Counterpoint: Why can't student debtors do the math?

Opinion editor's note: Star Tribune Opinion publishes a mix of national and local commentaries online and in print each day. To contribute, click here.

•••

I keep hearing that math and reading scores among American students are lagging, still behind pre-pandemic scores. But from all the complaints coming from people who are burdened by student loans, it appears that even long before the pandemic, many college-bound students were sadly lacking in those basic skills.

How could people who qualified for college admission not have been able to figure out whether they could afford college, or afford to go out to an out-of-state school, or afford to live on campus instead of with their parents, etc.?

And apparently, reading comprehension scores have long been way down if these students didn't even understand the basic concept of a loan — something that needs to be paid back.

Math was never my best subject. Nevertheless, when I took out a mortgage for my home in 1998, I "did the math." Even though the bank approved my mortgage loan, I could see that I would not comfortable living on what little income I'd have left after I made my mortgage payment. So, for the first five years, I took in a renter to help pay the bills.

In "Three people, three stories of living with student debt" (Nov. 5) the Star Tribune told of three women trying to manage student debt. I was appalled by the rationalizations of two of them. Only one of the three seemed to take responsibility for her debt, stating that "at the end of the day, it's a decision you make."

Gosh, back in the 1970s, I was aware of such options and attended Normandale Community College while living at home. Why aren't kids today aware of that kind of option? I think many are, but imagine it's beneath them. I'm tired of people assuming that others in the community should pay for their overly ambitious decisions.

Another subject in the story, a 22-year-old, said she wasn't worried about repaying her debt when she took out nearly $80,000 in student loans to attend an out-of-state school from 2019 to 2021. Seriously, was she not able to do the math? She wishes she would have sat down with someone before she took out the loans to consider what she was getting herself into.

Had she not taken the time to compare the cost of in-state vs. out-of-state colleges, and then to compare the cost of living on campus vs. living at home? If not, why not? Who commits to spending that kind of money without thinking it through?

Clearly she valued the experience living "in a red state" over being realistic and living at home while attending college. But once she realized that she could only afford to pay her rent and living expenses, why didn't she pack up and move back home before accumulating $80,000 in debt?

Still another subject is a 28-year-old junior at the University of Minnesota studying political science. At least she started out at a community college, but she is worried about how she will pay back the loans she will accumulate before she graduates. And she is president of the student-advocacy group LeadMN.

But no one has rationally explained why student loans should be forgiven while millions of us taxpayers are still responsible for paying off our home loans, medical debts, car loans, home repair loans, etc. I'm retired and still have three years left on my home mortgage. When will Joe Biden or Tim Walz forgive that loan??