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Photo of attorneys E. Kelly Conway, Michael E. Gehring and Stephen G. Harvey

Education at a Cost

On Behalf of | Apr 29, 2015 | Blog, Frontpage Article, News

Student loan debt plagues the nation. Over 40 million people in the United States have student loans and approximately 7 million borrowers are in default. Higher education leads to higher paying and more satisfying work for life, but a crushing debt load can consume the pay and kill the satisfaction.

In this article, the New York Times highlights the problems with student loan counseling offered to students. Research has found the information currently provided to students to be confusing and irrelevant. It also assumes a knowledge base that simply isn’t there.

Students need to be educated on the ins and outs of student loans before being asked to take on tens of thousands of dollars in debt. Much time is spent telling students that higher education is crucial to their success, but too often the crushing debt incurred to achieve that education drastically alters the future for students after graduation.

The system needs an overhaul. There are basic changes that can be made in this arena such as more financial counseling while student are in school, face-to-face contact with experts, and different ways of communicating needed information such as videos. Schools and lenders must do a better job educating students about the debt they are taking on and what it means for their future. Because their future is our future.

– Rachel Gallegos

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