Most folks can handle $15,000 to $20,000 in student loans once they’re working and a student shouldn’t have more debt than that if he’s working. We pay for our kids to go to junior college (I realize not everyone can do that), and they work and save their money during those two years for university, and continue to work once they get to university. They end up saving and paying for all of their living expenses, and leave with loans for two years of tuition. Some have money saved during high school, but each child is different, and we don’t push working during high school.
And the trades are fine; one of my kids is strongly considering a trade.
And will they use their college degrees on their first job? With a trade already in place, they have a backup in case the economy does not require their college degree.
If you look at the a debt comparison of those in their early 20’s today and the same a couple of decades back, you see they have just about the same debt load, but the earlier group held credit card debt instead of government backed and subsidized student loan debt.
You are right that not everyone can pay for their kid’s education. But at some point reality needs to set in, the government and academia has been preaching that all kids deserve/need a college education and it is just not true. Many would be happier without college, going to a trade school or working in a field where they can work their way up with OJT.
I don’t see college as a need unless the career chosen requires it, then if the student wants it bad enough they can make it happen. College for the sake of going, getting a nonsense degree makes no sense. Starting at a community college, working their way through- taking few to no loans is the way to go. It is not the way people are programmed these days but it is possible and smarter.
Libs are hung up on fairness. Life is just not fair, no matter how you cut it. Being realistic goes against the tide now.