Easy, private colleges w/out-of-state tuition, ParentPlus Loans, and rising costs of facilities spirals out of control pretty handily. Academia has demonized the working class/blue collar worker in the States for at least the last 50+ years. I have friends who did Med School and Law School who have mortgage-sized loans combined (200K+)....they realize they won't be balling out of control until they hit their 40s or make partner/etc.
This is modern-day serfdom at its finest, the common folk are sold the allusion of a middle-class lifestyle by merely completing a 4-year program (really now Grad too in many cases). Undergrad 30K + Grad 30K + Interest + Deferment easily puts someone from 60K to 80/90K due to interest. Government/Banks provide the loan, college gets 100% profit from the loan, and the student gets stuck with the bill. Can they pay it off? Maybe, but not likely as many will go into the grist mill of the current workforce without any prep or XP. From there they will go to the trap of Grad School to gain a further academic advantage and tack on more debt....
So, we are painfully learning your average 18-year old is opting to do Grad School and come out with 100K worth of loans, in their late twenties, with no realistic job prospects outside of being in the service industry (Starbucks, Micky D's, etc)...Schools don't see you as "new leaders of the world", they see you as a SSN and $$$.
The real crux of the problem are parents encouraging their children to attend colleges no matter the cost for "the experiences we had in our day", but they often forget college tuition in the 70s, 80s, and 90s, could realistically be paid working part-time at a hotdog stand.
This ultimately has a devastating effect on the new generation as they will unable to:
- Pay back 40K-200K worth of loans within a reasonable timeframe
- Begin their careers in a field relative to their major
- Have spending power
- Be completely independent
- Begin or support families
You thought Bernie Madoff was bad? Huh, he's got nothing on colleges....
But I feel comfortable knowing that all my shyt is federal government.
and 
. "You're on your own, my nikka. 
. Nobody told you to go to college. I didn't. 
"
because it's unfortunately true
pay yo debt fukk boi 
broke fuk boy...nikka come talk to me when you debt free 
