Right now, the United States is in a nationwide debate over the costs of college. It’s become such an issue that many people are throwing their weight behind the idea that student loans should be absolved by the federal government.
Critics of this point out that it’s a bad idea because of the impacts it’ll have of raising taxes and passing on debt to folks who never agreed to it.
Then, there’s the reality that some people who received higher education actually paid off their debts without having their balances waived.
As Americans duke it out with one another, talk show host Bill Maher warns that college and its high price tags are a huge scam, per The Hill.
The Problem With College in Today’s America
In Maher’s own words, college is sold as a “golden ticket” that folks need to have any hopes of becoming upper-middle class; though in so many cases, it’s just not necessary.
Furthermore, the talk show host explained employment opportunities that don’t demand an undergraduate degree erase the need for someone to attend college.
Biden announced he’s forgiving $300 billion in student loan debt. Today he was voted Sexiest Man Alive on https://t.co/rABguun5UF. pic.twitter.com/7SB4zVwqbp
— Bill Maher (@billmaher) August 27, 2022
When a person is therefore pushed to go to college anyway and incur thousands in debt, this is a significant scam.
Later, Maher called out the Democrat Party for its view that higher education is the end-all-be-all to various issues facing the nation. Maher also opined that Republicans have a similar viewpoint when it comes to cutting back on taxes.
Fewer Enrollments in College
As it stands today, fewer people are enrolling in college than they did before. At least some of this can be attributed to the major issues surrounding student loans.
To a certain percentage of Americans, going thousands of dollars in debt for years to come isn’t all that appealing.
In light of this, more people are considering their other options post-high school even if that means learning a new trade, working in the gig economy, or even starting a business.
REPORTER: Is this unfair to people who paid their student loans or chose not to take out loans?
BIDEN: Is it fair to people who, in fact, do not own multi-billion-dollar businesses if they see one of these guys getting all the tax breaks? Is that fair? What do you think? pic.twitter.com/HA9LzLBMSC
— JM Rieger (@RiegerReport) August 24, 2022
As it stands today, if colleges and universities continue to charge these exorbitant fees that most Americans just can’t afford, then they may very well see fewer students sitting in their classrooms.
Critics of Biden’s plan to forgive student loan debt have pointed out that it places zero onus on the colleges and universities charging rates that are virtually impractical without going into some serious debt.
Interestingly enough, there’s been no word from the White House about getting to the bottom of what’s really making college and university so unaffordable.
What do you think about Bill Maher’s comments regarding college and its overall lack of affordability? Please feel free to sound off with your thoughts and feedback concerning higher education and student loans in the comments section.
This article appeared in Watch Dog News and has been published here with permission.
