my enlistment.  Then I borrowed cash money on the GI Bill in principal from the US Taxpayers and agreed in writing to repay it with interest. 

I should frame and post each of those PAID IN FULL loan papers on my office wall.  I have thought a lot about it.  It should give pause to the 99%'ers that come to ask me for a job and think they should be "forgiven" for their debt(s); many who have not first granted that "loan" against their own life.

[oldandslow]

I agree that if you borrow the money you pay it back. I have a grandson that used student loans for part of his college education and worked for the rest. He started paying it back as soon as he graduated and hasn't missed any payments. Too bad others aren't as responsible. He is another that found he can make more money working in a field his college education has nothing to do with. The fact that he has a degree had nothing to do with him getting this job either.

[gstewart44]

Sourdough and Landowner and all others that have ever signed that blank check to the US government..... I salute you.    Although I was  not able to do military service I did go to college on student loans for eight years and the bank notes I signed equalled another mortgage payment.    I paid the loans back in full over 15 years ago and have nothing but disdain for any Freeloaders either walking away from their loan obligations or begging for "forgiveness".     Sourdough - you are so spot on that learning a trade can serve a person well in life,  and in many cases much more so than a piece of parchment.    Skye is lucky that his parents had the foresight to plan for his college.    I did the same for my two and my daughter is entering college this fall and what I have put away for her over the years should suffice her needs.   
 
Once again I salute those that ever signed the Blank Check.  God Bless.