By: Deshala Wilkins
In a country that is becoming increasingly polarized, few political issues have sparked as much debate and division as forgiving student loan debt. Proponents argue that relieving college graduates of their crushing debt is not just a compassionate gesture, but a vital step towards economic justice. On the other side, skeptics warn of fiscal recklessness and question the fairness of erasing such debt.
However, in the midst of this heated discourse, two undeniable truths emerge: the student loan crisis has reached unprecedented levels, and the consequences of inaction may be dire. The pressing question remains. Is it time to forgive student loan debt?
In my opinion even though students made a legal obligation with the FAFSA, their student loan debt should be forgiven after college. Student loan debt should be forgiven in my opinion. According to the Federal Student Aid website, we should be granted some type of financial relief as college students. It does not have to be recurring, it could be one-time thing.
I recently interviewed a few faculty members and students on campus to get their opinion of how they feel about student loan debt. I asked them, Should student loan debt be eliminated via forgiveness or bankruptcy? There were a few students who felt the student loan debt should be forgiven, but a few faculty members disagreed and said student loan debt should not be forgiven.
“I think it should be forgiven, because we are pushed to achieve a higher education to go to school so that we can get better paying jobs and then we spend the rest of our lives paying off the schools….so we can get these jobs and a lot of times it’s not even because People want to be in a career field it’s all based on the money,” said Leah Sullivan, a senior at Alabama State University majoring in social work. Her opinion on this situation is completely understandable because when applying to college, we fill out the FAFSA application with the intent of graduating to achieve a successful career. Ben Barlow, who works with Auburn University at Montgomery Facilities, feels student loans should not be forgiven in general, but only if you’re working in the school system or community service.
Joshua Stuart, a freshman student at AUM, felt it is okay to relieve student loans because the loans are putting a lot of people in a deficit. There are no pros to having these loans. Whether we find a path toward loan forgiveness, one thing is certain; addressing the student loan debt crisis needs to be addressed for the future financial well-being of college graduates and the prosperity of our nation.