Today, an article was published in US News & World report entitled "Is Student Debt Really a Problem?" (http://www.usnews.com/articles/business/paying-for-college/2009/08/12/is...). In it, a very telling statement was made:
"The College Board, an organization made up of colleges, published the report to "take down a notch the sensationalist stories about students drowning in debt," Steele says." (emphasis added)
I cannot impress upon you enough how important it is to combat this type of misinformation from those with a vested interest in the status quo. Unless we, the educated poor, make our voices heard, these types of studies from biased parties will be used as proof that our numbers are few and at that we're on the fringes of society. We know better!
As such, I'm calling on everyone with an interest in student loan debt forgiveness to contact the authors of this study and share your "sensationalist" stories. You can contact the College Board by clicking here:
http://www.collegeboard.com/about/contact.html?region=NYO
Or you can email the authors of the study directly:
sbaum@collegeboard.org
psteele@collegeboard.org
PLEASE don't let these types of comments go without challenge. DO NOT LET THOSE WITH A VESTED INTEREST IN THE STATUS QUO TO DISTORT THE TRUTH! Share your stories. Make your voices heard!
Thank you for all your continued support!
-Rob
- Robert Applebaum's blog
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because of some fairly serious health issues, my degree path was long and circuitous, and although I made it through, I ended up with close to 200,000 in student loan debt. Now they've changed the laws in my state and I am having to change what I do for business. The promise of a lucrative career is no longer a possibility for me, as I would have to go into more debt to meet the new requirements...I have been just strong enough and tenacious enough to not need welfare or other assistance, but not quite well enough to really thrive. I consulted an attorney about trying to discharge some of my loan money, and he wouldn't take the case because I'm on income contingent repayment (and he was a bit of a jerk about it). So, I'm in a hopeless situation--mostly because I can't marry (because the payment amount would go up so much) or ever get myself out from under this to have a home, or anything substantial. I'm 47 years old, and thought returning to school after my divorce 13 years ago would help, but since the divorce, all I have done is struggle and go into more and more debt as I've tried hard to improve my situation and find work I can do given my health concerns. So, where's the help for someone like me, not quite ill enough to qualify for help, but not well enough to make the herculean effort required to dig oneself out of this mess???
How is it taxpapyers fault to pay for the mistakes of you and your daughter? Some of us made wise decisions about giong to affordable schools even if we were accepted to other schools that we would have loved to attend. Then we worked through college to keep the debt done. Then graduated and worked our butts off. How is it fair for us to now give a free pass to people like your daughter who made poor decisions??
Studen Loan Reform and or bailout is the only real solution!
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I think many folks here just want reasonable terms, and some loan protections afforded to them.
Is that immoral?
It's apparently ok for any other type of loan (to have consumer protections) or wall street bailout. Hmm.
Surely you couldn't have read the hundreds of posts here?
I believe that any reasonable person would not make such blanket statements after reading them.
Your logic states, that for instance, all Homeless people deserve it. Really. Its that kind of thinking that compelled me to reply.
Done...
How can anyone think student loans are not a problem, even a nightmare. I have been helping my daughter for 12 years pay for a parent plus loan and others and she still has almost as much as she started with. Are they kidding? The government must think they are a problem because today they decided to let taxpayers pay for the student loans of the Congressional Aides even if they make 6 figures. Change we can believe in............
I found your sources:
http://yedies.blogspot.com/2007/09/government-forgives-student-loans-for...
http://www.forbes.com/2007/09/07/education-congress-student_loans-biz-be...
http://www.edfed.com/resources/articles/us-house-college-cost-reduction-...
Can you believe it?
Someone in the forbes article even called it a "TASTY TREAT" for loyal political donors!
Wow.
This proves that the Govt really knows what a burden these loans are, especially if they are even forgiving aides (interns) who even EARN 6 FIGURE SALARIES.
Wow again.
