Not a Lifetime Sentence
Are college students who take out student-loans actually going to be paying for their education for the rest of their lives? In “Lifetime of Student Debt? Not Likely,” Robin Wilson uses data to prove that students who take out student-loans for school will not live the rest of their lives paying off their debts. Wilson acknowledges that many students risk borrowing too much money to be able to attend their school of choice, however, the students who successfully complete their college degree earn eight times more than high school graduates and are able to pay off their debts.
Most students know exactly what school they want to attend after high school, no matter how much it costs. According to Mark Kantrowitz, a publisher for a student aid website, “People want to be able to pay for the school they have wanted to go to for as long as they can remember, and they are willing to do whatever it takes” (Wilson 258). In doing this, students will take out loans in any amount necessary just so they can attend school where they have always dreamed of being.
When it comes to the topic of student-loans, most of us will readily agree that students should not take out loans. Whereas some are convinced that students who take out loans will be in debt for the rest of their lives, others maintain that students will be able to pay off their loans within just a few years. Wilson shows that college graduates earn eight times more than high school graduates and adds, “A student with $20,000 in debt should be able to at least make that amount in extra earnings in one to two years time” (260). This meaning that within two years of being out of school, a student should be able to pay back their debt and not be paying for the rest of their lives.
Our whole high school career students have heard it said not to take out students loans because we will spend the rest of our lives paying off the loans. Wilson writes, “Part of the confusion over the student-loan issue is that undergraduate debt is frequently conflated with graduated and professional-school debt--which is typically much, much higher.” Even though teachers and counselors advise students not to take out student loans and say that we’ll be living in debt forever, Wilson says that the debt teachers and counselors warn students about is graduate school debt and not actual college graduate debt.
In Robin Wilson’s article “Lifetime of Student Debt? Not Likely” he proves that students going to college can take out student-loans and will not have to worry about paying off the debt for the rest of their lives. Wilson recognizes that many students, to attend the college of their choice, will risk borrowing too much money, however, the students who successfully complete their college degree earn eight times more than high school graduates and are able to pay off their debts.
Most students know exactly what school they want to attend after high school, no matter how much it costs. According to Mark Kantrowitz, a publisher for a student aid website, “People want to be able to pay for the school they have wanted to go to for as long as they can remember, and they are willing to do whatever it takes” (Wilson 258). In doing this, students will take out loans in any amount necessary just so they can attend school where they have always dreamed of being.
When it comes to the topic of student-loans, most of us will readily agree that students should not take out loans. Whereas some are convinced that students who take out loans will be in debt for the rest of their lives, others maintain that students will be able to pay off their loans within just a few years. Wilson shows that college graduates earn eight times more than high school graduates and adds, “A student with $20,000 in debt should be able to at least make that amount in extra earnings in one to two years time” (260). This meaning that within two years of being out of school, a student should be able to pay back their debt and not be paying for the rest of their lives.
Our whole high school career students have heard it said not to take out students loans because we will spend the rest of our lives paying off the loans. Wilson writes, “Part of the confusion over the student-loan issue is that undergraduate debt is frequently conflated with graduated and professional-school debt--which is typically much, much higher.” Even though teachers and counselors advise students not to take out student loans and say that we’ll be living in debt forever, Wilson says that the debt teachers and counselors warn students about is graduate school debt and not actual college graduate debt.
In Robin Wilson’s article “Lifetime of Student Debt? Not Likely” he proves that students going to college can take out student-loans and will not have to worry about paying off the debt for the rest of their lives. Wilson recognizes that many students, to attend the college of their choice, will risk borrowing too much money, however, the students who successfully complete their college degree earn eight times more than high school graduates and are able to pay off their debts.
Works Cited
Wilson, Robin. "Lifetime of Student Debt? Not Likely" They Say I Say With Readings. By Gerald Graff and Cathy Birkenstein. Ed. Russel Durst. 2E ed. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2012. 256-273. Print