Petition to forgive student loan debt!

OB-nurse2013, BSN, RN · Sep 18, 2011

At the risk of being flamed, when did we decide that everything should be given to us for free? Or that we should never have to suffer? Or wait? Or have less than someone else?
I made a choice to go to college at a state school and take as many classes as possible at a community college to save money. I paid all my own student loans (actually I am still paying). I never expected anyone else to shoulder the burden of MY education.
It's called a loan - you pay it back.

Maybe it comes from the fact that many other countries do offer free education for their citizens including undergraduate education and generally only pay if they want to then go on to pursue graduate studies. How in teh world would our government offering free education to those that want it negatively effect society? The better educated we are the greater hope for the future. When public education began it was acceptable and reasonable for it to end at high school because many people did not go on to college and did not need to for a normal life. Now it is almost impossible to survive, thrive, or raise a family without having a college degree thus some kind of change needs to occur or we will lose any type of middle class especially since those are the ones most affected since they usually will not qualify for any aid yet can't afford to pay tuition.

MeganB1983 · Sep 18, 2011

Has anybody heard of the Nursing Education Loan Repayment Plan? It's through the Government. You have to apply for it and there are selective on who they choose, but it's worth a shot after you graduate. I think this is a lot better than paying for everybody's college education.

Saysfaa · Sep 18, 2011

"How in teh world would our government offering free education to those that want it negatively effect society?"

One way is that when our government pays, it pays according to how much school costs but the student decides where to go.

When one school offers this...

and another offers Precor treadmills, Precor crosstrainers, Precor AMTs (Adaptive Motion Trainers), Precor bikes, Schwinn Aerdynes, Precor Steppers, Concept II Rowers, Scitfit Pro II bikes, Stairmaster Stepmills, Trixter X-dream Interactive bikes, several complete circuits of Hoist Roc-it, Precor, Icarian, Paramount and traditional Hoist selectorized and plate loaded equipment as well as free weight equipment. Also these...

and the cost is the same to you, which would you choose?

Why not go to the school that offers sushi bars in the cafeteria or the one that serves lobster every day?

Or the one that offers bigger dorm rooms and/or big walk-in closets and/or singles...

But if costs are contained by offering only so much, then good nurse simulation labs would be few and far between... maybe I'm just too cynical, but I haven't seen the government be very accurate or responsive or efficient in deciding where resources should go. (case in point... https://allnurses.com/nursing-news/bill-change-rules-607291.html )

AppalachianRNstudent · Sep 18, 2011

Again, education should be free. And it can be as well if society were founded on a socio-economic system that put need over profit.

The world is in an advanced state of imperialist (which is capitalist in an international expression) decay. The only way forward is for workers - internationally - to seize political power, independent of the large bourgeois political parties (in the US that would be the Democrats and the Republicans) in a concerted effort to fight for socialism.

The opportunity would then arise for the freeing up of vast amounts of resources (through the expropriation of the big banks and transnational corporations and the complete) that could be re-allocated to fund education, health care, transportation and infrastructure projects, jobs, and a wide host of other social programs.

Don't believe the lie that "there is no money". There is plenty of money to fund wars of imperialist agression that seek geo-political influence and resources and bailouts and tax breaks for those most privileged in the world. That money belongs to workers - it's time we get it back.

JROregon, ASN, BSN, RN · Sep 18, 2011

For those of us attending public colleges, our educations are already highly subsidized. Get a loan and pay it back. That's what I did 20-something years ago to get my BS in business admin. There is no myth that a college education will help you stay employed. Let's see, I believe college grads with bachelors degrees have about a 5% unemployment rate (lower for higher degrees), high school grads a little over 10% unemployment, no HS diploma, over 14% unemployment. Your college degree is worth something. I would prefer that the government did not back loans for private colleges, places that charge $75,000 for a nursing degree. Those institutions seem to be in the business of getting students to apply for loans and either not complete their education or graduate students that are not prepared for a career in nursing. I don't want to subsidize that! Choose your place of education wisely otherwise you may be strapped down with sizable monthly payments. How many trillion in debt does our country need to go into?

SummitRN, BSN, RN · Sep 18, 2011

Again, education should be free. And it can be as well if society were founded on a socio-economic system that put need over profit.
The world is in an advanced state of imperialist (which is capitalist in an international expression) decay. The only way forward is for workers - internationally - to seize political power, independent of the large bourgeois political parties (in the US that would be the Democrats and the Republicans) in a concerted effort to fight for socialism.
The opportunity would then arise for the freeing up of vast amounts of resources (through the expropriation of the big banks and transnational corporations and the complete) that could be re-allocated to fund education, health care, transportation and infrastructure projects, jobs, and a wide host of other social programs.
Don't believe the lie that "there is no money". There is plenty of money to fund wars of imperialist agression that seek geo-political influence and resources and bailouts and tax breaks for those most privileged in the world. That money belongs to workers - it's time we get it back.

Sorry, but Marx was wrong. Communism doesn't work. Please feel free to move to the workers paradise of North Korea if you want to see for yourself.

Hospice Nurse LPN, BSN, RN · Sep 18, 2011

Sorry, but Marx was wrong. Communism doesn't work. Please feel free to move to the workers paradise of North Korea if you want to see for yourself.

I was thinking the same thing!

CCL RN, RN · Sep 18, 2011

Pay as you go...okay so someone who is making $10.00/hour can afford to pay an extra $200/month in tuition payments along with books and supplies while trying to pay rent, utilities, and food. Interesting...

and yet, somehow, there are those of us who have actually done this. Go figure...

ParkerBC,MSN,RN, PhD, RN · Sep 18, 2011

and yet, somehow, there are those of us who have actually done this. Go figure...

Perhaps 10, 15, or 20 years ago during a time when a deep recession was not occuring. Also, I am sure it was during a time when tuition rate increases did not exceed cost of living by 600%. You CAN NOT compare what you did some time ago with today. You are not comparing apples to apples. Sorry.

Hospice Nurse LPN, BSN, RN · Sep 18, 2011

Perhaps 10, 15, or 20 years ago during a time when a deep recession was not occuring. Also, I am sure it was during a time when tuition rate increases did not exceed cost of living by 600%. You CAN NOT compare what you did some time ago with today. You are not comparing apples to apples. Sorry.

There are still those of us doing just that as we speak. I'm one on them. I'm able to work my hours at work around my school schedule and I write a check to the university each and every semester.

ParkerBC,MSN,RN, PhD, RN · Sep 19, 2011

There are still those of us doing just that as we speak. I'm one on them. I'm able to work my hours at work around my school schedule and I write a check to the university each and every semester.

I am sure that is true. But you are also an LPN with 15 years of experience. So, I would imagine you make more than $10.00/hour Also, are you participating in your employer's tuition reimbursement program (if they have one...this seems like another beneft going to the way side)?

AppalachianRNstudent · Sep 19, 2011

Sorry, but Marx was wrong. Communism doesn't work. Please feel free to move to the workers paradise of North Korea if you want to see for yourself.

Communism has never been implemented on this planet - so I fail to see how you could say that "it doesn't work".

I'm fine where I am. In the future, keep your comments on where you think I should live to yourself.

North Korea is not a Communist country.

I'd be curious to read what you think Marx was "wrong" about.