• unaredon@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    11
    arrow-down
    6
    ·
    1 year ago

    Not from America so please someone explain to me, I read Biden wanted to forgive student loans but somehow it didn’t get through. Sure it would be much better if the loan is forgiven, but now it is not, shouldn’t you still pay back what is owned? They really think they can just not pay and expect no consequences?

    • Sl00k@programming.dev
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      27
      arrow-down
      3
      ·
      edit-2
      1 year ago

      These loans are out right predatory. I was offered a 12% interest rate 7 years ago and have friends who’ve been offered 16%!!!

      Yes you can say just don’t sign it, but we’re 17 years old we can’t comprehend how much affect a 16% interest rate will have on you in 8 years and you’ve been told all your life college is the goto life path and you have to do this to get a “good job” and live a good life.

      I agree we should payback the money we loaned, but taking advantage of genz via predatory loans for wanting a higher education is downright criminal in itself.

      Adding onto this a lot of us will struggle to make these payments. I have 20k in loans and I haven’t paid a dime on EVER. Now I suddenly have a second car payment out of nowhere!

    • doggle@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      20
      ·
      1 year ago

      Of course everyone involved knows they will face consequences, but they may feel those consequences are better than the payments. Courts can’t garnish paychecks that don’t exist and a ruined credit rating only matters if you were ever going to be able to afford to buy a house or car in the first place. Afaik actual jail time isn’t really a thing for defaulting on a loan. If the only leverage the government has to get people to pay the loan is to threaten their future financial security, then anyone who thinks the initial promises of security is bogus has nothing to lose.

      There’s also some people who are willing to take the hit just to send a political message.

      That said, I suspect nowhere near 62% of borrowers will actually meaningfully boycott in any way.

      • pinkdrunkenelephants
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        5
        ·
        1 year ago

        Debtor’s prisons are actually unconstitutional so they could never jail you for refusing to pay any loan.

      • mommykink@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        7
        arrow-down
        4
        ·
        edit-2
        1 year ago

        This. For all the shit he did, Trump expanded the executive powers through EO more than any modern president ever has. Biden could have 100% EO’d student loan forgiveness, damned the consequences but chose not to.

      • TheWoozy@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        5
        arrow-down
        4
        ·
        1 year ago

        Biden not only wanted too, but he made sure he had a backup plan. He found a loophole in Clinton era legislation that allows a president to create income based repayment plans. It’s not quite forgiveness, but it’s the best he can do with Republicans controlling the house. https://apnews.com/article/student-loans-debt-college-cancellation-forgiveness-34152bb5000128a413efd2287887a37a

        If you want true loan forgiveness, vote Democratic.

          • singron@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            2
            ·
            1 year ago

            If the next president reverses the order, then all these people are in the same position and might owe additional interest. Banks know this, so they will hold it against anyone seeking credit. Congress doesn’t even have to vote.

            With the income based repayment, they aren’t considered delinquent on their loans, interest doesn’t build, and there is a path towards having the debt forgiven eventually.

        • StunningGoggles@sh.itjust.works
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          3
          arrow-down
          1
          ·
          1 year ago

          The Democrats controlled both the house and the Senate for a time and didn’t get it done, or am I misremembering the Democrats controlling both?

          • TheWoozy@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            2
            ·
            1 year ago

            When you take Sens Manchin & Sinema into concideration, their control was very weak. It’s a miracle the got the IRA done. It was a big F*ing deal.