A Comparison of The Article by Robert Applebaum and Justin Wolfers on Student Loans

Student loans are a complicated and overwhelming reality of going to college. A lot of us are not even sure how they work. You are telling me that I can get free money to learn English, Math, and/or The Science of Harry Potter? I do not have to pay anything up front? Sign me up. However, what is being overlooked and disregarded? The American education system is majorly flawed in a number of ways but especially when it comes to student loans. There is the repayment policy and ridiculously high tuition rate, just to name a few especially terrible defects in this system. In two articles “Student Loans: Should Some Indebtedness Be Forgiven?” by Robert Applebaum and “Forgive Student Loans? Worst Idea Ever” by Justin Wolfers, the argument being made is whether or not the Student Loan Forgiveness Act of 2012 is a good solution for the problems many college students and graduates face.

In the first article, Applebaum makes points about why there needs to be a solution to the excessive student debt in America. He argues that the price of education has become more expensive than the actual worth of the degree being earned. It is true; there are a limited number of careers that will provide a sufficient salary to maintain creating a stable life (i.e. buying a house, starting a family, etc.) and repaying thousands upon thousands of dollars of debt. Unfortunately, the high price for a college education is due to the government’s lack of support and without new legislation, very little can be changed. That is where the Student Loan Forgiveness Act of 2012 comes in, “It’s a recognition that millions of Americans have grossly overpaid for their educations, due in part to governmental inference in the marketplace” (Applebaum 466). It may not be the perfect solution, but at least it is an attempt to lead college debt in the right direction instead of further into a black hole of debt. It is the least the government can do to try to clean up the mess that has been created for present and future college students.

Applebaum makes complete, well thought out points in his article and although there is a hint of rage, the facts are still present. His final and longest point is that education is being sold to the public as if it is a luxurious product. Applebaum says, “We continue to treat education as a commodity that benefits only the individual obtaining the education, rather than what it truly is: a public good and an investment in our collective future as a country” (466). This is the most important statement in arguing about why there has to be a better method of either receiving money or repaying loaned money for college. The greater good would be setting up citizens into a position to stimulate the economy rather than pull the economy further into the black hole. Investing in better and smarter citizens means investing in a greater country.

In the second article, Wolfers has a different perspective on the idea of forgiving student loans as a solution to the increasing debt. Instead of forgiving student loans for college graduates, he believes the money would do better going to another group of people who need it more. Wolfers makes irrelevant claims to “support” his argument such as, “The group who has been hurt over the past few decades is high school dropouts” (469). It is unfortunate that this group has been hurt because, assuming this is why he made this point, it has become increasingly necessary to excel in the workplace as long as they have some type of degree. However, there is the possibility that if college tuition was more affordable or loans were not so terrifying, these high school dropouts would seek a higher education. There are no statistics for these hasty ideas he is weakly claiming and Wolfers, especially, provides no support for his claim.

Wolfers continues making hasty generalizations from the beginning to the very end of the article. His assumptions are seemingly based entirely on his opinion without support from anyone credible, which would help his argument sound like less of a rant. Wolfers begs the question when considering the political economy, “What will happen in the next recession? More lobbying for free money, rather than doing something socially constructive” (469). With this assumption, it leaves the reader to wonder if there is even a point in trying to alleviate the debt. Instead of giving hope to those who may potentially be looking at colleges or for a solution to all their debt, Wolfers creates more apprehension and fear. The $1 trillion of debt that has accumulated did not just magically appear with the most recent recession, it has been accruing since the 1970s. The increase in tuition has been happening for 45 years and it is only getting worse and harder to pay for college.

The reader, based on these two articles, has two options. Applebaum, who is lobbying for a solution, asks the reader to see that there is a problem with the mountain of debt and asks them to think about this problem. He presents his facts with reference to other’s information of the problem with a possible solution to give the reader something to mull over. Wolfers, on the other hand, uses his vague assumptions to criticize each flaw in the Student Loan Forgiveness Act of 2012. He goes so far as to break down the problems into specific categories and why, in his “expert” opinion, the solution is a terrible one. If this matter is not at least discussed, there will be no advances towards a resolution. Will you join the fight for more affordable education or will you sit back and criticize those trying?