The Incredible, Rage-Inducing Inside Story of America’s Student Debt Machine

DavidM said

We need people who are willing to do lower paying jobs (teaching is the perfect example) so the idea that students should just pursue high paying occupations isn't practical, and isn't beneficial to society.

According to one source, the annual cost for a full-time resident student at Louisiana Tech, for example, exceeds $20,000. That's a lot of money, even if cut in half through other means, for a student to get an education degree.

I think there is good understanding of the problem - the exorbitant cost of a higher education - so then how do we go about educating and preparing people for a wide range of occupations and to succeed in the workforce? Not everybody is cut out for college, but for those who are, what can be done to make a competitive college education more accessible?

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I find it quite ironic that we're having this discussion when for 30 years or more economic policies in this country have been intended to foster greater wealth at the top of the income levels and middle class earnings have eroded all while costs of everything have increased.

It seems we are focused on the short term or the small frame rather than the larger problem. And there's been great advice about trade schools, avoiding debt, and making good decisions, but nothing has been said about why the wages for teachers and others have remained so low while the average CEO or top athlete/lawyer/doctors are making huge sums of money.

I bet the folks running that nasty scam outfit managing student loans in the OPs article are making a mint while the folks in the pits dealing with the customers make nothing and can't even pay their student loans.