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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Tuesday car crash kills Cave Junction woman ... OSF's Daedalus Project raises $115,772 for AIDS/HIV groups ... Our View: Cheers to jobs, fish; jeers to canceled insurance ... Tuesday car crash kills Cave Junction woman ... OSF's Daedalus Project raises $115,772 for AIDS/HIV groups ... Our View: Cheers to jobs, fish; jeers to canceled insurance ... GUEST OPINION Guest Opinion: Student loan debt burdens today's graduates Comment By Betty R. Kazmin MailTribune.com By Betty R. Kazmin Posted Aug. 25, 2015 at 12:01 AM By Betty R. Kazmin Posted Aug. 25, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Social News This retired educator was pleased to read your front page story, "Engineering, technology programs to be offered." (Aug 20) It is always good news when our schools promote educational excellence, and design programs to meet the needs and interests of our children. Project Lead the Way will focus on STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) using a project-based method. Your story reports on a July, 2014 article in Forbes Magazine which "noted that students graduating with degrees in computer science, engineering, mathematics and statistics received the largest starting salaries immediately after college." The Medford School District's goal is to encourage and educate students who will then pursue these subjects at the college level. That's when they bump into the troubling trend: financing a college education. That is such a crucial issue that it has now entered the 2016 presidential election. As the parent of three young adults who earned college degrees in non STEM subjects, I must add that there are wonderful subject areas and careers in other fields. And those who pursue them will also confront the challenge of financing their college education. Thus student loan debt has become a huge issue for all. Should these motivated students, in either STEM or other fields of study, choose to earn a post graduate degree — a master's or doctorate — the amount of student debt can be overwhelming and can affect the lives of these students for decades. "Grad-School Loan Binge Fans Debt Worries" is the headline of a front page story in the Wall Street Journal (Aug 19 issue). An accompanying chart shows the average debt load for graduate studies by those completing their degrees in 2012. Note that this is in addition to loans for undergraduate studies. For a master of science, $50,000. A medical degree, $170,000. A law degree, $140,000. Students entering such programs now can expect even higher amounts when they finish several years from now. A chart from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York shows the number of Americans carrying $100,000 or more in student loan debt surged to nearly two million in 2014. The Wall Street Journal article reports: "Federal programs allow grad students to borrow essentially unlimited amounts — whatever their schools charge — while requiring only a scant credit check and no assessment of their ability to repay. Other government loan programs set loan limits to prevent borrowers from getting too deep into debt. Undergraduates are capped at $57,000 total in federal loans." Many critics of the federal loan program believe that students' easy access to borrowed money enables universities to raise their tuition ever higher. So while Medford and other school districts nationwide encourage students to achieve academic success and pursue college degrees, the ever rising cost is troubling. I picture students working hard in challenging secondary school courses and applying to various colleges with the highest hopes of achieving their dreams. Today's private universities can charge $35,000 per year in tuition; public universities $12,000. Room and board and books can add many thousands more. A post graduate degree can add another $150,000 in expenses. Imagine a young well-educated man or woman entering the workforce with a huge student debt burden. Monthly payments must be made for years or decades. If a man and woman, each encumbered with debt, choose to marry, their combined burden could prohibit them from qualifying for a home mortgage. If a woman wants to take maternity or childcare leave from her job, the student loan payments must still be paid along with the rent, insurance, and basic necessities. What kind of future does this offer our children? Why is the cost of a college education so enormous that it burdens our young people for decades ? How will they ever afford to buy a home or raise children? By encouraging students to achieve academically and earn college degrees by borrowing money, what other costs are we imposing on them? My oldest grandchild will soon represent the fourth generation of our family to attend college. Both my father and husband worked their way through college and graduate school. Working during the school year part time and the summers full time enabled them to cover most of their expenses. Current tuition and cost of living make that nearly impossible. Today's college students, unless they are very fortunate, turn to student loans without foreseeing the outcome. Something is out of balance. America needs to correct that situation and make higher education affordable to all who are committed to achieving their goals. Betty R. Kazmin of Medford taught algebra for 20 years in Los Angeles public and private secondary schools and served on the board of education in Willard, Ohio. By Betty R. Kazmin MailTribune.com By Betty R. Kazmin Posted Aug. 25, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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