Posted on by Californiacontrarian

Oops !

President Obama certainly seemed to be a believer in the “everybody should be able to go to college“ school of thought. At a Democratic National Committee event, June 23, 2011 he said, “We still have so much more work to do on education. We have made great strides, but we have to hit the goal that I set that once again we will have the highest proportion of college graduates of any country in the world.” He remarked at the Biltmore Hotel, Coral Gables, Fla., Feb. 23, 2012. “When kids graduate, I want them to be able to afford to go to college. If they’ve been working hard, if they’ve gotten the grades to go to college, I don’t want them to cut their dreams short because they don’t think they can afford it.” At the Weekly Address by President Obama on 8/16/14, he said, “And so as President, I’m working to make sure young people like Elizabeth can go to college without racking up mountains of debt. We reformed a student loan system so that more money goes to students instead of big banks.” 
To set the record straight ahead of time:

-I do not believe that everybody should go to college.

-When considering college it behooves every applicant to understand how he/she is  going to pay for that college education.

-If the cost of a college education is beyond one’s means, go to a community college first and get a part time job while going to school.

-Consider joining the military first so that it can aid you with your college expenses.

-Do not, and I repeat . . . do not go into significant debt in order to pursue your college    dream, and do not expect your parents to borrow money to pay for your college.


So keeping my thoughts in mind, I would have to say to President Obama, “Oops!”    For perhaps, as a consequence of his enthusiasm for his “everyone should be able to go to college,” many, many of today’s college graduates are in deep financial holes from which they may never dig out. 
There was a disturbing article last month in the Wall Street Journal on the sad situation about student loan payback at historically black colleges and universities (HBCU). The fact that this article was about HBCU is particularly relevant, because of the enormous influence President Obama had and still has with black youth. Granted white youths also have significant debt because of student loans, but as this article pointed out that attendees at these HBUC schools “have been hit particularly hard by the student-debt crisis,” as on average those from HBCU schools are further in debt. HBCU alumni have a median federal-debt load of about $29,000 at graduation – 32% above graduates at other public and non-profit four year schools. Even worse “the majority of HBCU grads haven’t paid even $1 of their original loan balance in the first few years out of school.” One wonders if these non loan-balance payers understand the basic concept of principle and interest. Oops!

Now granted the indebted students that have graduated from an HBCU school are really no different than indebted students that have graduated from non-HBCU schools, except that “many HBCU schools see a mandate in giving opportunity to disadvantaged youth, who often start out with fewer financial resources and a diminished ability to pay.” The WSJ article tells the stories of various individual HBCU graduates as well as stories of HBCU graduate’s families who are in dire straits because of these student loans. At this point I have to wonder if that HBCU college education debt is going to be worth it. Have those with a diminished ability pay been done a service or a disservice? Will this federal-debt be a millstone around their necks for many years, decades, or even forever? When will they be able to start a family? Will they ever be able to buy a house? I have empathy for these individuals, but perhaps the decision to go to college was misguided in the first place. One wonders if those who acted as their cheerleaders understand the concept of principle and interest! Oops!

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