Ron Paul says he would do away with Federal Student Loans???

wellendowed1911's Avatar
Ok there are some things that Ron Paul has proposed that I think are good ideas- but this one surely isn't: Ron Paul states his reasoning for fading out college loans: http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com...student-loans/
Now I agree that college tuition is skyrocketing faster than inflation, but how will students who are not affluent pay for college? Now Paul states that students can work there way through school- but that would only be possible if tuition was cut drastically and if that happens how do institutions pay their bills and/or pay their professor's salary amongst other things?
So Ron Paul thinks that someone without a college education making minimum wage should pay their way through college? He's just pandering to the right wing of the Republican Party. Again, I like some of Ron Paul's ideas but this one is completely ridiculous. This is just another way of keeping uneducated people uneducated and easy to manipulate. Nothing new, it's been going on in 3rd world countries for many years and it works. I guess this is another way of bringing the US to 3rd world status by both of our parties - one through spending money we don't have and the other one by making sure less people become educated so we can become even less competitive in the global market.
wellendowed1911's Avatar
So Ron Paul thinks that someone without a college education making minimum wage should pay their way through college? He's just pandering to the right wing of the Republican Party. Again, I like some of Ron Paul's ideas but this one is completely ridiculous. This is just another way of keeping uneducated people uneducated and easy to manipulate. Nothing new, it's been going on in 3rd world countries for many years and it works. I guess this is another way of bringing the US to 3rd world status by both of our parties - one through spending money we don't have and the other one by making sure less people become educated so we can become even less competitive in the global market. Originally Posted by thehobbydude
I agree and if someone thinks this is a good idea please let me know- the only way this would even work is if you were to reduce tuition to a level of a community college and if you truly want America to be destroyed- do as much as you can to prevent people from getting education- Paul is really out there on this topic.
waverunner234's Avatar
Lol GOPPIES are just running out of ideas how to get attention and how to beat Obama.
We'll probably see more idiot ideas from all of them. It's just pathetic.
I'm watching it all happen with a growing smile on my face.
Not that I'm so for Obama, I'd rather see Hillary run, but still...................
It's just amusing. That's by the way the only reason why I follow this stuff, its first class entertainment.
wellendowed1911's Avatar
Lol GOPPIES are just running out of ideas how to get attention and how to beat Obama.
We'll probably see more idiot ideas from all of them. It's just pathetic.
I'm watching it all happen with a growing smile on my face.
Not that I'm so for Obama, I'd rather see Hillary run, but still...................
It's just amusing. That's by the way the only reason why I follow this stuff, its first class entertainment. Originally Posted by waverunner234
I can't wait to hear from CPT SAVAJO on this one lol
  • Laz
  • 10-30-2011, 10:10 PM
College costs have risen far faster than inflation for over 30 years that I have been paying attention. Ask yourself why. Have the actual costs increased that rapidly? If so why? Most classes do not require any fancy high cost equipment to teach. So what has driven the cost up? The only difference is government intervention that made it possible for students to pay more. A person used to be able to work and earn enough to pay their way through college. With costs the way they are now that is not possible with the exception of community colleges where the costs have stayed low.

Ron Paul's proposal is of course getting the knee jerk reaction that he is heartless when the opposit is true. Colleges have to charge rates students can afford to pay. If that ability to pay goes down they will find ways to make it affordable. The other side is how many kids graduate college now tens of thousands of dollars in debt with a degree that will not get them a job that pays enough to make that debt affordable. Is that actually helping them?

This nation needs to completely overhaul the education system and think of new better lower cost ways that accomplish the objective. We graduate kids from high school unprepared for college even though we spend massive amounts on public education. These expensive feel good programs that do not actually do good need to stop.
cptjohnstone's Avatar
it use to be 75% state and federal funding but now it is 25%. And with the cut back in salarys. prof's raised text books 3X
TexTushHog's Avatar
Actually, he's a libertarian so I suspect that he believes that this is the correct thing to do. He would end anything that the government does except law enforcement and defending the beaches.
CuteOldGuy's Avatar
Works for me.
CuteOldGuy's Avatar
Actually, getting the federal government out of the school loan business, which really isn't authorized under the Constitution (but no one cares about that) is a good idea. One reason that education has gotten more expensive is that someone else is paying for it. When I was in school, my neighbor had a huge school loan debt, and she was getting a masters in recreation. That will never be paid off.

If the private sector were making loans (assuming the private sector is less corrupt than it is now), the lender could evaluate the loan in light of the major and potential ability to repay the loan. If we must have government loans, let the state governments do it, there is no Constitutional limitation to what states can do, and it is likely that the state would be better able to monitor compliance.
blue3122's Avatar
The notion that someone could earn minimum wage and work their way through college has been romanticized out of proportion. The minimum wage did not top $4.00 until 1990. In the early 1980s, at one of the least expensive public universities (where I went), tuition was $2500 per year, room and board another $4000. Books another $500. And that doesn't include money for gas, supplies (and in engineering, the supplies were not cheap), incidentals (beer, condoms, jack daniels). So let's assume a 1980s student could make more than minimum wage and make $4.00 per hour and work 40 hours per week. And work 50 weeks per year. A whopping $8000 per year. Let's not forget Uncle Sam is going to take about 5-6% (let's use 5) in SSN and Medicare.. Plus about 5% in federal taxes. So that drops take home to about $600 per month. Not enough to cover. Then you have to factor in the concept of working 40 hours and taking a full course load. Very, very few students could do that and pass. At least not at a decent university. I did know some students working their way through. They were on the 8 or 9 year plan. Most of them lived with their parents for one year and worked, then came to school for one year and lived like church mice. The average student spent about $12,000 per year (early 80s) at a very inexpensive public university. So doing away with student loans is going to make students become more creative. If this does happen, and I believe it should, you should see a rise in applicants for ROTC scholarships, also a rise in enlistment in the military because the GI bill is still a great deal. Also, maybe some jobs currently filled by illegal immigrants will be filled by erstwhile students who need the money.
The private sector could still make these loans, they do to medical students and law students.