‘My pursuit in excellent education is rooted in a value system that promotes progressive thought for the betterment of the individual as well as society.’
Doesn’t anyone in her family have any financial sense? The more the Federal Government is involved in student loans the more we will see of this.
Tuitions are rising because there is no incentive for colleges to keep costs down since the feds are giving student loans to anyone that can figure out how to apply for them.
I wonder what her major was, Art History? Miami and Xavier are two of the most expensive universities in the state of Ohio.
I am honored to be a daughter of Cincinnati and am humbled to have grown up in such a wonderful community. I attended St. Margaret of York grade school and then matriculated from the reputable Ursuline Academy. After high school, I earned degrees from Miami and Xavier universities. Because of my local education, Cincinnati is more than my hometown – she is the mother who raised me into the woman I am now. I am Cincinnati.
My pursuit in excellent education is rooted in a value system that promotes progressive thought for the betterment of the individual as well as society. Education is a core tenet and vested interest of the functioning democratic society. Upon that basic assumption and principle, I am overwhelmingly incensed by the silent epidemic of crippling student debt.
At 25 years old, I have $188,307.22 in student debt, all of which is my sole financial responsibility.
That exorbitant number was abetted by easy lending with a co-signer, negligence and lack of awareness, over-borrowing and the exponential growth of tuition.
I work both a full-time and part-time job, and abide by a strict budget. Yet, I still sleep in my parent’s basement and am dependent for food, gas and health insurance.
I am told I am not alone.
However, this particularly sensitive conversation is being ignored by our mainstream consciousness. Perhaps I should be ashamed for buying such an unaffordable education and internalize my debts as personal failures. Perhaps my mistakes warrant pained silence. But silence breeds apathy, and in regard to the welfare of the American economy, I want to humanize the numbers and give voice to this reprehensible problem.
Due to reckless neglect, student debt will be the financial ruin of my generation, and there is an incredible need for a public discourse addressing this reality and its grave consequences.
I want answers and clarity as to why this happened. How did I arrive at this position in life so financially handicapped and disenfranchised? I followed societal expectations, earned an education and am employed. I will gladly repay my debts within the comfortable reason of affordability. Yet, my wants and needs are disproportionate, and I can barely afford a PB&J sandwich, let alone the peace of mind to sleep at night.
There is great irony in pursuing freedom through education only to be shackled by crushing debt. My current financial situation prohibits any fantasies of owning a home, getting married or starting a family.
My future and dreams are six feet under, and I am still digging my grave. I want to fight and reclaim my American and Cincinnatian identity, even if the only thing I can afford is the sound of my voice and tears.
I am owed answers simply because I have the right to pursue happiness. And since I am not alone in this debilitating epidemic, my peers deserve their voice as well.
via 25 and deep in debt | Cincinnati.com | cincinnati.com.
Related articles
- US debt collectors cash in on $1 trillion in student loans (talesfromthelou.wordpress.com)
- Loan Debt and Repayment – Student Loans (bigfuture.collegeboard.org)
I saw her profile on Linked In…the grad degree (if I recall properly) was a Masters of the Arts in Literature….
By: anonymous on December 4, 2012
at 2:09 pm