The U.S. Department of Education and I
By Nancy Muldoon
The U.S. Department of Education doesn’t know it yet, but I am breaking up with them. Not today, probably not even next week, but soon. Like many American college students, I’ve grown tired of my relationship with the U.S. Dept. of Education. I feel like I’m always the one who picks up the check every time we go out and I pay the tip too.
What initially seemed like a good idea (taking out student loans in order to go back to school) now seems emotionally exhausting and financially impossible. Dealing with the U.S. Department of Education has been a rather educational experience in and of itself.
To me, it seems rather odd that we American’s have to “borrow” money from our own government in order to educate ourselves. If we do not pay it back in a timely manner or do not pay more than the minimum monthly payment we end up paying even more money than we owed in the first place. These circumstances do not create feelings of love and trust for such institutions.
Meanwhile my tax money and yours is funding other countries like Iraq so that others can have freedom and democracy. What about our and more importantly, my freedom and democracy?
As I write this, I currently owe the U.S. Dept. of Education over $11,000.00. Luckily for me, that’s all I owe. I am well aware that there are people who have accrued much more debt than I and I do not envy these individuals.
Education like poverty is big business here in America, so it was no surprise to me when Sallie Mae, a truly evil corporation made to sound like it’s somebody’s grandma was involved in paying college administrators to steer students in borrowing money from them. Sally Mae is now required to pay back students and schools millions of dollars in damages.
As of a few months ago I finally paid off all my credit card debt. I do not wish to own any more credit cards for the rest of my life. I enjoy my debit card immensely because it doesn’t allow you to spend money you don’t have, which is the way it should be.
In the meantime, I will try to hold on to my day job, pay more than the minimum monthly payment just to stay ahead of the curve. With the next tax refund check I get, I will pay the U.S. Department of Education the money I owe them and emancipate myself from them once and for all; or at least until my daughter goes off to college. Like I said, I’m breaking up with them, just wait and see.