From My Perspective: The Cost of Education

There’s been a lot of talk about student loan relief lately. There are those who are for it, those who are against it, and some who haven’t totally weighed in on the subject. I do have my own beliefs about it - and an opinion - of course.

President Biden has come up with a plan that would forgive $10,000 of student debt, which is great for those who still hold student loans. Who it’s not great for are those who have never gone to college, those who have paid their student loans or those who never had a student loan.

The opinions I have are based on generalizations. For those who live outside these generalizations, they aren’t directed towards you. This is directed at those who have gone to college, majored with a degree that couldn’t possibly garner a living wage and are now complaining about the amount of debt they incurred.

First off, college isn’t for everyone and truthfully I don’t think it was ever meant to be. I’m not denying everyone should be able to go to college if that’s truly what they desire, but not everyone is college material. It’s a choice. If one chooses to go and incurs that debt, they should be responsible for paying for it

I’m not knocking those who want to attend college. It’s worthy for anyone to become who or what they would like to become. My problem with it is this: I shouldn’t have to pay for it. It’s not my responsibility, nor other taxpayers’ responsibilities, to pay those debts - it’s the person who incurred them.

There are those who argue that I’m not, but let’s be honest, someone is. And it’s not generally the people who have had their student loans forgiven. The money has to come from somewhere and if it’s not from those who have incurred the debt, it’s from those who are working and paying taxes who pay for that forgiveness.

For those of you saying, “Well, she doesn’t understand. She didn’t go to college or she’s just bitter,” let me explain a couple of things. First, I did go to college. Second, I paid my own way.

You see, when I began college, I went to a small community college right after high school. It was a less expensive option to get my general credits out of the way. My tuition was $5 per credit for a total of $80 per semester. My books ran close to the $500 mark per semester. I attended for two years before deciding to get married and start a family. My parents paid my tuition and I paid for my books with money I earned working as a server as well as mucking stalls for a farm I’d worked at since I was 13, all while I went to school.

After a cross-country move and my kids began school, I started working at the University of Pennsylvania. I loved my job there, but honestly one of the reasons I worked there was because they provided free tuition to employees. I had to go through a special application process (they don’t just let anyone attend an Ivy League institution). I jumped through hoops, took special classes to prove I was worthy, and two years later, obtained my Associates Degree.

I worked hard to earn that degree. I was up very early before my kids were awake to work on my homework assignments, term papers and study for exams. I did this before getting them off to school, commuting to work, putting in a full day at work, attending classes after work, and getting home after they had gone to bed. There were sacrifices all around, but it was worth it for me, and I believe my kids saw the dedication I had to completing something I’d set out to accomplish. I graduated without a student loan and paid off the credit card that held my book purchases within a year of graduating.

I majored in Anthropology and took electives in writing. I can honestly say I haven’t done anything with an anthropology degree but if I chose to, could go to work in the field. I’ve always wanted to write, and I’ve always wanted to teach. Luckily, I’ve been able to do both, in different forms or another, without having to go back to college or earn any special degrees.

The expense of college education has risen to astronomical amounts. The cost of books are also through the roof. If I had paid for that Ivy League education, it would have run me almost $40,000 per year in tuition alone. That same education today would cost roughly $62,000 just in tuition costs.

Going to college has made some people believe they cannot work in a field they didn’t get their degree in, and therefore can’t possibly pay their student loans. I call bullshit.

There is work everywhere. It may not be in the desired field someone went to school for, but there is work out there. Here’s the way it works, or has up until now. Get a job, pay the debts, and continue to look for work in the field of study the degree was in. We all had to work our way up, and recent graduates shouldn’t be any exception.

Yes, we have a problem with our educational system, from the ground up. College shouldn’t be such an expensive endeavor. Majors should be beneficial and garner a decent wage, and those who choose to go should be responsible for their actions and their debts.

There are flaws with all of it and it’s actually a vicious cycle. Forgiving the debt doesn’t change it. It puts a bandaid over the real problem and causes yet one more reason for our world to become another step further in divisiveness.