Brainstorming

     Ask yourself.  How many people truly know about the upcoming crisis known as student loan debt?  Looking at news articles while searching for information you may say a lot.  But looking at the normal feed of social media life you find the margin to shrink considerably.  People are not talking about the problem because they are ignorant of the situation,  And the people that are dealing with the problem are not being heard.  Or they are being ignored.  Either way, the future looks very bleak due to people in power that are ignoring the problem.
     The higher education system in America, and other western cultures, are failing their students.  The fate of education is not about the spread of knowledge anymore, it is about the profit from the students.  Making a profit to keep a school running is one thing, increasing tuition and cutting classes to make more money is way out of hand.  My previous post showed two colleges changing tuition cost to bring in more people and to help start a trend.  Only two.  While the rest increase their tuition, increase merchandise sales, increase everything that deals with cash.  And if you think that money is going to the professors that are working to maintain programs your dead wrong.  Hell, most of the cash that you are handing to schools will never go towards the program you would wish for them send it to,
     How do we solve the issue?  I have no clue how we could save the economy now, but I do have some ideas.  If schools raise tuition, which they are, then the student should have a say on where that money will be used for.  The payer should be able to pick any program he or she chooses to feed into so that it will grow and become something great.  Not only will the student gain and education, but they will also contribute to the foundation of the school.  Giving the student a much higher sense of pride.
    That idea will not solve the issue, but it would sure as hell make me feel a lot better.  Anyway, what are your ideas?  Share and see who can actually solve this dilemma.

Where to Go Now

      College is there to help young minds have a higher understand and to succeeded in the world they will enter after college.  The highlight of school has come to an end.  All those classes going to, all those hours studying, all those nights partying, and all that debt, is about to take it's toll.  It may not be what every wants, and it is certainly not what anybody expects.  So, what is after college?

      Hard times are coming after college, and if you really thing you are ready think again.  Entering into college is one thing, but entering into the fray of job hunting is not an easy one.  It is not a pleasant one either.  The hopeless feeling of never find the right job will latch itself on you.  Making the weight of life feel so much heavier.  Bills will take over and the debt payment that is coming for you is just around the corner.  

      So what do you do?  First, try to stay with as many people as you can, parents house if possible.  It will help with the lack of money that you have.  It may seem crowded but you'll be happy that you're not selling your soul to pay your bills.  Second, get on top of your school debt.  If you wait during the grace period you will gain interest and more money to pay, you don't want that.  Third, do not give up on the job hunt.  It will feel hopeless and frustrating but just keep hitting that grindstone.  

      After college will test you.  It will be hard, and it will go against what you were taught in school, but if done properly and with a lot of luck you will get what you want.  

The Bubble

     An economic bubble is brewing, and it is only getting bigger each year.  This bubble consists of student debt.  Now, how could student debt cause an economic bubble that could collapse with devastating effect?  

    One of the big factors that is causing this bubble is the rise of tuition.  Tuition is on the rise due to some factors.  One, college is focusing more on sports and the cost to maintain that rather than the education.  Two, the employees are fewer than before, which means the professors are stretched thin.  Third, while money is spread to the sports teams the student body is dwindling.  There are fewer students walking around.  And four, college is not preparing students for the world.  This causes many student to fail repaying their loans, which increases the size of the bubble.  

    According to Jim Rogers and Robert Craig Baum, authors of the article "This Economic Bubble Is Going To Wreak Havoc When It Burst", claims what the title of the article is true.  Rogers and Baum claim that the burst will likely have the force of all previous catastrophes combined.  They say it will tamper with savings and loans, insurance, energy, tech, and mortgage crashes.  I would love to say that this will never happen, or that it will not be as bad as they say, but from my research and how this country is showing ignorance makes me believe that we are only touching the surface.  

    My thoughts, there is no stopping the catastrophe.  I just hope I am set and ready when it bursts.       

Attendance Going Down! Down! Down! Down!

Since 2011 college enrollment has been declining.  Most claim the reason there are fewer college students is because the economy is on an up rise.  More people are turning away from a higher education and turning to work.  But who exactly is turning away from college?
    Apparently the majority of students that graduate high school go to college, so where is the decline in students?  It seems that the decline of students come from the older class.  People are graduating and moving to the working class.  Others, such as people that are already in the working class, turn away from college because they really have no need to go.  Now, since we cleared up who is actually going we can ask the question, is the decline a good thing for future college students?
    As we all know college tuition has been skyrocketing.  With lower amount of students walking into the classrooms it would seem that the colleges are going to raise tuition to get money out of the students that do go.  Not a very smart business plan but one that is going on.  The good news, not every college is doing this.  Two colleges plan to cut their tuition by nearly half the price.  Campus of Rosemont will fall from $32,620 to $18,500.  That is a 43 percent decrease.  Utica will fall from $34,466 to $19,996, that is 42 percent decrease.  Not only are these colleges cutting tuition they are also making student aid packages straight forward.  These colleges want to be on the radar, and the best way is to lower the price.
    If you have an colleges that are lowering tuition feel free to share with everybody.  If you have insight on why college attendance is declining please share with everybody.  

Just Want to Speak

Here is a link to an interview about my thoughts on my student loans.

Stories of Debt

   I was able to find a blog that allows many people share their stories about student loan debt.  The blog is known as the Student Debt Crisis.  I will share some of these stories to show just how real the student debt situation is.  I will be providing a edited version of these stories to spike your interest.  The link to find these stories can be found above.  Let us begin.
Date: August 13, 2017: Name: Jackie; Location: Cheshire;
   Due to her infertility, Jackie made the decision to pursue a Masters of Arts degree.  She took out a 120k loan and finished in 3 years.  She then continued to teach back home to stay on the forgiveness program.  The forgiveness program allows people with student loan debt to be forgiven as long as they work 10 years in the mandatory field (Teacher, government, etc).  Just before graduation she had a miracle pregnancy.  Knowing that she would never be able to afford a $835 monthly fee she came in contact with a company known as the Student Loan Project.  Their promise was to consolidate her loans reduce it to a $550 upfront charge and only have her pay near $48 a month for them to file her claim.  In my personal opinion that sounds like a full on scam.  To get it that low would be near impossible.  It turns out it was a scam.  After getting off the $48 paper work bill she got hit with a $815 payment.  While investigating she found out that the company lied in their contract.  Her name was under her nickname, they had the wrong email address, and they said that she had 4 dependents.  Due to her trust in Student Loan Project and their scam she is now looking to be homeless.
    This story is just one of hundreds on the Student Debt Crisis website.  And out of all the stories that are floating out there I believe I only encountered one positive story.  There rest were filled with tragedy, ignorance, mistakes, and they all have debt.  And from the knowledge of the government trying to abolish the Student Loan Forgiveness program makes the future seem bleaker than ever.  We are all struggling to get out of this mess, and that last bit of hope we have is about to be taken away.  Until next time...  
 

   

Why I Go

    I pushed to go to college because I wanted to get away.  I never wanted to be the guy who never left town.  Always seeing the same place, meeting the same people, and working the same job.  I always wanted so much more.  I can see my self in a big home very far from where I came from, anything else and I wouldn't accept it.  Go to college was my push to achieve such a goal.

   After going through the motions and getting my degree I come to realize that college hasn't really treated me that well.  I know a lot more than I did, but for some reason I feel like I have been shafted.  As the days passed and I continued on my education I start to piece the puzzle together.  That my school as indeed shafted me.  I do not think it, I believe it.  Pushing my graduation, hiding information that is rightfully mine to view.  It actually takes several months to speak to someone competent enough to actual be of use to you.  All around the school is cutting corners.  Cutting corners and sucking in money.  This only leaves students like myself left out to dry.  

   I say this because I have lived through this school and the methods that they go through.  I have talked to dozens of other classmates and they all agree on one thing, that my school has screwed them over.  

   Unfortunately, saying to much can get me in serious trouble, instead I want the audience to share their experience in college.  Good or bad, pretty or ugly, I want to hear a different side.  Hopefully there is a college life that has been much kinder than mine.  

The American Nightmare

      Why is it mandatory to have a college degree in the first place?  If you were to go back in time for the same job there is a high chance you would be able to get it without a college degree.  In fact, many people that were hired didn't have a college degree, and they don't need it.  The job never changed, yet the qualifications did.  The only explanation that I can think of is laziness on behalf of the hiring department.  

       Follow your dreams!  Follow what dreams?  You want to be a doctor?  That will easily be over $100K.  Plus the interest that is building when you go to medical school.  I hope you are actually good at what you do.  Want to be a lawyer?  Another $100K and a saturated work force that is near impossible to get footing.  You'll have to be the best lawyer around, because if you're not you might want to be comfortable living with your parents for the rest of your life.  

      These are extreme cases of student loans debt, and yet there are so many people that are in that situation.  College grads can't find a job because there are no jobs that are being created.  There are more students coming into the work force than jobs.  The sad part, there is no rush to fix the situation.  We are facing another economic crisis and there is nothing being done to stop or even slow it down.  This Ted Talk is just skimming the surface, and we will dive deeper into this mess next week.  For now, let the numbers sink in.    

        

      

Debt, Death, Debt Again

        My grandfather was a a highly intelligent man.  He accumulated a bachelors, two masters, and a PhD throughout his life.  The man was highly gifted with his mind.  Someone with such a high intelligence would defiantly help benefit the world right?  Unfortunately he never achieved such goals.  In reality he was never able to amount to much.  His debt reached to devastating heights.  He could barley afford the house that he was living because of all the debts.  On the day of his death he owed over $100,000.  Whatever happened to his debt after his death?  Well, that depends on what he borrowed.  

        How do you know your student debt wont pass on after your death?  That depends on the the loans.  According to Melanie Lockert from her article "This Is What Happens To Your Student Loans When You Die"  she says that federal loans are forgiven after death.  So your husband or wife, or whoever you are afraid of taking your debt will not.  Private loans aren't as forgiving as federal loans.  They are a lot more tricky and could cause serious problems to your family if you were ever to pass away.  Lockert goes into more detail on how to avoid such problems and to double check who is cosigning your student loans.  

       Going through student loans is a scary thing to go through.  It may even more of a nightmare for your family after your untimely demise.  So in order to prepare for such a situations, and hopefully never have to go through with it, is to educate yourself on the situation.  Here is a heart breaking question that will take a deeper insight of student loans and death.  I won't tell you what the question is, so you will have to click and see.        

How to Prepare for Student Debt

       Finishing college is a major achievement for an individual.  If you have finished college Congratulations!  You have taken a major step into being an active citizen in the community.  Now, instead of destroying your self esteem with the depression and sadness of student loan debt I will instead give you hope.  
       The steps that I will provide for you are not my own.  This information can be credited towards Kathy Hopkins "7 Ways to Prepare for Student Loans" and Ryan Lane "6-Month Plan to Prepare for Student Loan Repayment".  These steps are a portion of the guide that I will be following to insure the safety of my financial future.  
       The first step should be a no brainier, but is something that many people just simply do not do.  You must track down your loans.  Know who you are paying, because when the time comes that you need to start paying they will have no problem finding you.  Think of your debt as if it were a war.  You have six, maybe nine, months to plan for your battle, ignoring it will leave you defenseless and will cripple your future.  Instead, plan the attack.  Find out who you owe money by going to National Student Loan Database.  This is a good start but it will only find federal loans.  If you have any private loans the best way track them down is to go to your school to contact your lenders.  
        Make interest payments straight away.  Your grace period before your payment isn't just sitting there, it is gaining interest.  Once that grace period is done the interest that accumulated during it is capitalized on to your principle.  This means you are paying more than you expected, and you are paying more monthly too.  Doesn't seem fair, but it is life right now, all we can do is help prepare to fight it.  
        Looking for forgiveness programs is a sure way to help out for student debt, in the long run.  The most popular is the Public Service Loan Forgiveness.  However, in order to receive the forgiveness you must make 120 eligible payments in a 10 year span.  Missing one will nullify your chances of being forgiven.  You also need to be employed at the job that provides forgiveness to be eligible.  So if this isn't the life for you, you might want to start looking for something else.  If it is then stay with it and be sure to never miss your payment.
        I hope this will come to help someone.  If you want more information click the links above to continue on your preparation.for student loans.  If you have any more information on the subject matter feel free to share and help others get out of their debt.