As the college ranks swell, student loan debt grows. Borrowing funds for education and the amount owed will reach the $1 trillion level in 2011 after surpassing the total number of dollars owed by charge card borrowers last year. Money borrowed while a college student, most always regarded as a “good debt,” is more often becoming a “bad debt” as the cost of paying for an education, and the resultant money borrowed, are called into question because of the low or negative return down the road for such a risk. Resource for this article – Student loan debt expected to hit $1 trillion and beyond in 2011 by MoneyBlogNewz.
More students have student loan debt as school costs go up
There were hardly any students getting debt for a bachelor’s degree in 1993. In fact, less than half did this. That number increased to two-thirds by 2008. Then the average debt increased even more. By 2009, $24,000 was the average student loan debt a student left with. Total student loan debt is expected to reach $1 trillion this year and grow at even faster rate. Republicans in Congress want to cut Pell grants, a form of federal financial aid for lower-income students. The current generation of college students may have to deal with these changes as there have been tuition increases while universities and colleges are getting funding taken from them by the states. The rate of student loan default is growing quite a bit with the student loan debt. Credit damage, also as burdensome student loan payments for those who do not default will limit the range of possibilities when it comes to purchasing a home or having children. Parents are going to have to start deciding if they would rather pay off their loans or save money. This could mean being unable to pay for their child’s education.
Debt that is good
Payday loans, charge cards and auto loans are all forms of “bad debt.” Student loans, on the other hand, are considered “good debt” by many. At the end of the recession, debt became bad altogether. It is now considered bad to take any out. As long as the degree and salary from that degree are able to easily pay back the debt, school loans are considered good debt even though the College Board explained a four year education is over $37,000 a year now. Whatever you make the year after you graduate is all that you need to borrow in loans total. That is the typical rule. That rule of thumb, however, highlights the risk of taking on student loan debt. It isn’t going to be simple to get a job in sociology or history that pays off the loans. The risk might be lower for fields for instance engineering or medicine, however the costs, and the debt, will likely be higher.
Bottom line: debt is risky
Debt is considered bad if it cannot be paid off. That is the real truth of it all. Students going to for-profit schools have default rates at about 50 percent currently. The student loans will never go away. Even bankruptcy can’t get rid of them. Any student loans that are guaranteed by the government will be even worse for you. You will end up having tax refunds withheld, Social Security payments docked or even your wages garnished. Everyone in a low paying job can have the loans forgiven with the Obama administration. He made it so the debt is forgiven in 10 years in case you are in a public service position or 25 years for anyone else who pays 15 percent annually.
Information from
New York Times
nytimes.com/2011/04/12/education/12college.html?_r=1&emc=eta1
Creditcards.com
creditcards.com/credit-card-news/does-good-debt-still-exist-1264.php
care 2
care2.com/causes/education/blog/student-debt-for-college-likely-to-exceed-a-trillion-dollars/
