Opinion: Student loan forgiveness? Bring it on

Clark County resident and long-time journalist Marvin Case shares his thoughts on the president’s attempt to seek a legal way to reduce or dismiss student college loan debts

Marvin Case
for Clark County Today

President Biden continues to seek a legal way to reduce or dismiss student college loan debts, having so far been blocked by constitutional issues raised by the U.S. Supreme Court. I say, show me the money! Let me explain.

Whatever President Biden and the federal government eventually do about student loans, it needs to be equitable among all students. That’s my main point: equity among all students.

Over the years, some students borrowed money to attend college while others worked night and day to pay for college as they went. All of those students need to be treated equally.

I graduated from college in 1965. I was in the category of working night and day to pay for it. I worked summers, of course, and I worked at a store and at a restaurant during each school year, at least 25 hours a week. By working so much, I missed out on many college activities. My grades suffered.

What is the difference between me, who worked constantly to pay for college, and someone who borrowed? Why should the borrower now be rewarded and not me? True equity would mean paying back students who managed to pay for college without borrowing.

I suppose an argument could be made to pay off loans and college expenses of only low income students. I was certainly low income during college. My family could not afford to pay anything toward my college education. Other families could pay and did. So maybe President Biden should pay off current loans for low income students, and then pay back people like myself who were very low income at the time of college attendance. And how far back would a pay-back program go? Should taxpayers reimburse me for my college expenses even though that took place more than 50 years ago?

Of course my college expenses will never be repaid by taxpayers. I suggest that only to make a point.

I am serious, however, about equity. It is simply terribly unfair to pay off existing student loans and not compensate those who worked hard, sacrificed, and maybe took more than four years to graduate while paying their own way. Many students these days work full-time and attend college part-time paying their tuition and fees as they go. It is truly unfair to pay off loans for students who willingly borrowed money rather than work, while in effect penalizing responsible students who paid their own way.

Despite working many hours during college, I greatly enjoyed my college experiences. I lived on campus at Willamette University until I could no longer afford it. I obtained used books. I made do with old clothing. I could not afford a car to get to work each day so I rode a bicycle and later saved up for a small motorcycle. Above all, I greatly benefited from the compassion of experienced and encouraging professors. And I earned a Bachelor’s degree in four years.

About a year ago, I wrote to President Biden, expressing my thoughts on equity and explaining that many students like myself sacrificed a lot to attend college without family financial help and without borrowing. Those graduates now contribute to society as much or more than those who graduated with debts to banks or the federal government. Where is the fairness? I did not receive a reply from the president.

In our system of government, Congress makes new laws and sets policies, and the executive branch, headed by the president, is charged with carrying out those laws and policies. Pres. Biden has not even tried to gain Congressional approval for a loan payment program. And why not? Because the Congress would not likely pass such legislation, partly because of the billions of dollars it would take to do so. Isn’t there a lesson there? If the Congress would not approve a loan payment program, is it “right” for the president to do it anyway?

It is fairly easy for students to obtain loans. And colleges know that. Some people argue that readily-available loans have contributed to rapid growth in college budgets and tuition. If Pres. Biden and the government find a legal way to pay down student loans or pay them off altogether, loans might become even easier to get. Who would pay their own way when borrowing is easy and loans need not be paid back? And college becomes “free.”

Marvin Case can be reached by email at marvincase@msn.com.