Your Say: Is college worth the cost?

Students are having a difficult time paying off college debt. The number of borrowers defaulting on student loans has increased over the past few years. Why?

Facebook comments:

Student loans are the latest bubble of this unsustainable boom/bust economy. This market will crumble just like real estate did in 2008 because in order to pay back loans people need decent paying jobs. If the Federal Reserve is so bent on boosting the economy, why doesn't it take the $40 billion it's using to buy mortgages and instead create jobs directly? Unemployment crisis solved.

Max Mogren

State revenues are down because of the recession. States have drastically cut education over the past several years, shifting costs to students and families. Add that to a thin job market, and we have college-loan-default issues.

This is a very serious situation linked to a sginfiicant long-term driver of our economy — education. Ignoring problems or blaming the victims never solves them.

Tom Kane

People should be able to go to school and pay for their college after they graduate. Although expensive, it's a great way to enhance your education.

Barnie Smith

It's not the taxpayers' fault if kids rake up huge college loans. That was their choice. Too many kids skipped community colleges and their cheaper rates to go to state and private colleges. Colleges need to teach student loans 101 and tell these kids what to expect when their education is done and the payments begin.

Ronald Seamon

Get government out of funding college education. In this economy, an education isn't collateral. Borrow $50,000 for a communications degree? That is not going to get you a high-paying job to pay back your loans. Government is getting involved where it shouldn't.

Jon Rees

Letter to the editor:

In reference to the report on increasing student loan defaults, I am actually trying to pay off my student loans faster by sending extra money to the lender.

A recent extra payment had not posted for three weeks. However, another payment made 10 days after that one was already posted. I discovered the discrepancy by accident and called customer service. They said, "Payments are entered by humans, and sometimes there are mistakes." This completely shocked me. If I hadn't called, I doubt the error would have been caught. This mishap should be a lesson to others who expect extra payments to be credited properly.

Rick Albarran; Jacksonville, Fla.