I think of it more as the contract that Ariel signs with Ursula

college is a scam unless you’re going to be a doctor or some shit

I’m not sure scam is exactly right, but they are predatory. I read recently that the default rate has gone through the roof in the last ten years. I don’t think for profit colleges should be able to receive them, those fall closer to true scam territory. I know I’ll never be out from under mine, despite being financially responsible enough to have no other debt.

The interest rates are. Same with mortgages which are even worse. Compounding interest should be illegal

It's a very rigged system. I think we need to acknowledge that the federal government involving itself in student loans is the direct cause of sky rocketing tuition. Of course college tuition is high, they know the government will pay. The federal government is also subsidizing pointless degrees like gender studies. How many promising careers exist in gender studies? This is causing a a high demand for college, thus also increasing tuition and putting people in situations where it will take forever to pay off debt. The federal government of course is going to have high interest rates, they get to make money off it. Make no mistake, the government never gives us anything without their best interest at heart. Whenever you here politicians say "make college affordable", that is a big red flag. Mind you, this is money owed to the government. You can never get out of it even if you file bankruptcy. People think it's free money, which is exactly why they're initially happy to go for a $60,000 degree in something pointless. People don't understand what they are taking when they get student loans. You think there's someone at FAFSA explaining it to kids? No.What's the solution? Try to get a private loan, go to community college, get scholarships, start a buisiness instead, go for a degree with high employment rate, join the military, or go for a trade... One of the members of my church is a millionaire, with no degree. He has a trade, and now owns a plumbing company.

Higher interest rate on student loans than on buying a car..... Just sayin.

Student loans have to change - right now interest is way too high, most of ours have a higher interest rate than either vehicle or our house! My husband went into teaching and graduated about ten years ago. Although I will admit he did not make the best financial decisions, we still have a balance of over 100,000 in student loans. That’s more than we owe on our house. When starting teacher salary is around 34,000 in my state, and a requirement to take more classes within 6 years, the cost is way too high. He ended up going with a different path than teaching just so he would make more money! College tuition has gone up faster than paychecks and the interest rates make it even more difficult to pay them off. And it will continue to be an issue because we are paying off loans rather than saving for my daughters education, so she will deal with the same thing. I do not think free college is the answer, but more affordable rates and less predatory practices in loans would go a long way.

they have insanely high interest rates, but sometimes people don't have much of a choice. It's best to limit them as much as possible.

Hah. They are predatory in some cases. My husband and I will never pay ours off, we have too much. He has an mfa, but Now works in tech. I was in social work. Both first gen college students. Husband thought academia would be feasible... haha. I just frittered away time and money and lost a scholarship due in part to my own mh issues (unresolved at the time). Anyway, on the whole I tHink college is a bad idea without scholarships or parental money or a degree in something in demand, like comp sci etc. our generation was fed a lot of crap about college and following your dreams... too many in debt now to continue buying it.

I know way too many people who have gone to college, have more student debt than they'll ever pay off in their lifetime, and don't even have a career they went to school for. 😢