The funds to cover the costs of college must come from somewhere. But many people don’t want either students and families or taxpayers to have to pay. From a practical perspective, borrowing for college makes sense: people have limited resources before they get an education, but an education can boost their income over time. It’s also practical that the government should help: society benefits as a whole by having an educated populace. Government-sponsored grant aid and student loans are an investment that generally pays off. State and federal policies should address the problems of students being unable to enroll in or complete college because of financial barriers, of students enrolling in and borrowing for institutions and programs that have little chance of paying off for them, and of students who struggle with loan repayment because of unforeseen circumstances—not eliminate opportunities by doing away with all loans.
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Sandy Baum 