It's not like people are forced to take student loans.

[SoutherDem]

36. So many jobs need a degree

I once heard it said this way, "We don't care what the degree is in, it could be in basket weaving as far as were concerned, we will train you on how to do the job, we just require all our managers to have a college degree".

Between jobs that need specific training and those which want the education balance that a degree shows a BS/BA.

People do feel forced to take the degrees.

The problem is some of those degrees today aren't worth the paper they are written on. Yes, those from many of the proprietary colleges but even some from major universities.

Perhaps we need to look at value of the education. If the degree cost more than the value of the degree perhaps those loans should be limited, and even forgiven for those who were duped by the schools. When I went back to college, I was 38, I was told how much I would make with the degree. I didn't know how to verify this and trusted the college. Yes, I do hold responsibility for the loans, but so do the school which promised much more than the degree will give. I am lucky, mine were government loans so my pay back is limited to my income but I will be paying on these "forever".