Much as I agree that education in different fields of study are worth different amounts of money, the open-endedness of “a percentage of future earnings” seems too reminiscent of sharecropping.

What if the doctor or lawyer comes to a realization that he does not want to continue in his chosen field and wants to become a social worker or writer? This system does not give him the freedom to pursue life changes- the graduate is locked into a profession forever, because the penalties involved in such a change would be too great.

In 2007, congress passed the College Reduction and Access Act. One program under the Act is a public service loan forgiveness plan. The federal government forgives the remaining debt of borrowers who make 120 loan payments while working full-time in public service jobs. Borrowers typically end up repaying only a fourth to half as much money on the loans than they would have otherwise. Public service jobs are wide-ranging and can include any government/non-profit organization jobs.

Another way to go is to see if your state offers a loan forgiveness program or if your particular profession will qualify you for loan forgiveness(e.g. teaching).

The Chicago Tribune had an article back in the Fall that begged the question: “Is College Worth It?” http://archives.chicagotribune.com/2008/oct/14/business/chi-college-costs-14-oct14

While the rising cost of tuition and job uncertainty certainly can make one wonder if it really is worth it, graduating college will almost always lead to a higher standard of living than ceasing education after high school.

[...] Ayn Rand told us this would happen. Atlas Shrugged spells out, with spooky accuracy considering it’s more than fifty years old, the financial troubles of a government run amok. She tried to warn us, but we didn’t listen. This blog has taken to waxing financial of late because, well, it’s impossible to avoid it in the news and on America’s lips. We’re all talking about it, but is anyone listening? Beating a Dead HorseThe financial crisis has hit universities hard. Scholarships, once the best way for poorer Americans to transcend classes, have taken quite a hit. The poor are getting poorer, but the rich, alas, have stopped getting richer. Bailouts, bailouts, bailouts, when are we going to see these actually starting to work? Obama, you’ve got a lot of work to do; please, get us back on our feet without crippling the nation. Because Knowledge Is Power!We all need to take a moment to think things through. Ask why more often. Not only is it a great way to kill an evening, you might learn something. Learning is free, while education is becoming increasingly the opposite. Scholarship money is being used for other things, so to cash in you’ll need to start getting creative. They say that every problem is actually an opportunity. Let’s go, entrepreneurs, we’ve got niches to fill!  Best Thing for ItHere’s my humble advice: keep on truckin’. If we all start losing hope, giving up on our futures, and copping out, nothing–NOTHING AT ALL–is going to change for the better. If you can’t afford the perfect school, find an online program that costs less, while letting you earn a degree around even a hectic work schedule. Other programs are out there, too. Where there’s a will there’s a way, right? Hopefully this whole economic turmoil thing will turn out to be just a really rough period of adjustment to the Information Age. It’s natural selection. Only through education will we effectively update our memes, evolve, and survive. Filed under: Education & Politics, Education (general) — A. Dupin @ 8:56 pm [...]