Anonymous for a Reason

A Native American at Boise State University explains why student loan forgiveness is unfair in the student paper. 10/3/22 Arbiter:

When I was in high school, college was the one burden that loomed over my head, all hours of the day. I thought; how will I pay for my future in a university? Where will I go? Should I just give up? Do I take a gap year? Is a college degree something I want to achieve? 

As I began receiving acceptance letters from my dream schools, I couldn’t believe how far I had come. My excitement was through the roof. My dream schools wanted ME. They wanted ME to attend their school, and I wanted them too. The only thing that didn’t want me to go was my bank account. 

From my understanding, I could only further my education through academic scholarships, athletic scholarships, loans or by working long hours to support my bills . 

As I narrowed my options down, I had to make THE decision: where to go.

I could go to my dream school located across the country, in a beautiful state, with bountiful opportunities, a new city, tremendous academics and a 10.5% acceptance rate. 

Or I could go to the college that I always knew of. The one I drove by everyday. The college I despised. I wanted to get out of my town and live elsewhere with new people and more of a diverse setting, but it was the only college I could afford. 

The decision ultimately came down to my home town college. 

I still had to face the dreaded question: How do I afford it?

Idaho schools, such as Boise State, offer a lower semester average cost  for in-state students than most colleges, averaging $7,010 a year, yet I still needed to find a way to pay my way through college. 

Not only did I have to think about tuition, but I also had to think about a place to live, food, extracurricular activities, clothing and my day-to-day life in general. 

I made the conscious decision to not take out loans and pay off my student debt after I graduated, so I had to make adjustments....

 work three jobs, have little-to-no social life, apply for all possible scholarships and juggle school work at the same time. 

Being a student with a history of good grades and Native American heritage, it was fairly easy for me to find scholarships. I got grants from the tribe I am from and was able to scavenge scholarships that were offered through my college. 

I am on track to graduate college debt free and loan free with some extra cash in my pocket. I am proud of how much I work, the grades I maintain and being a self-sufficient college student, worker and friend....

n other words, Student Loan Forgiveness no longer requires you to repay some or all of your loans from college. 

Under this new initiative, millions of federal student loan borrowers will be eligible for $10,000 in loan forgiveness, or up to $20,000 if they received Pell Grants. 

Most of my friends got to live out their dreams, moved across the country to go to their dream school, didn’t have to work, maintained a social life and focused their energy solely on school; all with full college loans. 

Now, they may not have to pay off their loans. 

After years of panic, anxiety and loneliness that come with having to pay my student bills, it doesn’t seem right that everyone else gets to walk away unscathed. 

He has learned self-discipline.  I hope has also learned that Democrats are not the party of fairness.