The reason why student debt is basically unheard of in Denmark since college is free (although to make that happen, the Danish government poses high taxation towards citizens like they do in order to maintain stable social security nets like subsidised healthcare and public housing, also why they have less homelessness).
Mainly Danish, Swiss and European citizens are eligible to study without stressing over student debt upon graduation. It stems from this: Danish government is more on for the people while American government is more on caring about themselves plus nepotism on the side (MORE & HIGHER TAXES TOO ON TOP OF THAT).
Public universities were in many cases free following WW2. But the generation made use of that, then pulled the ladders up in typical “I got mine. Fuck everybody else,” boomer fashion.
Yup, and then it became “I was able to work a summer job and pay for my entire tuition, why are you whining you lazy young kid”, ignoring the fact that you literally can’t do that anymore.
I am ineligible for any federal or state grants. I’m an adult who lives alone, works full time, and pays all my own bills. I had to drop out of college because I couldn’t afford the 20k a year tuition. The government told me that based off my income I should be able to afford to pay $39k worth of tuition and fees on my own, at the time I was making about $44k a year in total pay with OT. I guess I can just go live in a fucking box and eat out of the garbage while I finish my degree.
Meanwhile my old boss, who is married with a kid, dual income making a 6 figure salary and owns a really nice house, gets over 10k a semester in grants to attend 2 college classes a semester, because having a kid and owning a house means you can claim those expenses. I can’t claim my rent as a living expense on the FASFA, therefore the government assumes I get free housing somehow.
pretty much.
they basically didn’t want to pay taxes, and all during the 70s and 80s they slashed tax rates and spent the money on cars and boats and travel.