Free Republic

More than half of Americans don’t believe a college degree is worth the cost ... 56% of all Americans viewed getting a college degree as a bad investment, while only 42% of Americans see a degree as worth it. The highest skepticism of the group that was surveyed came from young adults in the 18 to 34 age range. "Women and older Americans are driving the decline in confidence. People over the age of 65 with faith in college declined to 44% from 56% in 2017. Confidence among women fell to 44% from 54%," the poll said. ... The confidence...

Breaking911 @Breaking911 tweeted ( Nov 10, 2022): BREAKING: Federal judge rules Biden's plan to cancel hundreds of billions of dollars in student loan debt is unconstitutional and must be vacated - Reuters

In this email newsletter: Telephone Town Hall on Tuesday 9/6 My Thoughts on "Canceling" Student Loan Debt Another Bill with a Misleading Title 87,000 New IRS Agents September's Visitor Guide Recent Forum for Our Farmers How Can I Serve You? Telephone Town Hall on Tuesday, September 6th I’ll be hosting a live telephone town hall this coming Tuesday, September 6th, starting at 5:30 PM. I’ve heard from countless constituents about their concerns over inflation, illegal immigration, rising violent crime, student debt being offloaded to taxpayers, and other issues under current leadership. So on this call, I’m going to focus...

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Americans bearing heavy college debt loads welcomed U.S. President Joe Biden's announcement on Wednesday that he would forgive $10,000 in student loans, and some shared hopes they can jettison extra work hours and perhaps take a vacation or return to school. "I would not have second thoughts when planning a trip or going on a vacation," said John Paul, 49, a restaurant manager in Washington DC who said he took out loans for his son's tuition. "Earlier, it would be at the back of our mind that we have this debt hanging over us. Now we are...

It might be the biggest giveaway in American history. resident Joe Biden wants to cancel more than $1 trillion of outstanding student loan debt. Biden has already delayed for more than a year student loan repayment, and under his new rules, most delinquent and deadbeat borrowers would NEVER have to repay. What a deal for the people who never paid a dime back of the tuition money they owe to Uncle Sam. This plan makes suckers out of the millions who have felt honor-bound to pay off their debts. My wife spent years after graduating from college diligently writing checks...

Democrats are pushing student loan forgiveness hard currently, gaining momentum with resident Joe Biden saying he supports it. I’m buried in law school loans, due to the left canceling my legal career so I can no longer make a high income as a lawyer. I put off having children because of the huge debt, never ended up having any, and I work multiple jobs and don’t own a home. But that’s not something taxpayers should be responsible for rectifying. There are many sad stories about financial problems that are far more sympathetic, so why should we select primarily affluent, white...

The road to justice can sometimes be long, winding, and tedious, but we can take comfort knowing that sometimes bad things do happen deservedly to bad people. Think of the hanging of outlaws in the Old West or hot wax being poured on Dr. Phibes. Sometimes, big, dirtbag corporations run by corrupt ethical crooks get their comeuppance, or at the very least a judge rules that said corporation has to face said comeuppance in a court of law. One such trial (hopefully soon to be trials) I’m looking forward to with relish is the reckoning faced by the unbelievably slimy...

Changing the financial rules about college moving forward is a separate debate. Changing the rules retroactively, however, is dishonorable and unjust.Two massive potential federal programs to ease the financial burden of college are being debated. One involves some type of free college program, and the other some type of student loan bailout. There is, however, a fundamental ethical difference between the two. The first affects the decisions of students moving forward, while the second rewards only select people based on past actions.Even at a very young age, children know it’s blatantly unfair to change the rules of a game while...

Long before the coronavirus hit our shores, our society’s focus on instant gratification has in many respects made acts of self-sacrifice a lost art.On Monday, Rep. Alynna Pressley, D-Mass, claimed canceling student debt represents a “racial justice issue.” The following day, I submitted a contrary piece of evidence: I paid off my mortgage — with a balance far exceeding the average American’s student loan balance — seven years early.At a time many Americans remain unemployed or underemployed, I recognize the economic hardship millions of families face, through circumstances (i.e., a global pandemic) not of their own making. Given the recent...

“Cancel police! Cancel student loans! Cancel all bills! Cancel work! Free houses for all! Playtime for all!” These are not words overheard near a group of obnoxious high schoolers, these are the political calls of the modern left. “FREE! FREE! FREE! Everything should be FREE!” These are your elected officials. “Money doesn’t grow on trees, naive one,” you might say to an immature teenager who asks for free stuff. But what do you say to a fuzzy-brained adult making the same demands, who also happens to have power over your wallet? An unthinkable conundrum is our reality: the dumbest people...

Some of America's most beautiful spaces -- our colleges and university campuses -- are closed and empty these days. Schools have canceled their spring semesters and commencements because of the COVID-19 virus; classrooms, dormitories and athletic facilities have been closed. Students at many institutions are told that they can continue to access instruction online. But exams and grades have been canceled in many cases, and one suspects that online viewership will be sporadic and concentration intermittent. But students shouldn't hover around their home mailboxes waiting for an envelope with a tuition rebate check. And students -- and parents -- who...

U.S. Sen. Rand Paul wants to combat the rising debt load engulfing college students by allowing families to use their retirement savings to pay off their loans. The Kentucky Republican introduced federal legislation late Monday that would allow students to dip into retirement accounts to help pay for college or make monthly debt payments. Under his bill, individuals could to take up to $5,250 — tax and penalty free — from their 401(k) or IRA each year, and their parents could divert thousands more. Americans collectively owe about $1.5 trillion in student loans — more than twice the total of...

Bernie Sanders is terribly upset about a tax cut which kept taxes at zero for one-half of the population and decreased taxes for the wealthy. Now Bernie wants to eliminate student loan debt for neurosurgeons earning $350,000 a year, along with eliminating student loan debt for all who borrowed to go to go to college. Holy socialism, how does this make any sense? Is his student debt plan about helping those who need help or about garnering votes and political contributions? In 2016, no single person with adjusted gross income of over $80,000 or married person with adjusted gross income...

Two-thirds of employees report regrets about their advanced degrees, as Americans question the high cost of higher education. Student loan debt has ballooned to nearly $1.6 trillion nationwide in 2019, topping the list of regrets for employees. Science, technology, engineering or math majors, who are more likely to enjoy higher salaries, were least likely to report regrets, while those in the humanities were most likely. A college education is still considered a pathway to higher lifetime earnings and gainful employment for Americans. Nevertheless, two-thirds of employees report having regrets when it comes to their advanced degrees, according to a PayScale...

It’s the greatest crisis facing the country today and threatens not only the present, but the future as well. It’s not the national debt, terrorism, nuclear proliferation, climate change, health care, or any of the other issues Democratic candidates for president routinely ramble about, no. This is something far more serious – people making informed, really bad choices. And the Democratic Party is rallying to their defense. Out of pure self-loathing, I watched most of the 5-hour lovefest on CNN Monday with Democratic candidates for president. One hour each for Amy Klobuchar, Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, Kamala Harris and Pete...

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau said on Monday it had ordered National Collegiate Student Loan Trusts and their debt collector, Transworld Systems, Inc to pay at least $21.6 million in penalties and restitution for illegally filing debt collection lawsuits. According to the agency, the companies allegedly sued borrowers without being able to prove the debt was owed or pursued collection on loans that were too old to sue over, and relied on false and misleading legal documents. The CFPB said the trusts had filed at least 486 lawsuits on debt where the statute of limitations for...

About 70% of Los Angeles high school graduates enroll in two- or four-year colleges, but only 25% graduate within six years. ... it’s hard to assess recent district efforts that could be seen as pushing in different directions. On one hand, the district is touting higher standards: a high school graduation requirement that all students pass the courses necessary for applying to a four-year state college. On the other hand, the district requires a grade of D only in these classes and the colleges require a C or better to apply. The district also offers an array of “credit recovery”...

For those of you who are unaware, America is facing a student loan disaster. The facts are frightening. Student debt is now in excess of $1.2 trillion. Yes, TRILLION. To put that in perspective, student debt is more than the total of all of America’s credit card debt. Now comes the really bad news.Twenty-five percent of those with student debt are in delinquency or default…that is, right now American taxpayers are on the hook for $300 billion, or approximately $1000 for every man, woman and child in this country.Yes, you, your spouse and your 4-year-old child who has yet...

Total U.S. student debt now topples credit card debt, surpassing the $1 trillion threshold in 2012. Each year a new class of students graduates from college; however, many of those graduates do not find jobs that can adequately allow them to pay back the hefty loans. (For related reading, see: Student Debt Passes $1 Trillion: Is College Worth the Investment?) A new report by the Education Department highlights the student debt epidemic. Not only is more than $200 billion in student debt owed to the federal government, several borrowers are woefully behind on making payments. The recent statement from the...

Fox Business host Neil Cavuto engaged a scholar in earnest Socratic dialogue Thursday. Keely Mullen is a national organizer for #MillionStudentMarch, a movement that demands “tuition-free public college, cancellation of all student debt, and a $15 minimum wage for all campus workers” in response to the crisis caused by rapacious corporate education. “#MillionStudentMarch is a movement for a more equitable and fair system of education as opposed to the really corporate model we have right now,” Mullen said. Mullen is a graduate of the prestigious Francis W. Parker School and political science student at Northeastern University, according to her LinkedIn...