I mean, seriously. I was stupid enough to take on the burden of student loans. At least give me the dignity of having the responsibility of paying them off.
I mean, seriously. I was stupid enough to take on the burden of student loans. At least give me the dignity of having the responsibility of paying them off.
While far from perfect, the system the UK has (had?) is a lot better, and can be implemented easily, and even retrospectively.
Basically, the loan is paid back as a percentage tax, over a (fairly high) set limit. If you don’t earn above that limit for 10 years, it’s written off. If you don’t pay it back after 20, it’s written off. The interest is tied to the Bank of England base rate, and so is basically inflation corrected.
By paying it off as a progressive tax, it doesn’t cause the stress levels a loan does. By having a set time limit, it discourages over-lending for courses. Loaning £20,000 for a basket weaving course will never get paid back. The same loan for a medical course is very likely. The course charges are also capped.
As for your situation, you’ve got to ask yourself, what is better for society as a whole? Large debts, particularly on the young can be devastating. It cripples the explosive growth of skills and lifestyle needed to fuel future growth of the economy.
If you truly want to maintain your dignity, why not accept the write off, and instead invest the money into a scholarship fund for future students? Those with pride can keep it, while those whose pride has been ground away under the load can get out from under their mistake.