Preview

Lifetime of Student Debt

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
646 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Lifetime of Student Debt
Joshua Hovatter
Ms. Henderson
English 201
April 23, 2013
The Shackles of Student Debt? In this article, “A Lifetime of Student Debt,” Robin Wilson interprets the different views on taking out loans for college students. The recent worry has been that taking out student loans are “threatening the financial future of today’s college students” (Wilson 256). However, recent studies has shown that one-third of college students will have no debt after their academic experience. College student nowadays are willing to take any means necessary to attend their “dream college, no matter the cost”(257). Mark Kantrowitz touches up on this idea remarking that these students will do whatever they need to go to their dream college. Comparatively, a CNN report called student loans to be a “life sentence” and stated that their entire life would revolve around paying for their student loans in their future (258). Data from the U.S. Education Department showed that around two-thirds of students graduated from a four-year college with roughly $19,202 in debt, and students to attended public colleges had an average debt of $17,277. Likewise, the cost of going to a private college was at a higher $21,957(258). Robin gives the averages loan rates of medical and law school graduates, which far exceed others’ at over $100,000. In contrast, Anthony P. Carnevale says that, “debt is the very best way to pay for education because you’re shifting the cost forward until you’ll be earning more money”(260). In essence, Patrick M. Callan believes that its better to take money out for loans than not at all, because you will make more money with that college degree. On the other hand, Alan M. Collinge found himself in a different situation. He took out $38,000 in student loans. Later in his career he spent $6,000 on an invention that didn’t work out and he had gotten into a car accident that cost him $1,500. He lost his job for asking for a pay raise and at the end his student loan debt



Cited:

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Better Essays

    Everyone who wants to go to college is often faced with the same fact, how will I pay? Students often go with the options of taking loans, after much consideration and research, research sometimes based on essays written by authors. Even though Carey and Wilson both address the debt college could put someone in. Wilson provides a more convincing argument due to the fact that he gives more information on statistics of student loans, more information about loans, and an unbiased opinion.…

    • 781 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Better Essays

    In Robin Wilson’s article A Lifetime of Student Debt? Not Likely, Wilson compares on how even though student loans can get out of control; they do not have to affect the rest of a person’s life. Wilson begins with stating a possible “…national crisis: Student loan borrowing that is threatening the financial future of today’s college students” (256). In other words, Wilson’s statement issues that student loans are beginning to get out of control. On the other hand, many other people borrow an acceptable amount of money, are able to repay it, and become a better person by getting a college education. According to Wilson, “More often, the problem among students who go heavily into debt is that they are determined to attend their dream college, no matter the…

    • 1432 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Better Essays

    Rhetorical Analysis

    • 1347 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Wilson uses specific examples to enhance her argument that not all college graduates leave drowning in debt, and that most pay off loans quietly and without complaint. She tells several stories of real people who graduated college with substantial debt but were able to adjust and manage their debt and move on with their lives. When Wilson tells the story of the outspoken lawyer that accumulated over $100,000 in loan debt and his argument to have the government relieve him of his debt, she is using him as an example to lead into her argument. The lawyer is one of many college graduates that argue that the system is flawed and unfair to those who have to pay them off for the rest of their lives. Wilson disagrees with these people and uses several examples to prove her opinion. She quotes Michael S. McPherson as saying “There are some really poignant, painful stories… But they aren’t the typical American experience” (257). Wilson also tells the story of Jill McCusker, who graduated with $30,000 in debt. She says that McCusker simply adjusted her plan and lived at home for a while longer while paying off her loans. She is proving her point that it is possible to pay off your debt and continue with your life. Lastly, Wilson points out the huge difference between undergraduate debt and professional-school debt. She says that professional-school debt is “typically much, much higher” (259). Wilson does well at supporting…

    • 1347 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    “The decision to borrow to attend college often amounts to a “financial disaster”. “Most people borrow a reasonable amount of money, they pay it back, and they are better for having gone to college”, says McPherson in the Reading of Robin Wilson. But then Wilson states “Why do some students borrow more than $40,000 for a bachelor’s degree when average borrowing is only half that?” The decisions of borrowing money only end up a financial disaster depending on the college student. If the college student takes a loan and flunks the college course, they will end up taking up another loan for the same course again. Wasting time and making them having to pay more loan money in the…

    • 724 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    “In Debt We Trust America” was an incredibly eye-opening video for me. Family and friends constantly warn me of the dangers of debt, but I was unaware of just how much of a problem it is. For me, one of the most informational, or perhaps motivational parts of the video, was the portion on students in college. Constant increases in college tuition are putting a more drastic burden on college students and their families. In the video, it mentioned that the…

    • 607 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    “It’s just extremely disappointing and aggravating to have paid all that money and have nothing to show for it other than debt.” proclaimed Michelle Polyakov, an English graduate from Drake University. Polyakov obviously feels that college is not worth the cost and that all someone has to show for the education is debt. College has been deemed, by some, that it is not worth the cost because of the financial loss, the future job security, and the need for “blue collar” jobs. Finances, job security, and the need for manual laborers are all major factors in the debate of college and its cost. The reason being is because not all people are meant to go to college, or their situation just isn’t ideal. College is a privilege, and not every job requires you to have a higher form of learning, but most do. By viewing the debt of a student after graduation, the job security of graduates, and the need for manual laborers, one can infer that college is not worth the cost.…

    • 955 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Out of all the students that go to college more than half of them are in debt after graduating. In high school all you hear your senior year is “you need to do this in order to go to college”, “you need a degree to get ahead”. You work 12 years to get a diploma and then get told that in order to go “further” or “do better” you need a degree, but what they don't tell you is that you will most likely be in debt for the rest of your life.…

    • 517 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The story of student loan debt isn't too often talked about, students don’t take it too serious like they should. College students that barely have time to work spend four years thinking about the student loan; how it will affect their life after college; how they will manage to pay it later. Seven in a total of 10 seniors that graduated back in 2015 had a student loan debt average of $30,000. It had increased 4% comparing to 2014 graduates. Within the years, student loan debt has grown at twice; America colleges graduates are lucky if they have some money left to pay the bills, or even to eat regularly. Every year the debt is increasing, but when this will stop? "I believe we have a higher education bubble," says Derrick Handwerk, managing…

    • 962 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Forgiving Student Debt

    • 862 Words
    • 4 Pages

    As Graduation comes near we all like to believe that our careers begin debt free behind that glass door, we turn the knob and all our extensive work will have paid off. When in fact, the glass door shatters and the student faces reality of paying back student loans. There is little dispute today that the number of students who have student loan debt has increased.…

    • 862 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    About half of all students (49%) graduate college with a total debt count of over 30,000 dollars in student loan debt alone. When you add all this debt together, college graduates and students have a total combined debt of approximately 1.2 trillion dollars. With that much money at hand you have to wonder how these students can manage to buy a house, car, or start a family once they have graduated and pursued…

    • 773 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    College debt is a nation-wide phenomenon that many Americans face. Unfortunately, this country is facing over 1 trillion in student loans from dropout students or graduated students who owe money from their years of education. The financial crisis has caught many Americans by surprise and this problem will only get worse if this trend continues. Despite the fact that college debt is increasing, fortunately there are several solution to this problem.…

    • 822 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Student Debt Analysis

    • 1883 Words
    • 8 Pages

    The issue of student debt affects so many people worldwide on a day to day basis. As of 2015, student debt is more than $1.1 trillion dollars (Cook, 2015). This crisis of student debt that has risen overtime has caused major debate and discussion to families, policy experts, and politicians (Cook, 2015). As a result of trying to attain a career, students that are not financially capable of supporting their education and have no choice but to acquire student loans that will in turn become student debt. The impacts of student debt are seen to affect each individual differently depending on their financial and mental status. Additionally, the type of college each student attends will determine how dramatic their debt will be (Cook, 2015).…

    • 1883 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Student Loan Myth

    • 469 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The student loan crisis is anything but a myth. The rising cost of college tuition creates a hardship among students and their parents. Most graduates carry their student loan debt well into their late thirties. Some people do not have the option of attending college simply because of the financial burden that it creates. The student loan crisis is far too real for those who aren’t willing to have the financial…

    • 469 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Sixty-eight percent of adults with student loans and whose children have loans are unhappy with the way they financed their own or their children's college(Journal of Accountancy). Sixty-eight percent, that is a disturbingly high number, that means that six out of ten students right now will regret how they paid for college and consequently will lead them along to the wagon that is debt. If we are to stop the rising influx of debt: teaching students about how to operate their finances in college will result in a reduction of students with…

    • 1222 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    The average cost of student debt is over $30,000 after graduation. Students make the decision to go to college to continue and pursue their education in order to get better jobs and eventually achieve their dream job. College is where students are able to get a feel of adult life and a small taste of what their career holds, but the tables are gradually turning. The percentage of students who attend college is decreasing as each year goes by. The cost of college is ridiculously high and the loans needed to pay for college have a negative effect on these students after college. Many students are not in control of their situation and are forced into taking out loans for college; College is supposed to be where they better themselves. Most students need the money due to the tuition cost, their lack of income, their school choice, their financial education, and other necessary expenses. Most college students are on their own and taking on these obstacles and have no other choice but to depend on loans. This effects the society and economy, their life after graduation, and chasing their dream job.…

    • 1928 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Better Essays

Related Topics