A Lifetime Of Student Debt Not Likely Summary

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According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate for those who attain a high school diploma is 9.3 percent while those earning a bachelor’s degree is only 4.4 percent (Wilson 261). Given these statistics, working to attain a bachelor’s degree may seem like the most reasonable decision to make in order to be successful; however, attending college can be pricey and could require student loans. In her article “A Lifetime of Student Debt? Not Likely,” author Robin Wilson, a reporter for the Chronicle of Higher Education, portrays student loans as a smart investment for all students to make in order to live a comfortable life (256-73). Wilson suggests that student loans are beneficial when used wisely because many families manage them, higher salaries pay them, and irresponsible students abuse them. Wilson believes that maintaining payments for student debt is manageable and many families pay off debts while living comfortably. For example, Wilson shares information about the Carter family; a …show more content…
The essence of Wilson’s argument is that students who have trouble paying off student debt put themselves in the wrong position when they choose colleges out of their budget (258). Wilson shares a quote from Mark Kantrowitz, publisher of a website about student aid, about students being too selective when choosing colleges. Kantrowitz states, “They 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” (qtd. in Wilson 258). In brief, he thinks students create unnecessary expenses for themselves when they choose colleges they know are too expensive (Wilson 258). The author believes that borrowing money for higher education is only detrimental when students are irresponsible and make selective decisions about which colleges they would like to