Education Department rejected 99 percent of applicants for student loan forgiveness program

I suppose I have to both agree and disagree at the same time. I disagree in that it’s quite evident that student loans do indeed appear to be predatory, and in today’s economy, even a bachelors degree is most often not enough to earn a living wage (especially considering many “entry level” positions now want several years of work experience, which they just so happen to provide through un/underpaid internships..), which in turn pressures students to stay in school longer for more credentials, requiring more funding, and so on.


That being said, alternative career paths are often overlooked, as we (sadly) tend to think of tradesmen in lesser terms I.e lower down on the societal rungs. While the propaganda surrounding tradeschools and their career viability is often over stated, there are plenty of instances where it truly is the best path forward.


Similarly, the military route is often overlooked. As one of those service members who originally joined for the education benefits (and subsequently deployed in combat arms), the lessons I learned during that enlistment have been pivotal as far as my academic success goes. It taught me not to take my circumstances for granted, to give every class my all, gave me the discipline to see it through no matter how tough it seemed, and in the end has lead my to where I am now: the final stages of a PhD, after which I’m planning to re-enter service as an officer and give a bit of return on the investment.