Comment Re:It is Absurd... (Score 1) 1032
I can't speak for everyone, but when I was 18 I had 100% certainty that I would graduate, get into a good-paying job, and the debt would be easy-peasy. This certainty came from a mix of parents/relatives/teachers saying "Definitely go to college, you can do great things" and the university I selected having a heavily-integrated intern program and "facts" like 98% placement. So I went to this private, out-of-state, very expensive university, took out loans to cover not only tuition (I got very little in scholarships) but food, room, books, gas money, etc. I knew it was a lot of money, but it seemed like a temporary thing.
I was extremely stupid doing so, of course; I was blinded by the idea that getting a degree from this university somehow guaranteed me a nice job. Along the way, not a single person spoke up to say "Hey, making taking out $20-$30K in loans every year is a really bad idea." My parents even co-signed some of my early loans. And then I graduated into the 2008 recession.
Now, seven years later, I still owe $110,000. Minimum payment is $900 monthly, about 1/3 of my take-home pay.