The opinion article in Sunday’s Columbian by Jonathan Glater, “The social justice case for canceling college debt,” would just make a bad situation worse.
For decades, colleges have raised the cost of an education and having the government react by raising the amount students can borrow. Real reforms would prevent future student debt problems. One idea would be for the government to give larger loans to colleges with lower costs, thus creating incentive for colleges to lower costs.
It would be interesting if colleges had to co-sign for any student loans, thus making them accountable for giving students an education that would result in a high-paying job. Right now colleges can wash their hands of students after they graduate, regardless of whether their degree is worth anything or not. Having information from colleges as to how graduates are doing after they leave college with their degrees would help inform students as to what will likely happen to them if they pursue the same degree.
With the economy suffering due to the COVID-19 virus, it is time for colleges to help students by lowering costs, and not simply expecting government to keep bailing out students as they raise their prices. But since Glater is a college professor, he would not have the mindset to consider that option.
