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once again, the Democratic party is choosing to actively harm poor and working class people in order to pander to an artificial image of a class that doesn't actually exist https://twitter.com/mstratford/status/1361887361395789824
just because someone went to an Ivy League school doesn't mean they weren't poor, and it doesn't mean that they can't still be just as burdened by debt a decade later as someone who went to a state school or an obscure private college https://twitter.com/gaybonez/status/1362056799847907329?s=19
I've stated before that I have some hesitation about unconditional loan cancelation, but that's mostly a desire to make sure we address root of the problem alongside the symptom, not some fear that "OMG HARVARD GRADS MIGHT ALSO HAVE DEBT CANCELED"
specifically: if we're going to cancel student loan debt, we should also ask ourselves why this level of student loan debt exists in the first place and make sure we have a plan to prevent it from accumulating again, not just issue a one-time hotfix
there's a perception that "poor people don't go to Ivy League schools".
that's simply not true - and in fact, perpetuating that stereotype makes poor people *less* likely to apply to those schools and get the education and financial aid that they qualify for!
that's simply not true - and in fact, perpetuating that stereotype makes poor people *less* likely to apply to those schools and get the education and financial aid that they qualify for!
there are a lot of systemic inequalities in higher education, but I promise you: repeating the myth that "elite schools are only for the elite and wealthy" does not actually fix any of them. all it does is *harm* the very people you should be helping
Ironically, Ivy League schools can actually be some of the most affordable options for students from poor families or undocumented immigrants, because of need-based financial aid.
That doesn't mean you graduate debt-free, but it can mean less debt.
That doesn't mean you graduate debt-free, but it can mean less debt.
If you're choosing between three schools with three estimated debt burdens upon graduation:
- Harvard: $30K debt on graduation
- UMass: $80K debt on graduation
- Northeastern: $150K debt on graduation
Which would you choose?
(this is not a trick question!)
- Harvard: $30K debt on graduation
- UMass: $80K debt on graduation
- Northeastern: $150K debt on graduation
Which would you choose?
(this is not a trick question!)
This is also not a hypothetical question, either - I know many people who were in this exact position: an Ivy League school offered them better financial aid options than private or public schools that they were accepted to.
Yes, it's counterintuitive, but it's common.
Yes, it's counterintuitive, but it's common.
Note that $30K debt is still a lot of debt! It's nothing to sneeze at! But... it's a lot better than having double or quadruple that amount in debt.
Bringing this back to Biden: telling someone that their $20K remaining debt isn't going to be canceled because they went to Harvard, but their $50K remaining debt would have been if they had gone to a different school is unnecessarily cruel and sends the exact wrong message.
Biden is literally telling students from poor families that they shouldn't go to top-tier colleges, even if they can get in, because he's not interested in making that an option for them financially.
That's terrible policy.
That's terrible policy.
Also, people love to say "just go to state school"
- not all state schools offer the same opportunities as Ivy League schools
- undocumented immigrants don't qualify for in-state tuition in most states anyway... but they *do* qualify for financial aid at Ivy League schools!
- not all state schools offer the same opportunities as Ivy League schools
- undocumented immigrants don't qualify for in-state tuition in most states anyway... but they *do* qualify for financial aid at Ivy League schools!
yes, it would be nice if every state school provided the same educational resources as top-tier private schools!
but that's objectively not true today, and telling students to sacrifice *their* own opportunities to make *your* political point is not helping them.
but that's objectively not true today, and telling students to sacrifice *their* own opportunities to make *your* political point is not helping them.
Undocumented immigrants don't qualify for federal or state financial aid, and they often don't qualify for in-state tuition either, so the most affordable options are usually Ivy League schools, who are able to cover undocumented students' financial aid with their own funds.
For example, here is Columbia University. Undocumented immigrants in the US are eligible for need-blind admissions despite not being citizens, and because they can't get federal financial aid, the University pays for the difference themselves
https://undergrad.admissions.columbia.edu/apply/first-year/undocumented-students
https://undergrad.admissions.columbia.edu/apply/first-year/undocumented-students
Columbia can make that commitment because they're a large and wealthy institution, but most schools can't. So once again, Ivy League schools end up being the most affordable option for undocumented immigrants.
By telling students that he won't cancel debt for "elite schools", Biden is literally cutting off the most affordable education option for undocumented immigrants, including DACA recipients.
