By Regina A. Smith
I grew up in a small Alabama town. My parents, a service station operator and a textile worker, had 8th-grade educations. I was the first in my family to go to college and thought we were middle class. Actually, we weren’t that well off, as I later learned in a college sociology class!
I was able to go to teachers’ college close to home in 1967 because I had a National Defense Student Loan and some work study support. After graduating, I was able eventually to pay back that loan by working in public service and writing off a percentage of the loan balance annually.
After 10 years of work with the developmentally disabled, I owed no more money. Being free from that debt allowed my husband and me (he also borrowed money for college and paid his back) to purchase our first home when we were in our early 30s. My having no loan responsibilities was the catalyst that put us on the track toward afinancially comfortable life, and we were able to send our daughter to UGA without her borrowing a penny. I have a 74-year-old friend who is still paying off her student loans.
Too many Americans now struggle to get ahead and start families or even afford a house. I never begrudged anyone for getting a break on college loans, and enthusiastically applauded the Biden administration for trying to help today’s young people get the same help I did so long ago. In the past 4 years he has worked hard to make college more affordable for anyone who wants to attend. Cancelling $138 billion in student debt and helping more than 3.9 million citizens is a huge win for America. Unfortunately, the Supreme Court shot down plans to help even more people, but give credit where credit is due.
He has still managed to cancel more student debt than any previous administration. Biden recently ignored naysayers in our countrywho don’t want to help anyone succeed and is helpingcommunity college and other low-income borrowers get relief from debt up to $12,000. This is a good thing for our economy. When some people complain that President Biden hasn’t done much to help the middle class, just remember the real facts. He has, and he will continue to do so.
Regina A. Smith resides in Athens