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There are 45 million Americans who collectively owe $1.71 trillion in student loans. And it’s no secret that the financial burden of it negatively affects the lives of many former students with education finished and unfinished, in profound ways. From mental health to home-buying, student loans are somewhat of an ever-present shadow looming over for many years to come.
But President Biden has recently given hope to many by ordering Education Secretary Miguel Cardona to prepare a report on the president’s legal authority to cancel up to $50,000 in student debt per borrower. The possibility of Biden forgiving student loans has surely ignited a heated debate on this sensitive, and often sour subject matter.
And while for many American borrowers, the prospect is more than just politics, giving a sense of long-awaited salvation, others have expressed arguments against it. They claim that simply wiping clean the debt is not a solution for the economy and equity. Which side are you on? Hit us in the comment section below!
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#1
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Ray Martin Ray Martin Community Member Follow
I could be wrong, but this really seems like some sardonic irony, and the poster clearly knows that's how any society is meant to function, but that of the U.S doesn't.
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#2
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WilvanderHeijden WilvanderHeijden Community Member
Rich kids also are never unemployed or flipping burgers with a degree in science.
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Nearly 45 million Americans now owe a total of $1.7 trillion in federal and private student loans, for educations both finished and unfinished. The scale of the problem is undeniable in terms of the effects it takes on people's mental health, quality of life, and overall wellbeing. Now that President Biden has officially stated that he supports forgiving $10k of student loan through legislative action, many Democrats think it’s not nearly enough. Some claim the federal debt forgiveness could easily reach $50k per borrower, and some go as far as saying to erase all the amount altogether.
#3
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Sum Guy Sum Guy Community Member Follow
And americans act like joing the military was a patriotic choice when it was the only choice
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#4
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Full of Giggles Full of Giggles Community Member
We’re hardworking taxpayers too, ya halfwit!
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In an interview with Vox, Laura Beamer, lead researcher on higher education finance at the Jain Family Institute, said that it’s abundantly clear that “people with student debt are less likely to own a house, they’re less likely to start a business, they’re delaying normal financial life cycles than previous generations past.” ADVERTIsem*nT
#5
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I I I I Community Member Follow
so much ME ME ME stopping the progression of others , USA is falling fast due to the WHATS IN IT FOR ME attitude
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#6
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John Smith John Smith Community Member Follow
"leftistss"? newt? sounds more like a snake.
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For many previous generations, starting a family and saving for retirement were natural life decisions, but student loan borrowers don’t feel like they have the luxury of doing so. “We also know that people 50 and above are the fastest-growth student debt loan-accruing debt group, because they’re taking loans out for their kids or their grandkids,” Laura Beamer added.
#7
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Sonja Sonja Community Member Follow
Woow...so many people died in war. It wouldn't be fair to them if the war stopped now.
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#8
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I I I I Community Member Follow
its how Republicans keep power , keep people so stupid they can't see they are getting conned by the party they think are fighting for them and not big corps
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Another crucial point about student loan borrowers is that not all loans are equal. The economist Steven Deller from the University of Wisconsin Madison argues that “There is a huge difference between someone who assumes a lot of debt and gets an MBA from Harvard or a medical degree from Columbia University, and ... a first-generation student who’s coming from a poor family background and goes into debt and doesn’t complete their degree.” ADVERTIsem*nT
#9
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Watching Watching Community Member Follow
Hard-core, sad truth.
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#10
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Scagsy Scagsy Community Member Follow
Why do so many Americans seem eager to shoot someone but if you need insulin shots, you have to literally choose whether to feed yourself or survive?
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These two individuals are words apart, and while for one, the student debt doesn’t feel like a big deal with a successful career prospect and stable financial background which comes from the family, the other is likely to carry the same burden throughout life, hoping for a cash windfall one day.
#11
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Scagsy Scagsy Community Member Follow
How can people be so selfish? I just can't understand it.
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#12
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I I I I Community Member Follow
ahhh the commy argument , fits all , social health care , socialist learning , but some how not corporate subsidies , funny how that works out
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#13
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WilvanderHeijden WilvanderHeijden Community Member
Or drastically raising the price of something while the quality and quantity diminish.
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#14
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hail beavis hail beavis Community Member Follow
Please stop censoring words like "crappy". It's not a curse word in any language.
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#15
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Luther von Wolfen Luther von Wolfen Community Member Follow
The geniuses who went to college figured it out: cancel student loan debt.
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#16
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MAL MAL Community Member Follow
I worked my ass off to pay mine off, too. So what? I would have LOVED to not be broke as hell until I was 35 because of student loans. If we have the power to give the next generation a better life, why the hell wouldn't we do that?
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#17
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Watching Watching Community Member Follow
And yet, what is funny, is that the conservative party is the party of welfare. And low education. Republicans have their cult right where they want them.
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#18
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Helen Haley Helen Haley Community Member Follow
Universal healthcare, student debt loan, and then regulation.
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#19
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Sasha Kuleshov Sasha Kuleshov Community Member Follow
When a bot can't write "Preeetty upset" (:
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#20
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Jonah Denny-Mayo Jonah Denny-Mayo Community Member Follow
How has political strife gotten to the point where we feel it's ok to refer to people as less than human just because they believe in different things than is? Lefties, liberals it just makes no sense how humans have lost all compassion for others.
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#21
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Helen Haley Helen Haley Community Member Follow
Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ooooh best joke today
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#22
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Watching Watching Community Member Follow
Conservatives ARE lepers. We should put them on an island and let them eat themselves.
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#23
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Seabeast Seabeast Community Member Follow
You get "raped"? That's pretty offensive to actual rape victims, a-hole.
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#24
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Pungent Sauce Pungent Sauce Community Member Follow
Sounds entirely reasonable.
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#25
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I I I I Community Member Follow
oil , gas and coal companies decided to do that for a business, but you still subsidise them , only a moron would be cool with that and not forgiving student debt
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#26
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Helen Haley Helen Haley Community Member Follow
We spend untold money on the military. If there are soldiers sleeping in parking lots it is because their superiors want it that way.
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#27
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Sum Guy Sum Guy Community Member Follow
I swear Americans are brainwashed
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#28
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John Smith John Smith Community Member Follow
"adult children's". I'd bet that person didn't go to a private school, so maybe he should reimburse the taxpayers.
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#29
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Aeon Flux Aeon Flux Community Member Follow
Why the hell isn't education a human right?
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#30
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Watching Watching Community Member Follow
How do you tell someone you're racist without telling them you're a racist?
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FloC FloC Community Member Follow
Maybe instead of cancelling the debt, they should cancel the interests and offer loans with 0% interest.Apparently, the rate of the interests is a bigger problem than the loan itself.
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Cassie Cassie Community Member Follow
This. We don't mind paying back my loans, but the interest is high and compounds daily, so our principal now is greater than our originating principal. When we first graduated, we had to use income based repayment to afford the bill, but that just meant that it grew and grew and then when we did have the income to be capable of paying the originating principal, it had ballooned beyond our means. This is a vicious, predatory cycle keeping honest, hard working people who want to do the right thing paying until they die.
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Foxxy (The Original) Foxxy (The Original) Community Member Follow
Student debt doesn't necessarily need to be cancelled. Instead it should be made more affordable. I like our system. You don't start paying your debt until you get employment and earn over a certain threshold. Once you reach that limit the tax department takes a small percentage of your earnings to pay back your education cost. If you never earn over the threshold then you never have to pay. Also there is no interest added.
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M O'Connell M O'Connell Community Member Follow
Loans related to education should be exceptionally low-interest. You shouldn't be able to get a car loan for 2.5% when the very best you can do on a student loan is 3%. If banks and auto manufacturers can get by on a 2.5% interest rate, then so can student lenders.
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Anne Anne Community Member Follow
Dear US, maybe... look at the EU and adopt that system for a couple things? Like healthcare, education?
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Milan Milan Community Member
Nooooooooo, never, never ever neveeeeeer. Because, this is communism!!! Whole western Europe, with functioning school systems, universal healtcare, minimum wages, maternity leaves, insurances, free schools...ale this is just a bad bad communism :D :D
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FloC FloC Community Member Follow
Maybe instead of cancelling the debt, they should cancel the interests and offer loans with 0% interest.Apparently, the rate of the interests is a bigger problem than the loan itself.
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Cassie Cassie Community Member Follow
This. We don't mind paying back my loans, but the interest is high and compounds daily, so our principal now is greater than our originating principal. When we first graduated, we had to use income based repayment to afford the bill, but that just meant that it grew and grew and then when we did have the income to be capable of paying the originating principal, it had ballooned beyond our means. This is a vicious, predatory cycle keeping honest, hard working people who want to do the right thing paying until they die.
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Foxxy (The Original) Foxxy (The Original) Community Member Follow
Student debt doesn't necessarily need to be cancelled. Instead it should be made more affordable. I like our system. You don't start paying your debt until you get employment and earn over a certain threshold. Once you reach that limit the tax department takes a small percentage of your earnings to pay back your education cost. If you never earn over the threshold then you never have to pay. Also there is no interest added.
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M O'Connell M O'Connell Community Member Follow
Loans related to education should be exceptionally low-interest. You shouldn't be able to get a car loan for 2.5% when the very best you can do on a student loan is 3%. If banks and auto manufacturers can get by on a 2.5% interest rate, then so can student lenders.
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Anne Anne Community Member Follow
Dear US, maybe... look at the EU and adopt that system for a couple things? Like healthcare, education?
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Milan Milan Community Member
Nooooooooo, never, never ever neveeeeeer. Because, this is communism!!! Whole western Europe, with functioning school systems, universal healtcare, minimum wages, maternity leaves, insurances, free schools...ale this is just a bad bad communism :D :D
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