An in-depth look at student loan debt

ABC News’ Elizabeth Schulze speaks to two people who are carrying student loan debt years after their college days.
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[@michael86ishable]

Paying $200,000 for a degree In social work is insanity! Consider the ROI before you bury yourself in debt

[@StevenHearndon]

Agreed. I'm astounded at the student loan debt that some people have accumulated for a degree and a career that will not justify that expense. Don't get me wrong, social work is important. But the education required for that should not be anywhere close to $200K+. And I would guess there are ways to get there without spending that much, as in choosing a different school.

[@bt4857]

not everyone understands this, especially at 18. college has been pitched to young people as the path the financial freedom, and it’s insane that we expect kids who are not yet old enough to drink to make such a massive financial decision. don’t get me wrong, i think if you’re going to go to college you should be thinking about the ROI, but i really find it silly to expect a child with little to no financial or work experience to really understand that. we need to fundamentally change how we view college as a society, perhaps less people should be going. but that means more jobs should be available to those without a degree. fewer people are gonna go into debt to study social work if less jobs in the field expected that education

[@kidneycarecoaching3766]

No doubt

[@jimfranzetti4679]

Very well said Michael!

[@crazykaitlyn]

I'm gonna throw up not even 200, 240k

[@katiem4539]

When we were all young, teachers and PARENTS all told us that college was the way to a shining life on the hill. An entire generation gave up anything and everything to go to college and get degrees. We got degrees, and now they essentially mean nothing to employers. It’s the bare minimum, and now everyone is saddled with debt and it’s so unfair.

[@DoodleThis]

Exactly!!! We were basically brainwashed into thinking we HAD to go to college but then I sadly learned that many employers don’t care of you have a degree or not. They only care if you have experience or not.

[@tduck828]

You know you don't have to take out loans to go to college right?? Too bad there isn't a class for common sense...

[@joshhoward1289]

Our younger generations are getting brainwashed about a lot of things these days.

[@MariaCrowley]

⁠@@tduck828not sure if you realize but most college students nor their parents have $7000+ sitting around to pay out of pocket for their tuition each semester. Some parents have more than one kid in college. That’s why many people had to take out loans including myself.

[@oprrrah3498]

Money was borrowed. Nobody put a gun to your head. How is that unfair?

[@desflores5157]

She poses a good argument but in addition to that, why not attack the root of the issue? Colleges charging astronomical attendance fees while during covid most were asking for students to attend class virtually. With advances in technology If we can educate our people virtually, why should they be allowed to charge $40-50k+ a year. Set a max amount a school can charge.

[@joshhoward1289]

This is the leftists’ football…their golden goose…they control the universities, the teachers’ unions, and big govt that backs the loans. People are too blind to see this is all on purpose. Make you financially dependent on govt.

[@jceddy1]

80% of debt is held by people with post bachelor degrees. You're not going into debt to the tune of 200k if you go to community college for 2years and then state college.

[@tindee3052]

Your right.

[@mirandataylor6385]

Doesn’t matter. We all need to demand a solution and be on the same page. This debt will collapse our economy and end capitalism as we know it. It also makes it harder for the US to sell our debt and keeps interest rates high for all of us. No one wins in this situation, we are all going to lose together.

[@davissmith3542]

Great point. I think it is hard to feel extremely sorry for someone who took on 200k of debt to study social work, but the realization that this is crippling our society is important@@mirandataylor6385

[@Jlp02]

Not many of us was able to get in to the state colleges or even survive to transfer being in community college. That’s why we go to private universities.

[@frankchen4229]

@@Jlp02 private universities are a scam for the first year or two.

[@jayjones7891]

Please tell me why it costs $200,000 for a Master's in Social work? And why did he choose that knowing that? This is bad decision on top of bad decisions. People like that should not be bailed out.

[@bryanbrasile2703]

I see where you're coming from...but that solution leads to only rich people becoming doctors and lawyers etc. Doesn't sound great to me. Need to address the cost of education

[@BTrain-is8ch]

@@bryanbrasile2703 Doctors and lawyers and architects and engineers make money well in excess of the cost of acquiring their credentials. They aren't the ones begging for handouts. Only rich people can afford to blow 4-6 years to get a masters in underwater basket weaving? Hm that doesn't really sound like a problem.

[@JamesAllen-xk8bc]

A masters degree in social work? WTF?

[@GreatValueBleach]

Dude is an idiot and deserves it.

[@jimfranzetti4679]

There are ways to get a masters degree in social work on the cheap. Two years of community college, and two years at a state school get you a bachelors degree. There are State schools That offer a masters in social work as well. This guy should’ve looked at return on investment. For a job that doesn’t pay well like social work it is not worth going into several hundred thousand dollars worth of debt.

[@scoobie8amg]

People want to blame students but everyone knows its outrageous to give 18 year old kids loans they will need to take their whole lives to pay off. Its not worth it and its not fair.

[@TrinhNguyen-sh4fj]

To be fair, no one is forcing you to take those federal loans and you should know how much you need. I took out loans and I paid it all off. You have to remember that it is not free money but money you need to pay back with interest.

[@jceddy1]

It's the students fault more then the tax payers!

[@mirandataylor6385]

@@TrinhNguyen-sh4fjthere should be zero interest.

[@njpme]

Well they shouldn't go to uni if they don't have the money if loans should not be an option. It's that simple

[@TrinhNguyen-sh4fj]

@@mirandataylor6385 We all wish that but sadly it is not so simple.

[@suther0938]

He know how much it cost. He choose that degree that did not pay enough. You made it, pay it

[@SourStrawberrys]

It actually sounds to me that he went to a private or out of state univerity based on the amount of loans he took out. Had he went to a school in state or one that wasn't private, his loans would have been significantly less. So actually, that isn't 'how much it cost' that was how much he choice to spend based on making poor decisions.

[@user-ex2yt1pl6u]

None of these people told me when they signed up for a student loan. For some reason, everywhere I turn now, someone is telling me about the trials and tribulations they are experiencing paying what they owe.

[@elchapojr6219]

Government would never excess student loans lol it’s there biggest money maker

[@SourStrawberrys]

First of all, you let yourself down because you made the mistake of majoring in something useless like social work. Secondly, you took out way too much money in loans for such a degree. I majored in Mechanical Engineering and only took out about $35,000 in loans. At the end of the day, which major is going to get paid more in their career field? Someone with a Bachelors in Mechanical Engineering or someone with a Masters in Social Work? There is no way I would have took out anywhere close to $275,000. That huge burden that you cannot get yourself out of is something you created by not using common sense. Not every degree is equal. If you cannot make enough with it to pay it back, it is not worth getting. Also, lets be real here, no amount of student debt relief is going even be able to put a dent in the amount you owe back. At least for me that 20K would have been very benefitual to paying back my loan. However, for yours it would have just been a waste of effort. You will still own close to $250,000.

[@diannebee]

Agree 10000000%!!People wanna act like a victim AFTER what’s already been done instead of sucking it up and doing the work to pay it off! I’m so tired of everyone acting like spoiled entitled brats. Yes you can whine but do that for a day, roll up your sleeves and sacrifice and pay them off instead of going on the news whining about how Biden let you down bc he didn’t pay your loans. Be the hero of your own story and quit relying on others for the poor choices you’ve made and acting like the govt owes you something. Ughhhh 😂😂 rant over lol

[@christiansoto9755]

Probably chose a prestigious school which in itself is pretty stupid. Only STEM fields should consider over 100K loans because they can actually pay them back. Research shows that no one cares where you went to school, they only look at the degree and make sure it;s not one of those for profit schools.

[@hl4374]

It’s crazy how all the essential that gives quality of life are ridiculously expensive in U.S. Other developed countries offer very affordable medical expenses, social services, and free university tuitions. There’s nothing that is affordable in U.S, except for processed food.

[@joshhoward1289]

Other countries don’t have as corrupt a govt as US, nor do they pay huge sums to a military industrial complex.

[@keithpalmer4547]

correct

[@jimfranzetti4679]

It’s because the United States gives out so much money to foreign countries. Why do you think the national debt is so high?

[@hl4374]

@@jimfranzetti4679 it’s not only US that gives so much money to foreign countries.

[@sagitarriulus9773]

I bet someone with loans would have a political bias for loan reform

[@suther0938]

She got a degree of art, for over $100000.00, paint something and pay your debt

[@SourStrawberrys]

I'm surpised you even have a high school diploma if you think that is what an Arts degree consist of. You're only showing your lack of intellegence. An Arts degree could also be someone who is a business major, genius.

[@BTrain-is8ch]

@@SourStrawberrys "Business" is another one of those dime a dozen majors with highly questionable ROI.

[@karen341]

Now I can see how selfish she is. She has money to save for her kid's education, but not to pay her own debt. This is insane

[@BlkWillow28]

I'm happy someone caught that. She should have put that money towards her own loans the entire time the payments were paused. What was she thinking?

[@BTrain-is8ch]

But we should be a nation of progress where I get the government to take your money and then use it to pay for my poor choices. Progress!

[@MilesEdgeworth129]

@@BTrain-is8ch Progress, as in we all pitch in to maximize societal wellbeing for the masses, and investing in its future. If you're not going to contribute to society as a whole, then you don't deserve to be part of it.

[@BTrain-is8ch]

@@MilesEdgeworth129 Rewarding people for layering bad decision on top of bad decision is not progress. It's called creating moral hazards. Progress starts with not being a hinderance to people that are making good decisions. There was a time when being a burden on society was a truly shameful state. Unfortunately now burdens have become entitled.

[@MilesEdgeworth129]

@@BTrain-is8ch So going to college is now a "bad decision"? Are you even living on the same planet?

[@joelabella750]

“Man, I’m already stressed out to the max @ $350.00 with 3 of all of my credit cards I can only imagine at these students carrying balances of 100’s of $1,000’s and knowing that you can’t even discharge these unpaid student loan debts from declaring Bankruptcy meaning these will follow you to your grave & when you’re already buried!”

[@Chrissy_Hills]

Student loans are definitely predatory, especially now considering that the DOE has began cutting the Federal Pell grant program. A lot more students aren’t getting financial aid, and most students and parents cannot afford to pay $10K a semester or year for tuition costs. Most students are going to have to take out student loans at one point. Especially for all of these STEM degrees, most of them require graduate education at the very least. However, I must say for this video particular $240,000 in student loans just for a masters of social work is not worth it in my opinion. I was hoping that was some type of law or Dental degree that he went and got because that’s just too much for social work. They don’t even make that amount anywhere for social work.

[@BTrain-is8ch]

Bull. Engineers/Software Developers aka the people making up much of the "STEM" stats can graduate and make good money on a bachelors degree and frequently a masters degree might represent negligible or negative ROI. People aren't doing their homework. If you don't know what career path is open to you, what that field's growth looks like, what those people make to start, what they make at five years, what they make mid career you haven't done your homework. Student loans aren't predatory. They're just one of those places in life that doesn't suffer fools and unfortunately we have a lot of those.

[@myrlandemichel9222]

Why they kept on sending for the war in ukraine and Israel and ppl in usa didn’t get nothing from the billions trillions etc etc?

[@denniedollreborn8711]

He knowingly took the money out. It’s on him

[@mirandataylor6385]

Doesn’t matter. We all need to demand a solution and be on the same page. This debt will collapse our economy and end capitalism as we know it. It also makes it harder for the US government to sell our debt and keeps interest rates high for all of us. No one wins in this situation, we are all going to lose together.

[@BrandonStephenson-gp6tf]

So glad I used the GI bill to go to trade school and learn a trade. 0 student loan debt making $70k/yr in a relatively low cost of living area.

[@worldofz00]

How many hours a week do you work, if you don’t mind me asking? Also, are your hours relatively stable? Trying to explore other options as corporate life frequently takes advantage of personal time.

[@BrandonStephenson-gp6tf]

40 hours a week. M-F 7am-3pm and on call one weekend/month. @@worldofz00

[@LancerXDS]

While they are working on student debt cancelation. Lets work on getting all the house mortgages cancelation as well. Its fair since we want free college n free house right

[@tindee3052]

That’s different.

[@SourStrawberrys]

Not the same whatsoever, a more educated nation makes the nation more powerful. You having a house does nothing for the nation, that is optional. Think about it, the most powerful nations in the world are the most educated ones. Having more people in higher education benefits us all rather than only having people being qualified to flip burgers and ring up groceries.

[@2384539]

I find what you said very peculiar because it was the government that cancelled mortgages with tax dollars, and the tax payers didn't have a say in that decision. The big banks and insurance companies couldn't continue their sub-prime mortgage scheme that preyed on the poor working class. Didn't take even a week for the banks to get their money then.

[@epgymguy]

Did you correct Lopez and tell him it wasn’t Bidens fault that it was the Supreme Courts?

[@njpme]

There is no fault. It just wasn't legal.

[@elchapojr6219]

Dave Ramsey please come to the rescue

[@gabrieljohnson1969]

Caller to the Ramsey show: Hi Dave. I’m $230,000 in student loan debt and I only make $60,000. I owe $20,000 on my car and $15,000 in credit card debt. Dave Ramsey: Go on beans and rice, sell the cat, the dog, and tell the kids they need to increase their incomes

[@jceddy1]

​@@gabrieljohnson1969he would say "230k? What kind of doctor are you?" Lol

[@gabrieljohnson1969]

@@jceddy1 and the funny part is, this caller is neither a doctor or lawyer. She majored in communications with a minor in lesbian dance theory😂😂😂

[@elchapojr6219]

In all seriousness a lot of people go school and don’t have any idea about student loans 😂

[@SBayrd]

"An In-Depth Look at Student Loan Debt" (4:11 minutes)

[@DHonore]

Omg!!! I was going to write that loo

[@arslanmalik151]

Did you not get a PT time in high school or college to pay of this bill

[@deepconcealmentholsters783]

So basically, you have a mother of four who went to college took loans out to get a better paying job and now doesn’t want to pay it back. And the taxpayers who are struggling themselves they want to use their money to pay their loans off so now they’re debt-free but you’re in debt even more, how does that make sense if you take the loan out, you should pay it back

[@vmarsfiles]

Spending 200k in a masters degree thats supposed to open more opportunities only to make 30k a year is crazy to me. Debt is out of hand because college is charging 100k a year for undergrad studies!

[@CynNiki]

this sounds like trying to vote your way out of debt

[@minhc.1453]

I spent a decade paying my student loan. If you borrow, it's your responsibility to pay, not the government.

[@Mavryck_Tha_Myghty]

You really believed he’d be able to “forgive” student loan debt? 😂 Let this be a lesson to you. Politicians do not fulfil promises.

[@xantanatravels23]

When I was 18 my aunt said she would pay for my university. She was out of state. The day before classes started I was hit with a 10k bill. She told me to take the loan. I didn’t and went back home and went to community college $300 a class. I didn’t even want to go to college but society and family said it was the way.

[@American_2]

stupid aunt I'd tell ya

[@matt19wk]

These ppl made bad decisions and want the rest of us to pay for it. Guess what. We aren’t. Pay your bills. It’s not about progress it’s about responsibility.

[@HeadStronger-HS]

They always find social work or ethnic studies degrees to report on because their salaries are so low.

[@elchapojr6219]

First of all make a budget then once you do that get on the every dollar app and work you but off stop investing until you pay off your debt

[@managingmonasmoula9811]

These individuals signed on the dotted line and took out loans. Now they can work to pay them off. Investing and savings is just insane when they have so much debt! It is ridiculous! And now they don’t want to pay their loans back or cannot afford to and want the good old government and other taxpayers to foot the bills. How the heck is that justified? So general taxpayer funds would be used to pay these individuals loans? I don’t agree with that. I did not sign on for student loans so the adult who signed can pay for them.

[@18marshmello]

You do know that PPP loans that most of Congress got for their businesses was funded by taxpayers right? And they didn’t have to pay that back they got millions. We have no say where our tax dollars go

[@stacik2636]

Why don’t they just get rid of the interest? Obviously, I know why. It’s the interest that is a killer!

[@miafaucher9617]

I am sorry but no one twisted that woman's arms to get a degree from CU in ART!! She chose to go to an expensive school but in the same breath talking about saving money for her own kids and not pay off her own debt. Talk about entitlement

[@Andrina-fl9ef]

If student loans aren't to be forgiven, I don't see why bankruptcy is allowed either.

[@theclown888]

I will also be voting on this issue. If you support student loan “forgiveness,” you lose my vote.

[@burritobandit1427]

Thank god I didn’t go to college

[@queeniequeen949]

Good!! College is a rip off. 🙄😐💯👎🏾 #neveragain

[@TrinhNguyen-sh4fj]

I went but I luckily got mine all paid off.

[@TrinhNguyen-sh4fj]

@@queeniequeen949Do you regret going to college?

[@queeniequeen949]

@@TrinhNguyen-sh4fj well, yes. To think that having a business degree opens doors for more job opportunities. I guess I was wrong. I’ve been wanting to start my own business but I’ve spent 12 years working for others. Now, I gotta find out other ways to make this degree work for me.

[@career5690]

Some states have tuition free college.

[@uscitizen1035]

Seems unethical and irresponsible for these people to voluntarily take out student loans and now expect the taxpayers to pay it off for them.

[@1p4142136]

When I was a kid I was told to drink 8 bottles of water a day. What a lie.

[@toniyettawatson2391]

0:05

[@ujayet]

This lady… I can’t pay my student loan debt.. also her… my kids will be in college also so they can repeat the same mistakes I made cause I love the cycle.😅

[@NoDebtNoDrama]

the crazy thing is for Sarah that the 7.65% interest is the apr and not the life of the loan, I would love to help asap and cancel interest on your student loans that have interest and not in default. i focus on helping and may be able to cut in half. not magic, not double payments.

[@user19603]

You knew how much it was going to cost now you need to pay for it. No forgiveness on student loans

[@terencenelson1950]

I need my debt to be relieved And I don't have student loans should my debt be relieved? I got a house and a car.

[@vitiligogirl1037]

She better pull that money she saving for her girls and pay her loans off..

[@matthiaslee14thchannel96]

That is the student

[@tammyhardy2810]

Ha, my payment is almost $3,000 a month. We may not be able to keep our house!!!

[@Frugal_fitchic]

Look into the income based repayment plan. You have to consolidate your loans through the federal government which I think MOHELA is the main place they’re using now.

[@Olliethegolden]

It’s your fault if you take out loans for a Masters of Arts degree lol

[@yasmeennasir8286]

In social work😮

[@Mathias3279]

It's really hard to feel bad for people that spent like $200,000 for a Bachelors of Arts. They all hate to admit it, but in reality their plan failed and their income isn't quite what they thought it would be. If they had landed that sweet consulting gig and the education actually paid off, they would keep quiet. However, it's only after years in the workforce, struggling to advance their career, that they realize their mistake and turn to a higher power for a bail out

[@streamfisher7472]

You agreed and signed papers that you would pay back your student loan debt. So why are you mad you have to pay it back?

[@karimbennett5651]

Agreeing to pay $300K for a Social Work degree, then feeling “let down” by the President? Can we say cognitive dissonance?

[@deepconcealmentholsters783]

Oh my God the lady has anxiety because she took out a loan to go to college and now she has four kids and struggles. What about the people who got a mortgage do you don’t think they have any anxiety should the government pay off my mortgage I mean come on give me a break.

[@rogerlombardo96]

All students loans need to be paid back and teachers retirement need to garnished if not paid back,

[@cheezybred]

It makes me sick to my stomach that a social workers made a choice to take 200k in loans then tries to have the government fix his problems

[@suther0938]

It not a degrees that pays. So if you have that degree. Good luck. Thanks for relying

[@DoktorSchaedel]

This dude needs to be locked up in arkham asylum. 240k for a social work degree is insane

[@dannyleo4791]

😂😂

[@sionrouge1697]

People are crazy. They dont want the goverment in their lives until they want thr goverment in their lives

[@josephjohnson1057]

I'd like all these kids who get loan forgiveness to pay my car note for me.

[@Data_Science_Weekly]

This guy went to Columbia? He should have chosen hostos community College instead

[@midnightcaptain8344]

2:39 so basically she feels that she just shouldn’t have to pay her own bills. ‘Progress’ only means ‘free ride’ or ‘you pay my bills for me lol’ to her. Lazy losers. I feel bad for her kids, they’ll definitely be taught to demand handouts from others too.

[@jimfranzetti4679]

I disagree wholeheartedly with the woman in this video that feels it’s more “progressive” for her student loans to be forgiven! If they forgive her loans, then the government needs to give money out to those people who worked their tails off to pay off their loans in previous years. My niece chose to pursue an education in something that has the potential to be lucrative but unfortunately she will have quite a bit of student debt. She’s going to work an undesirable job for five years that pays well in order to get her loan paid off. While she loves her boyfriend, she refuses to marry him and start a family until these loans are paid off. Why didn’t the woman in this video do the same thing? Why is it my responsibility as a taxpayer to have to incurred these costs?

[@diannebee]

Sorry about your debt Mario but you should have thought about that before pulling out a loan for a masters in social work. And stop relying on the government to save you or to give you your freedom, debt was your own personal choice. Pay it back. People live in lalaland and don’t wanna accept their own responsibility for their OWN choices NO ONE MADE you take out loans.

[@rainbowsunshinekitty3953]

So instead of continuing to pay their student loans during the pause they put that money somewhere else. Can't buy smarts.

[@Rodgerball]

Why didn’t he get a degree in a “ hard science”. Because a masters in social work is useless.

[@lilblackfish2009]

fools for going to collage

[@SourStrawberrys]

College was the best thing that happened to me. I feel bad for you fools who don't. The problem isn't people going to college the problem is people taking out too much loans and majoring in something useless.

[@Frugal_fitchic]

*😂 college

[@abbyc.4215]

I love how people can have tons of children they can't afford and the burden rest on taxpayers, people file for bankruptcy and the burden lies on taxpayers, people want to eat two Big Mac combos every day for 20 years straight until they get heart disease and need 10 medications per day, and well you guessed it, the burden still lies on taxpayers, people choose to smoke a pack of cigarettes per day only for taxpayers to have to pay for their oxygen machines and scooters when they can no longer walk or breathe on their own, millions of people can cross the border every year and have a brand new facility built for them at the taxpayers' expense, etc. It seems as though the unforgivable mistakes are made when the decision involves a person bettering themselves and being for the greater good.

[@user-lw7rp4eb3k]

Simple look in the mirror 🪞. Only you are responsible for your mess.

[@mirandataylor6385]

Doesn’t matter. We all need to demand a solution and be on the same page. This debt will collapse our economy and end capitalism as we know it. It also makes it harder for the US government to sell our debt and keeps interest rates high for all of us. No one wins in this situation, we are all going to lose together.