Forgive my student loan!

j4nash
j4nash Posts: 1,719 Member
Total outstanding student loan debt in America is expected to exceed $1 TRILLION this year. Millions of hardworking, taxpaying, educated Americans are being crushed under the weight of their educational debts, while the economy continues to sputter. Support a REAL economic stimulus and jobs plan. Support the Student Loan Forgiveness Act of 2012 (H.R. 4170).

Thoughts??
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Replies

  • cabaray
    cabaray Posts: 971 Member
    I still owe so much. I would love to not have to pay it back; however, it's not fair to the taxpayers to pay for part of my education.
  • i'm fine with paying back what i borrowed -- but the govt making 7.8% on loaning me money that never really existed in the first place... really? and dont get me started with sallie mae and their insane interest rates. i'm just glad i'm in a position to pay off my loans in the next... decade... unless interest rates keep going up.
  • j4nash
    j4nash Posts: 1,719 Member
    i'm fine with paying back what i borrowed -- but the govt making 7.8% on loaning me money that never really existed in the first place... really? and dont get me started with sallie mae and their insane interest rates. i'm just glad i'm in a position to pay off my loans in the next... decade... unless interest rates keep going up.

    i agree on the interest rate hikes. they should stay the same or decrease.
  • _Shelley_
    _Shelley_ Posts: 206
    Prior to me getting fired...I was paying over $700 a month in student loans. I was living paycheck to paycheck and ending up in the red every week. It sucked. Now I have no job so I'm going to defer those suckers lol.
  • gtchs
    gtchs Posts: 116 Member
    Student Loan Forgiveness...please. Why should my tax money go to pay for someone else's loans? Nobody forced them to take out big loans. I had loans while in college and for a few years after I graduated but I worked my *kitten* off to get them paid off.
  • edinat
    edinat Posts: 159 Member
    It would be nice if the government paid for ppls education like its paid in many different (even poorer) country then USA. The school system and the health, as well as the retirement system sucks here...sometimes its better to be poor , at least u get insurance and paid education........
  • love22step
    love22step Posts: 1,103 Member
    It doesn't seem fair that I paid for my education and now you want me to help pay for yours? My kids paid for their educations with help from their employers. Why didn't you try that route? Sounds like poor planning to me.
  • Gestahl
    Gestahl Posts: 110 Member
    Student Loan Forgiveness...please. Why should my tax money go to pay for someone else's loans? Nobody forced them to take out big loans. I had loans while in college and for a few years after I graduated but I worked my *kitten* off to get them paid off.

    Glad you were able to find that sort of high-paying job just out of college...


    But more to the point, though my student loans do make life difficult, I'm not sure that it'd really end up helping the economy most to forgive them. It'd do more good than tax breaks, but would I turn around and spend that money back into the greater financial world? I have my doubts.
  • Arwhite1865
    Arwhite1865 Posts: 65 Member
    It doesn't seem fair that I paid for my education and now you want me to help pay for yours? My kids paid for their educations with help from their employers. Why didn't you try that route? Sounds like poor planning to me.

    That's unfair. Many people who've graduated within the last few years can't find a job to take that route or to even begin paying off their loans. Additionally, many kids enroll in college with the expectation that they will be able to get a job upon graduation because that's what we've always been told, only to find out that that's not so true anymore after they've already graduated and taken out a bunch of loans. However, I agree with your general point.
  • JacksMom12
    JacksMom12 Posts: 1,044 Member
    i'm fine with paying back what i borrowed -- but the govt making 7.8% on loaning me money that never really existed in the first place... really? and dont get me started with sallie mae and their insane interest rates. i'm just glad i'm in a position to pay off my loans in the next... decade... unless interest rates keep going up.

    Completely agree!
  • gtchs
    gtchs Posts: 116 Member
    Student Loan Forgiveness...please. Why should my tax money go to pay for someone else's loans? Nobody forced them to take out big loans. I had loans while in college and for a few years after I graduated but I worked my *kitten* off to get them paid off.

    Glad you were able to find that sort of high-paying job just out of college...


    But more to the point, though my student loans do make life difficult, I'm not sure that it'd really end up helping the economy most to forgive them. It'd do more good than tax breaks, but would I turn around and spend that money back into the greater financial world? I have my doubts.

    High paying job just out of college? Please don't assume you know my situation. I worked full time in high school to save money for college, 2 jobs while taking a full load in college (and not exactly an easy school...Georgia Tech), and 2 jobs after graduating. Not only did I work very hard to get out of debt but I worked hard to avoid it as much as possible in the first place. I just don't understand the mindset that says I should be forced to pay for someone else's education when most (not all) of them aren't working as hard as I did.

    And forgiving student loans better than tax breaks?? A tax break isn't a handout...forgiving student loans is. A tax break is allowing someone to keep more of their own money. It's not the govt's money...it's our money. We already give too much to the govt.
  • SmartAlec03211988
    SmartAlec03211988 Posts: 1,896 Member
    Fantastic idea. I support it fully.
  • magdamccraven
    magdamccraven Posts: 75 Member
    Does anyone actually think that your taxes would change if there were no student loans? Taxes will be taxes will be taxes and the truth is, we don't have any control over where that money goes or whether or not to pay it.

    If the Gov't were to forgive student loans, our taxes would not change a bit.
  • gtchs
    gtchs Posts: 116 Member
    Does anyone actually think that your taxes would change if there were no student loans? Taxes will be taxes will be taxes and the truth is, we don't have any control over where that money goes or whether or not to pay it.

    If the Gov't were to forgive student loans, our taxes would not change a bit.

    We don't have any control....? That's what voting is for. If more people in this country (assuming USA) held politicians accountable we wouldn't be in the mess we are in now with high taxes and the debt.

    Our taxes may not change now but the debt would increase. Where does that money come from? At some point taxes would have to go up to pay it off.
  • monty619
    monty619 Posts: 1,308 Member
    Romney 2012
  • honeysprinkles
    honeysprinkles Posts: 1,757 Member
    I have quite a bit of student loan debt already and I'm only half way through school.

    There are ways to have your student loans repaid (or at least a portion of them) by teaching in low-income schools for a certain number of years. It's something that I definitely plan to look into after graduation. (I'm an education major).
  • honeysprinkles
    honeysprinkles Posts: 1,757 Member
    Also thought I'd add that whether you like it or not, taxes ARE paying for some people's educations...like mine. I get a few grants each semester on top of my loans and scholarship.

    I don't understand people who oppose government funding for college... education is an important investment. I'd rather see my tax dollars (well, when I have a job that actually makes enough to pay taxes) help someone get out of poverty and allow them to make a decent living for themselves instead of relying on welfare and assistance. That just seems like common sense to me.
  • honeysprinkles
    honeysprinkles Posts: 1,757 Member
    It doesn't seem fair that I paid for my education and now you want me to help pay for yours? My kids paid for their educations with help from their employers. Why didn't you try that route? Sounds like poor planning to me.
    Honestly, college is a lot more expensive now than it was whenever I assume that you went...unless you went back to school recently.

    There is absolutely no way that I could afford to fully support myself financially and go to the school that I do without my job, my loans, my scholarship, and my grants. It just wouldn't be happening.
  • scloyd
    scloyd Posts: 327 Member
    Student Loan Forgiveness...please. Why should my tax money go to pay for someone else's loans? Nobody forced them to take out big loans. I had loans while in college and for a few years after I graduated but I worked my *kitten* off to get them paid off.

    I couldn't agree with you more. The same goes for everyone who purchased a home they couldn't afford hoping to flip it and then they walk away from it. We had three houses in foreclosure on our street, which in turn lowers the value of my home.

    If you can't afford it, don't spend it.
  • love22step
    love22step Posts: 1,103 Member
    It doesn't seem fair that I paid for my education and now you want me to help pay for yours? My kids paid for their educations with help from their employers. Why didn't you try that route? Sounds like poor planning to me.

    That's unfair. Many people who've graduated within the last few years can't find a job to take that route or to even begin paying off their loans. Additionally, many kids enroll in college with the expectation that they will be able to get a job upon graduation because that's what we've always been told, and it's generally been true. Unfortunately, that has not come to fruition for many recent graduates in this economy. However, I agree with your general point.

    Unfortunately, the U.S. economy is not going to improve if the government continues to find new ways to distribute taxpayer and borrowed money. Our nation is facing a serious debt crisis. Many people seem to think the government has an unlimited supply of money, and that's not true. We, the people, can turn the tide, but it won't be easy, and it won't be painless. It will be worthwhile for our children and grandchildren. I pray God will bless our citizens with the strength and perseverance required to make a difference.
  • MFPAddict
    MFPAddict Posts: 2,069 Member
    ABSOLUTELY NOT!!!!

    I worked my way through college to avoid taking on debt. You borrow money, you pay it back. You don't want that obligation, then don't take the money.
  • monty619
    monty619 Posts: 1,308 Member
    ABSOLUTELY NOT!!!!

    I worked my way through college to avoid taking on debt. You borrow money, you pay it back. You don't want that obligation, then don't take the money.

    hit the nail on the head with that one.
  • Arwhite1865
    Arwhite1865 Posts: 65 Member
    Unfortunately, the U.S. economy is not going to improve if the government continues to find new ways to distribute taxpayer and borrowed money. Our nation is facing a serious debt crisis. Many people seem to think the government has an unlimited supply of money, and that's not true. We, the people, can turn the tide, but it won't be easy, and it won't be painless. It will be worthwhile for our children and grandchildren. I pray God will bless our citizens with the strength and perseverance required to make a difference.

    As I said, I agree (in principle) with your original point about the fairness of forgiving student loan debt when others have had to pay off theirs in the past (albeit it was likely in much better economic times and when higher education was not so expensive). My point was that just because someone cannot afford to pay off their loans does not mean that it was a case of bad planning, as these days you can't assume that someone fresh out of college can even find a job to even attempt to pay off their loans.
  • mistyb47711
    mistyb47711 Posts: 861 Member
    How are you the taxpayer , paying on others student loans? Me a mother of 4 pay double tax. Work a regular job and own a small business in which I pay double tax on as a single person . Student loans are not a "write off" for welfare and they don't forgive student loans so the borrower will pay them no matter what. So you the "taxpayer " is not paying anything on "our" student loans. They ( government) will allow people to file to relive debt they can't pay what makes student loans so different then people that can't pay their credit cards, car loans etc..?... Nothing. And yes, I have gotten "government assistance" but I have also worked along with that and I pay just as much in taxes as anyone else if not more when owning my own business. Don't come at me like your paying for other peoples education cause I've paid for it already ten fold.
  • I find it funny that some of you are saying that taxpayers should not have to pay for student loans BUT we ALL pay taxes for people's salaries i.e. policeman, firemen, etc. and we don't complain about that so what's the difference tax paying is tax paying if you pay for some things it shouldn't be a problem to help other people to get an education!!!!! And to the comment about nobody made people get loans is funny also because yes someone did make us get loans the schools because everyone does not have to means to pay out of pocket and who in their right mind is going to struggle and live poorly and unhappy to pay something pack that could and should be somewhat free anyway??? I don't don't get it but whatever.....
  • Becky1971
    Becky1971 Posts: 979 Member
    I agree.
    i'm fine with paying back what i borrowed -- but the govt making 7.8% on loaning me money that never really existed in the first place... really? and dont get me started with sallie mae and their insane interest rates. i'm just glad i'm in a position to pay off my loans in the next... decade... unless interest rates keep going up.
  • nomena
    nomena Posts: 165
    I would love to not have to pay it back; however, it's not fair to the taxpayers to pay for part of my education.

    In Germany, we pay higher taxes so everyone can visit university free of charge (or at low rates such as 500 Euros a semester). Worth it? I think so.
  • cannonsky
    cannonsky Posts: 850 Member
    Don't get me wrong I would LOVE to not be in debt but it's not really helping what the problem really is... tuitions rates
  • WickedGarden
    WickedGarden Posts: 944 Member
    Student Loan Forgiveness...please. Why should my tax money go to pay for someone else's loans? Nobody forced them to take out big loans. I had loans while in college and for a few years after I graduated but I worked my *kitten* off to get them paid off.

    I couldn't agree with you more. The same goes for everyone who purchased a home they couldn't afford hoping to flip it and then they walk away from it. We had three houses in foreclosure on our street, which in turn lowers the value of my home.

    If you can't afford it, don't spend it.

    ^^^this
  • cannonsky
    cannonsky Posts: 850 Member
    Student Loan Forgiveness...please. Why should my tax money go to pay for someone else's loans? Nobody forced them to take out big loans. I had loans while in college and for a few years after I graduated but I worked my *kitten* off to get them paid off.

    I couldn't agree with you more. The same goes for everyone who purchased a home they couldn't afford hoping to flip it and then they walk away from it. We had three houses in foreclosure on our street, which in turn lowers the value of my home.

    If you can't afford it, don't spend it.

    ^^^this

    here's the thing though.... the reason so many people bought houses they thought they could afford but really couldn't was because they were mislead by the market and loaners. its not completely fair to place all the blame on someone that was getting... for lack of a better word... bamboozled