I own a gun, and know how to use it, so maybe I can qualify for the job...

Hey froggy, welcome to myLot! You'll find a lot of lively discussions here but we generally refrain from calling each other names. You can't take these things personally, it's just discussion after all and sharing opinions. How do you get through college? Well, I worked while I was in college and so did my mom. She graduated when she was 50. She worked full time while raising us and dealing with a sad divorce and it took her 7 years but she did it while supporting herself and us. I worked my way through, too, but decided after a year that I wanted to work full time--I regret that decision but I could have finished college on my own. Not in 4 years, maybe in 6 years, but I'd graduate debt free. Community colleges are cheaper, we didn't have those back then, but that's another option for saving money. You don't have to borrow to go to college if you choose the school wisely and make some sacrifices. I hope you enjoy here at myLot and have fun with all the differing opinions.

I didn't have to get the loan. I worked my way through college to get my bachelor's degree. It took me longer than some people, but I did it without a loan. I was in a hurry to get a masters so I took out a student loan to get me through that. Still, I didn't HAVE TO. I CHOSE TO. There are plenty of people who don't get a college degree and do just fine. Construction workers often make more money than I do and they don't need a college education. Same thing goes for plumbers. Bill Gates never finished college and he's the richest man in the country. I'm not a victim of any 1%. I'm just a guy who chose my path like everyone else. My path didn't involve the sacrifices necessary to be filthy rich, nor did it involve playing the victim and blaming others for the fact that I'm not rich.

When you take out money for a student loan you can only get the amount allowed. This is also true of other loans such as a car or mortgage loan. And banks as a rule have NEVER loaned money to people who (at the time of the loan) they thought actually needed a loan.

Oh wow! Tell me, do you also blame the cop for catching you speeding? Loan officers and student loan councilors advise people on the maximum amount the institution is willing to loan the student. They don't force anyone to take the maximum, or even the loan. Your analogy doesn't even work, since doctors don't force surgery on anyone.. in fact, if they tried, they can lose their licenses. They advise you on your medical condition, then YOU decide what you want to do.. including get a second opinion.. or do nothing.

That is exactly my point, that's why I said suggest surgery, not compel it. You ask a physician for their opinion because they are the professional when it comes to healthcare. Performing surgery that has little or no chance of improving the quality of life is unethical. Sub-prime loans, toxic debt, bad paper, call it what you want, but predatory lenders were manipulating the numbers so it would appear that a person could actually borrow more than they could afford. In fact the definition of sub-prime loans includes the line that it is lending to borrowers who may have difficulty with meeting the repayment schedule. And since the loan officer is the professional in this case, it was up to them to tell a potential borrower about the potential risk. But many of the predatory lenders did not do that, in fact they made the loans, told the borrowers that property values would continue to rise (speculation), and for those that wanted to re-finance, they often told people they could have extra money to pay off other bills or use how they wished. You can never guarantee that a security is going to increase in value. And it is not advisable to roll known decreasing value assets (like cars) into a mortgage as that loan is on an asset that should increase in value over time. I own stock, and I expect my stockbroker (the professional) to properly advise me to not only buy stock with good upside potential, but limit my exposure to the downside potential. But I know he cannot guarantee that any security is going to increase in value, and he can't know every downside before it occurs. In fact in the agreements I signed I had to agree to this very fact. The patient is a doctor's customer, and if they force someone to undergo surgery, they can be sued and they can lose their license. The borrower is the lender's customer. What happened to the lenders who wrote the toxic debt? Did they lose their license? Did they get sued? I know that a lot of people (borrowers) lost their homes. Oh and the speeding ticket? When you purchase a car, you rely on the manufacturer that the speedometer is accurate, and the speed sensing equipment used by the police is accurate. Prove either of them inaccurate, and the ticket is null and void.

Exactly! College fees, books and tuition are skyrocketing. However, have you noticed that there are no calls for investigations or the government (state universities are government entities after all) putting caps on such things? NO! The government protects the scams and gouging... at everyone's expense.

Yup, it screws the responsible.

Exactly, they are only victims of themselves.